Thursday 7 July 2016

Crossing the Big Blue

April 12th.  Along Indian Road to Marysville at a point where the pony express trail crosses diagonally from the near right - Marysville is just over the horizon to the left .
Marysville was laid out in 1854 by General Frank Marshall in honour of his wife Mary at a location where he was already operating one of the first ferry crossings across the Big Blue river.   Also known as Palmetto City, by 1859 it was a small wild west settlement with notoriety as "a town that thrived on selling whisky to ruffians" as described by Sir Richard Burton (the great Victorian explorer, not the actor). In this year Russell, Majors and Waddell contracted Joseph Cottrell and Hank Williams (not the singer) to build and lease out a stone livery stable barn to act as a pony express station. Given its proximity to Seneca there has been some confusion as to whether it was ever a home station, but it is likely that it took over from Seneca once the building had been completed. The original structure still exists in an altered form, and as you see from the notice in the photo below, it is touted as 'The Only Original Pony Express Home Station'.  The riders stayed at nearby Barrett/American Hotel, as did travellers on the stage. 
Lyle came to guide me across town to the barn which is now a museum, unfortunately closed at this time of year....
In the background is another welcoming Pony Express member Arleta Martin who treated me to a much appreciated meal out, and drove me to do a some shopping and a little sightseeing.  Here I am at the Marysville Pony Express Monument looking like a ruffian with a Pony Express rider trampling my head...
...but I resisted the call to buy whisky.
 
I needed to negotiate the Big Blue river to my overnight accommodation.  Apart from the ferry, in pony express days it was also possible to ford the river here at low water, but I opted for the bridge, and the police kindly provided a two car escort....
 
...over to the Marysville sale barn where I was given a great welcome by the affable Donnie Kirkham....


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