Cold Springs Pony Express Station Ruins, in

Churchill County, Nevada Churchill County is a county in the western U.S. state of Nevada. As of the 2020 census, the population was 25,516. Its county seat is Fallon. Named for Mexican–American War hero brevet Brigadier General Sylvester Churchill, the county was ...

near

Frenchman The French people (french: Français) are an ethnic group and nation primarily located in Western Europe that share a common French culture, history, and language, identified with the country of France. The French people, especially the nat ...

, are the ruins of a

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 ...

station built in 1860 or 1861. The ruins were listed as a historic site on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artist ...

in 1972. In May 1860 the station keeper was killed, the station burned and the stock driven off. Robert Haslam was the rider who discovered the body during what is credited to be the longest round trip ride of the Pony Express.

Description

Cold Springs refers to three different sites: Cold Springs Station, Cold Springs Pony Express Station, and the Cold Springs Telegraph Repeater. The Station and Repeater are alternatively called Rock Springs. Various sources accept the recognition of Cold Springs as a station. Cold Springs got the status of a home station from Raymond W. Settle and Mary Lund Settle in their jointly written boo
Saddles and Spurs: The Pony Express Saga (1972)
Considerable stone

ruins Ruins () are the remains of a civilization's architecture. The term refers to formerly intact structures that have fallen into a state of partial or total disrepair over time due to a variety of factors, such as lack of maintenance, deliberate ...

of the station are there till date. Gun holes, bulky walls with windows, a

fireplace A fireplace or hearth is a structure made of brick, stone or metal designed to contain a fire. Fireplaces are used for the relaxing ambiance they create and for heating a room. Modern fireplaces vary in heat efficiency, depending on the desig ...

, and the remaining corral can be still seen close by the station. This construction contains no roof as described by

Sir Richard Francis Burton Sir Richard Francis Burton (; 19 March 1821 – 20 October 1890) was a British explorer, writer, orientalist scholar,and soldier. He was famed for his travels and explorations in Asia, Africa, and the Americas, as well as his extraordinary kn ...

after his visit in 1860. For conservation and safeguarding, it has been structurally balanced.

History

Bolivar Roberts and J. G. Kelly along with their unit built Cold Springs Station in March 1860 for the

Central Overland California and Pikes Peak Express Company The Central Overland California and Pike's Peak Express Company was a stagecoach line that operated in the American West in the early 1860s, but it is most well known as the parent company of the Pony Express. It was formed as a subsidiary of the ...

as they were expecting to start the journey of the

the next month. Different station keepers including Jim McNaughton, John Williams, and J. G. Kelly ran the operations of the station. Attacking the station in May 1860, Indians murdered the station keeper and looted the horses. The attackers returned to raid the spot after a few weeks. On 15 October 1860, Richard Burton visited the station and saw it as a partially built station house without a roof. The Overland Mail Company line cut Cold Springs out from its route around July 1861 preferring a site west of present U. S. 50.

References

National Register of Historic Places in Churchill County, Nevada Stagecoach stations on the National Register of Historic Places in Nevada Commercial buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Nevada Pony Express stations Ruins on the National Register of Historic Places {{Nevada-NRHP-stub