The Hollenberg Pony Express Station, also known as Cottonwood Pony Express Station, is the most intact surviving station of the

Pony Express The Pony Express was an American express mail service that used relays of horse-mounted riders. It operated from April 3, 1860, to October 26, 1861, between Missouri and California. It was operated by the Central Overland California and Pik ...

in the United States. It was built by Gerat H. Hollenberg in 1858, to serve travelers on the

Oregon Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...

and

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

Trails, and was used by the Pony Express when it was established in 1860. The station is owned by the state of Kansas and is operated by the

Kansas Historical Society The Kansas Historical Society is the official state historical society of Kansas. Headquartered in Topeka, it operates as "the trustee of the state" for the purpose of maintaining the state's history and operates the Kansas Museum of History, Kan ...

as Hollenberg Pony Express Station State Historic Site. It was designated a

National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places listed ...

in 1961.

Description and history

The Hollenberg Pony Express Station is located about east of

Hanover, Kansas Hanover is a city in Washington County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 690. The city is primarily agricultural, and the surrounding countryside is filled with small family farms. Named after Hanov ...

along Kansas Highway 243. The station consists of a 1-1/2 story rectangular Cottonwood frame building, with a gabled roof, wooden shingled exterior, and stone foundation. The building is organized into six rooms, four of which served as the Hollenberg family residence, one served as a shop, and the last as a bar and tavern space. The loft area served as a sleeping area for riders of the Pony Express and guests. The building was historically accompanied by a stable and blacksmith's shop. The station was built in 1858 by Gerat H. Hollenberg c. 1857 or 1858, as a way station on the Oregon and California migrant trails. When the Pony Express service was inaugurated, it was made a "home station" where riders switched mounts. The Pony Express operated for only 18 months, ending service in October 1861. The station also served the

Butterfield Overland Mail Butterfield Overland Mail (officially the Overland Mail Company)Waterman L. Ormsby, edited by Lyle H. Wright and Josephine M. Bynum, "The Butterfield Overland Mail", The Huntington Library, San Marino, California, 1991. was a stagecoach service i ...

. Hollenberg traded with

emigrants Emigration is the act of leaving a resident country or place of residence with the intent to settle elsewhere (to permanently leave a country). Conversely, immigration describes the movement of people into one country from another (to permanentl ...

on the trails, operated the westernmost Pony Express station in

Kansas Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the ...

, and provided relay services for the Overland Mail. The building has never been moved and retains its original dimensions. Hollenberg prospered, establishing the town of

and winning election to the Kansas Legislature. Hollenberg died in 1874, and thereafter the property was used as a farmstead until 1941. It was purchased by the state in that year, and turned over the state historical society for maintenance and management in 1963. The site is open between March and October.

References

External links

Hollenberg Pony Express Station State Historic Site
* {{National Register of Historic Places Pony Express stations National Historic Landmarks in Kansas Kansas state historic sites Museums in Washington County, Kansas History museums in Kansas Transportation museums in Kansas Historic American Buildings Survey in Kansas Commercial buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Kansas National Register of Historic Places in Washington County, Kansas Transportation buildings and structures on the National Register of Historic Places in Kansas 1860 establishments in Kansas Territory

Description and history

See also

References

External links