Pony Express Festival

Festival Location: Hanover, KS, USA

Festival State: Kansas Festivals

Festival Type(s): Historical Festivals, Re-enactments

By: © Nelson Taylor 2009

This festival, sponsored by the Kansas State Historical Society, celebrates the history of the Pony Express, proving in 1860 that mail could be carried to and from the West faster than anyone had thought possible. Even though the company that started the Pony Express was charging upwards of $5 for each letter one-half ounce or less plus regular postage, the costs far exceeded their revenues. And in October of 1861, the Pony Express was superseded by telegraph.

The most westerly station, just outside Hanover, is the Hollenberg Station, which is the site for the annual Pony Express Festival held every August. This free event includes lots of Bible-thumping, music by such outfits as the Horseshoe Farmers Band, and living history demonstrations and displays.