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Charles

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Anonymous left this comment on my Lewis and Clark piece last week:

I was interested in the books you were reading. How about creating an on-going list of "What the WF Historians are Reading"? Could be useful for those with long commutes to/from work. Thanks.

First off, I invite everyone to tell us what's on your reading list. Let us know why they're good or bad.

That said, here you go, Anonymous:

Phyllis in Minneapolis

• Towers of Gold: How One Jewish Immigrant Named Isaias Hellman Created California by Frances Dinkelspiel. Interesting, if sometimes too tightly focused.
• The Confusion: The Baroque Cycle Volume Two  by Neal Stephenson. An "historical-sci-fi-epic-pirate-comedy-punk-love-story." Stephenson is one of my fave authors.
• Hard Road West, History and Geography along the Gold Rush Trail  by Keith Heyer Meldahl. Just finished this. Fabulously readable historical science — loved it!
• The War of the World, Twentieth-Century Conflict and the Descent of the West  by Niall Ferguson. Stalled in the middle of this stunningly good scholarship, but Holy I-Need-Anti-Depressants-Now, Batman!
• The Journal of Wong Ming-Chung, A Chinese Miner in California, 1852  by Laurence Yep. Looking forward to this young adult book. I heard from a visitor that it references Wells Fargo, so I've got to check it out.

Steve in Portland
(Currently reading on the MAX  to and from work.)

• "Ho for California! Women's Overland Diaries" from the Huntington Library , edited by Sandra L. Myres. From "Museums and Schools" Journal of Museum Education, Vol. 34, No. 1 (Spring 2009)

Glen in San Francisco

• The Victorian Internet  by Tom Standage. A fascinating comparison between the invention of the telegraph and the internet. A good, light read.

Allan in San Diego

• Returning to Earth  by Jim Harrison. Recently finished this historical fiction of Michigan's Upper Peninsula, told from four perspectives in a mixed race family, whose patriarch is dying. One of Harrison's best.
• Strangers in a Stolen Land  by Richard Carrico. Just started this story about the Indians of San Diego County.

Casey in San Diego

• Historic Resource Study: Pony Express National Historic Trail  by Anthony Godfrey, Ph.D., for the National Park Service. A little dry, but a good overview of the founding and running of the Pony Express. Includes biographies of William Russell, Alexander Majors and William Waddell, founders of the California Overland Mail Company & Pikes Peak Express (a.k.a. the Pony Express).
• A New Look at Wells Fargo, Stagecoaches and the Pony Express  by W. Turrentine Jackson. More pamphlet than book, it is a well-written defense of Wells Fargo's role in western stagecoaching and the Pony Express.
• Orphans Preferred: The Twisted Truth and Lasting Legend of the Pony Express  by Christopher Corbett. Love it! This book is a great history of the Pony Express. The author uses many different sources and presents many different sides to the stories and legends that have been built around the Pony Express. The book is written with a sense of humor and without stuffy "historian speak."
• A Thrilling and Truthful History of the Pony Express: With Other Sketches and Incidents of Those Stirring Times  by William Lightfoot Visscher.
• Pony Express Versus Wells Fargo Express, or Hoof Prints That Can Not Be Eroded By Time  by Waddell F. Smith. A counter-argument to Jackson.
• The City of the Saints; And, Across the Rocky Mountains to California  by Sir Richard Burton, a stage rider along the Pony Express route and documenter of Salt Lake City and the Mormons.
• Seventy Years on the Frontier  by Alexander Majors, co-founder of the Pony Express.

Tom in Anchorage

• Fifty Miles from Tomorrow  by William L. Iggiagruk Hensley. Willie Hensley grew up on the shores of the Bering Sea, at a crossroads between ancient and modern ways of life. His descriptions of hardships — living under 9 months of winter, the severity of accultration, and the transformation of a territory into a state — are enlightening at the very least.
• Physics for the Rest of Us  by Roger S. Jones. Exploring ways to describe time and relationships in nature, to young people, led me to this wonderful book. It is filled with great explainations most anyone can understand.

