Johnson William Richardson
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Johnson William Richardson (1851 Virginia – 1947 St. Joseph, Missouri) is considered by some to have been the first westbound rider for the Pony Express.[citation needed]
Richardson, who had already been to sea in his life, apparently as a cabin boy, at the time of historic ride, carried the mail only from the rail depot at St. Joseph to the ferry dock on the Missouri River only a few blocks away, on April 3, 1860, the inaugural day for the Pony Express service. According to reports, this was due to an error by his half-brother, Paul Coburn, the manager of the stables near the depot, who inadvertently threw the mail bags on young Richardson's mount rather than that of the first scheduled rider, Johnny Fry. Richardson carried the mail only as far as the river, where he turned it over to Fry, who completed the first scheduled segment.
Richardson disclaimed his place in Pony Express history, stating that his brief ride with the mail occurred totally by accident and that he regarded Fry as the authentic first westbound rider. Richardson did not participate in any further Pony Express runs; the service was discontinued the next year with the advent of the Transcontinental Telegraph.
