On this day in 1861 the Pony Express officially ceases operations. The Pony Express delivered mail between St. Joseph, Missouri and Sacramento, California from April 1860 until October 1861. It was the most direct way of east-west communication before the telegraph. The route the Pony Express took was 1900 miles long and there were 184 stations along the route. An estimated 400 horses were used along the route.  The 1860 election results-California got news of Lincoln’s election 7 days and 17 hours after the east coast papers via the Pony Express.