Juan in Los Angeles

• Pony Express: The Great Gamble  by Roy S. Bloss. Getting caught up on the PX before next tear's sesquicentennial.

Bev in San Francisco

• The Great Influenza  by John Barry. Thought I would get ready for fall flu season by re-reading this one. The book is great: Who knew the history of a flu epidemic could be so thoughtful and intriguing?

Bill in San Francisco

• American Made: The Enduring Legacy of the W.P.A. , by Nick Taylor. Although definitely favorable to FDR and the New Deal, there are some interesting parallels to current events here.

Amanda in Phoenix

• 1491: New Revolutions of the Americas before Columbus  by Charles Mann. Currently reading. It is a few years old and has been on my reading list since it first came out. Very interesting insight into the lives and cultures of native peoples.
• Confederates in the Attic: Dispatches from the Unfinished Civil War  by Tony Horwitz. I recently finished this one, which I thought was a truly unique look into Southern Civil War culture.

There you have it, Anonymous. You asked, you got!

Charles

If you're a blogger, you know one of the cardinal rules is never fuss about how hard it is to come up with stuff to write about. Another is to never start a history blog with, "Hmm, let's see what today in history looks like." That's like starting an essay with, "Webster defines (whatever you're writing about) as...."

HUGE no-no.

But I make an exception to the anti-"Hmm" rule today, because there's nothing else to write about. (Uh oh.) I recall that April 3 is a day with several interesting historical tidbits. Seriously, try it with March 23: Nothing there.

April 3rd has three events I have to key on. First, the Union Army captured Richmond, Virginia , the Confederate capital. The American Civil War ended six days later. It's really big because that war was so fierce and seemed to last an eternity. By some historical thinking (mine), the Civil War was the culmination of America's first 250 years — and the blueprint, if you will, of the following century and a half (or so).

(Another cardinal rule: Ease up on the punctuation, will ya?)

Then there's the assassination of Jesse James. The James Gang terrorized banks and railroads for years, before the legendary outlaw was killed by one of his followers. Many believe that James was still fighting the Civil War through his crimes. While that may be true, James managed to find an enchanted place in American memory while being a criminal. Unlike, say, Bruno Richard Hauptmann , executed this day for the kidnap and murder of the Lindbergh baby, "The Crime of the Century" (at that time, anyway). Hauptmann is one of history's great villains, despite a body of evidence that suggests his innocence.  A very interesting thing to ponder.

Finally, the Pony Express  started its first successful run from point to point in 1860 — Saint Joseph, Missouri to Sacramento, California. The hard-luck operation would fade from view in about 18 months, but the Pony Express still charges hard and purposefully through the imagination. There are big plans to commemorate the Pony Express next year, its sesquicentennial. Wells Fargo had a piece of the Pony Express during its final months, so we hope to play a role. We did a lot for the 150th of the first overland stagecoach.

Oh, and one more thing: The von Kappelhoffs  had a baby girl today. We're all the better for it.

Terry Keir

In the nineteenth century, the sight of galloping horses pulling a stagecoach brought people to Wells Fargo for mail, packages, and news. Today the sight of two large, white horses in front of a stagecoach brings people — especially children — into the Wells Fargo History Museum in Minneapolis.

Located on the skyway level of the Wells Fargo building in Minneapolis , people walk past the museum every day. But since last December, the two horses keep catching people's attention and drawing them inside — both children and adults want to look at and touch them.

Seems everyone's fascinated by our large stuffed animals.

These large plush ponies have been petted and hugged. There are requests to sit on them ( not allowed — sorry!). The horses have been featured in many photographs over the past few months — people love having their picture taken with the horses. They attract many visitors to the museum, and though some only come in to see how soft the horses are or to take a picture with them, many stay longer to experience the rest of the museum.

There is also one interesting response from many children. As they pat the horses, it's fairly common for children to insert a finger in one of the horse's nostrils.

