On April 3, 1860, (166 years ago to the day), the Pony Express made its inaugural run, sending riders simultaneously east from Sacramento, California and west from St. Joseph, Missouri. What followed was one of the most audacious logistical experiments in American history: a relay system of horse and rider teams that would carry letters nearly 2,000 miles across prairies, deserts, and mountains in approximately ten days, cutting the previous mail delivery time nearly in half. It was thrilling, dangerous, expensive, and short-lived. And it captured the American imagination in a way that few endeavors ever have, before or since.