On This Day In History

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On this day in 1860, the first Pony Express mail, traveling by horse and rider relay teams, simultaneously leaves St. Joseph, Missouri, and Sacramento, California. Ten days later, on April 13, the westbound rider and mail packet completed the approximately 1,800-mile journey and arrived in Sacramento, beating the eastbound packet's arrival in St. Joseph by two days and setting a new standard for speedy mail delivery. Although ultimately short-lived and unprofitable, the Pony Express captivated America's imagination and helped win federal aid for a more economical overland postal system. It also contributed to the economy of the towns on its route and served the mail-service needs of the American West in the days before the telegraph or an efficient transcontinental railroad.

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The initial cost of Pony Express delivery was $5 for every half-ounce of mail.

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To kick off the first International Beaver Day in 2009, Beavers: Wetlands & Wildlife (BWW) donated nearly a thousand copies of the "Teachers' Edition" of their popular "Coexisting with Beavers" DVD to schools. BWW has other helpful materials available, including the original "Coexisting with Beavers" DVD, which includes a section about installing a leveler, and literature, such as a beaver brochure.

Beavers: Wetlands & Wildlife (BWW) chose April 7 for International Beaver Day, because it is the birthday of the Dorothy Richards (1894 -1985), who studied these amazing animals for 50 years. If necessary, events can be scheduled for another date in April. Although the great benefits of beaver wetlands, tend to be hidden, coexisting with this species is essential for a healthy environment.