One day, we were commenting on this phenomenon and wondering what the kids were looking for as they "picked" the horse's nose. We thought it might be amusing to place something in a horse's nostril, and see how long it would take a visiting child to discover it . So we hid a Wells Fargo "gold" coin in a nostril one evening and wondered when it would be found.

Amazingly, the first child that came in the next morning went over to the horses, patted one's nose — and stuck her finger up the nostril containing the coin! It was quite funny, but the look of amazement on the little girl's face was the highlight of the day.

Our ponies are wonderful ambassadors for Wells Fargo. Perhaps they also contributed to Twin Cities Metro Magazine's Skyway Guide naming the Wells Fargo History Museum as "Best Place to Take the Kids." We won by a nose!

Charles

We have a story in the Wells Fargo Messenger, June 1918, about Wells Fargo handling the first shipment of Harley-Davidson motorcycles by express. At the time, Harley Davidson  sent a photo to Wells Fargo and Co.'s Express, showing a railroad car backed up to the plant in Milwaukee with a load of motorcycles aboard.

So far, no one can locate the photo. But we Historians won't rest till we do!

Another example of exceptional Wells Fargo motorcycle service happened on New Years Eve, 1916. A package came into Wells Fargo's office in Oklahoma City  for shipment to Purcell , 40 miles away. It contained a new dress suit, destined for a bridegroom who would say his "I do's" that very evening at 6:00. Agents at the depot placed the package on the stack to be loaded on the last Santa Fe Railway  train to Purcell that day. But after the No. 17 left the station, it was discovered that the package had been left behind!

General agent C.B. Kinne remembered that wagon driver M.H. Childers had a motorcycle and tracked him down. Childers was instructed to personally carry the bridegroom's suit to Purcell. It was one of the coldest days of the year, but Childers set off on his mission, "slowing down to forty-five miles an hour" when he went through Norman.

The wedding was still on, thanks to motorcyclist M.H. Childers, who made it to Purcell with time to spare, at 4:45pm! I hope the couple lived happily ever after because it's such a cool story.  Whoever the groom was that day, the best man was actually from Wells Fargo — someone who really came through for the couple.

Great moments sometimes just happen on their owns, and I like to think Childers had a good time taking that package on his bike. Even if it was too cold, he got the chance to let 'er rip.

I wonder if he rode a hog... 

Charles

Looking for a topic (ANY topic!) to write about today, I came across a bit about "Pony Bob" Haslam  and his career as Pony Express rider, Wells Fargo messenger, and entertainer.

The adventures of "Pony Bob" Haslam—so named for his fast riding  for the Pony Express—made him the hero of a novel, Pony Bob, the Reckless Rider of the Rockies, a title rarely found today. Haslam rode 120 miles while wounded, in his Pony Express days, and was best known for covering 380 miles in 36 hours.

The Pony Express lasted only eighteen months, but a guy like Haslam is an asset anytime. Wells Fargo had acquired the Pony Express in its final months and kept Haslam on as a rider between Virginia City  and Sacramento. By 1887, Haslam was ready to show his derring-do in Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show , which took a grand European tour that year. The Wild West Show performed before the crowned heads and Haslam was part of that show.

Just before he was hired on with Buffalo Bill's tour, Haslam was out West selecting a few bison for Buffalo Bill's show. By that time, American Bison herds had decreased by millions in a short time, and from 2 million to 2 thousand in only ten years. One newspaper lamented: "What a sad criterion on the wantonness and heartlessness of the American hunter!"

So this post ends on a strangely sad note, as history often does. It shows all these ironies or paradoxes (take your pick!) that keep Historians combing the books for answers. Here's a guy, Haslam, whose strength and courage landed him fame. Here's the Pony Express, an enterprise doomed to fail but capturing a special place in American lore. Here's Buffalo Bill, whose Wild West Show pretty much laid out the mythic story of the West that we all recognize, even though it's largely false. All these things wrapped up in a moment's tale of Haslam joining Buffalo Bill's show.

Hey, it's what I do!

