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I'm glad to see the development of a website that encompasses all this great information. It's a great place to go to remi...
Carol Gentry
Marysville
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NE Kansas
Marysville Explorations
Learn more about Marysville by following the links below:

Pony Express Original Home Station #1

Address: 106 South 8th Street
Marysville, KS 66508
Telephone Number: 785-562-3101
Second Telephone Number: 800-752-3965

Website: www.visitmarysvilleks.org/mcocbusinesses/ponyexpbarn/ponyexpbarn.html
Email Address: info@VisitMarysvilleKs.org

About this Exploration:

 
 
Directions:  Turn South at the U.S.. 36 and 8th Street stoplight.  Go 1 short block plus a 1/2 block and the barn is on your left.  Museum parking is in the alley. 
 
Hours:  Open April through October Monday-Saturday 9 a.m.-4 p.m. and Sunday 12-4 p.m.
 
Admission:  Adults - $4.00, Ages 6-12 - $2.00, 5 & under - free
 
Between April 1860 and October 1861, riders travelled day and night through all weathers to carry letters from St. Joseph, MO to Sacramento, CA and back.  The one-way trip usually took 10 days.  Riders changed horses every 12-15 miles and rode 75 to 100 miles before turning the mail over to a fresh rider at one of the 40 or so "home stations" along the route.
 

 
Home Station #1 in Marysville, a stone barn built by Joseph Cottrell in 1859, was leased to the Pony Express in 1860.  The barn, which is the only original Pony Express Home Station still standing on the original site, is now a museum.  It consists of the original stable, now the oldest building in Marshall County, and an annex added in 1991 which matches it in architectural style.
 
In the museum and barn you will find a mochilla, a special leather saddle cover used to carry the mail; stalls; harnesses and equipment; a blacksmith forge and display; horse and oxen drawn vehicles; and farming tools from the 19th century.
 
After the contract with the Pony Express expired, the barn became a stop on the Overland Stage route and a general livery stable for the region.  One of the favorite items in the collection is a replica of the Overland Stagecoach.  A large selection of model railroad trains and railroad related items have been added in the education room, emphasizing Marysville's wider historic importance as a transportation hub.
 
In June of each year the National Pony Express Association sponsors a Pony Express Re-Ride along the entire route.  Over 550 riders and horses are posted at intervals to take turns carrying the mail.  2010 will commemorate the 150th Anniversary of the Pony Express.  Special celebrations are being planned across the route during the re-ride.
 

 
For more information click here Pony Express Barn Museum.

contact info
Brenda Staggenborg
101 North 10th Street
Marysville, KS 66508
Phone: 785.562.3101
Fax: 785.562.3101
 
 
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