The legend of the Pony Express grew fast and far in the decades after its demise. Tales of adventure spanning from the lurid to the ludicrous were easy fodder for the nation’s burgeoning popular print fiction culture. Writers who had never ventured west of the Mississippi captivated readers, spinning fantastic tales of brave riders overcoming constant dangers and life threatening attacks. Public love and curiosity for the Pony Express has waned in the past, along with the popularity of the American Western. But 150 years after the first riders galloped onto the route, the Pony Express service remains not merely a national, but an international legend. As new methods of storytelling grow with new technology, the Pony finds its way into them, romancing and enthralling new generations with the deceptively simple tale of a man, a horse, some mail, and a trail.