Bob

Last weekend, Wells Fargo Historians "horsed around" in the San Francisco History Museum, decorating the premises for the Season. Holiday decorations included a stagecoach full of horses—especially Maggies. Maggie is the eighth limited edition Wells Fargo Plush Pony since 2003. Her real life counterpart represented Wells Fargo in San Francisco's Work Horse Parade in 1909. Now, there are Maggies all over, and inside, the stagecoach.

(And check out the "Make Maggie a Happy Pony!" game. There's also Maggie's pdf Activity book, in spanish as well as english.)

In the Days of Old and the Days of Gold, Wells Fargo moved by horsepower: Wells Fargo stagecoaches were pulled by four or six horses."Horses are the pride of Wells Fargo service," the company declared. "Our most faithful employee and friend"—nicely groomed, harnesses oiled, brass fittings polished, and hitched in matched pairs—was Wells Fargo's best advertisement.

Driving the authentic Concord coach in the Museum is Trixie, originally a paint  from Ardmore, Oklahoma , who prefers to get where she is going sooner rather than later. By her side is an equally large Trixie, riding shotgun. She arrived inWells Fargo's stable of Plush Ponies for the 2005 holiday season.

"Wheelers,"  the big muscular horses closest to the coach, are real Princes. The collectible Plush Pony named for Prince, also from Ardmore, appeared in 2006. Our wheelers are a pair of matched grays , 5 and a half feet long and 11 hands high  in horse talk.

This year, the two Princes got hitched. The blushing brides are two agile Maggies, 5 feet long and 10 and a half hands high. Being smart, they are the pair of leader horses. And yes, the hitching is proper. Just like on Wells Fargo's Overland Stagecoaches of the 1860s, the ribbons go where they should, allowing Trixie to turn Prince and Maggie to the left or right as needed.

(If you're wondering if you can purchase these and how much they cost, the answer is—sorry, you can't. They are not available for sale.)

If you are in downtown San Francisco, come by to see an authentic 4-horse hitch. Say "Hi" to Trixie, Prince, and Maggie—and as a memento, take home a little Maggie from the Museum Store!

Greg

Old Sacramento  will be bustling with excitement tomorrow. The Pony Express Re-ride  is scheduled to arrive at 11:30 a.m. After a 10-day journey from St. Joseph, Mo. , the final rider will bring mail to the corner of Second and J streets—right across from the Wells Fargo History Museum. The National Pony Express Association  has been putting on the Re-ride for 30 years, and this year marks the 147th anniversary of the Pony Express.

The Pony Express  is the most widely known short-lived piece of Americana. It lasted only 18 months, from April 3, 1860, to Oct. 25, 1861. Established by the Kansas express firm of Russell, Majors, and Waddell , the Pony Express was in its time the fastest way to get mail to California. It was also the most expensive. In 10 days, riding across 1,966 miles, smallish young men (usually in their early teens) would bring 20 pounds of mail from St. Joseph to Sacramento. The cost to send a letter via Pony Express in those days was five dollars per half ounce, which to the average person was a lot of money. (That’s approximately 120 dollars today.) Due to high expenses and the lack of government subsidies, the Pony Express was going broke a year after its creation.

In April 1861, Wells Fargo took control of the Western portion of the Pony Express. Wells Fargo carried letters from Salt Lake City to Sacramento and San Francisco for the last six months of the Pony Express' existence. Wells Fargo helped reduce the cost of postage from the hefty five dollars to just two dollars a half ounce, then reduced the cost even lower, to one dollar, in July 1861. At these prices the Pony Express became more affordable to people and businesses.

Even with the low rates that Wells Fargo offered, the Pony Express would last only a few more months. Technology would put an end to the legend: The telegraph delivered messages faster than anyone on horseback and for a very low cost. On Oct. 25, 1861, Wells Fargo ended its involvement in the Pony Express, marking the end of the 18-month adventure.

Yet the Pony Express lives on in American lore . And for 10 days each year, riders bring letters from St. Joseph to Sacramento, just as they did 147 years ago. All of us here at the Wells Fargo Museum in Old Sacramento are awaiting the Re-ride  and will let everyone know the legacy that Wells Fargo has shared with such a great piece of American history.