Pony Express

The Pony Express was the first fast mail line across the North American continent from the Missouri River to the Pacific coast, operating from April 1860 to November 1861. Messages were carried on horseback across the prairies, plains, deserts, and mountains of the western United States. It briefly brought the Atlantic and Pacific coasts ten days nearer to each other.

Pony Express National Museum

Read about some Pony Express Riders:

• Andrew Ole Anderson
• Thomas Bedford
• Josiah Faylor
• James Bean [Benjamin] Hamilton
• Lucius Lodosky Hickok
• James Madison Lenhart
• Joseph Malcom
• Edward Sterling
• Littleton Tough
• Thomas Thornhill Willson

U.S. Post Office

1890-1910 formal group portrait of 25 letter carriers in uniform

Post Office, Pembina, Dakota Territory, 1863

1899

1906

Look at this: Moving the Mail

Parts of a Friendly Letter

HEADING

May 10, 2006

GREETING

Dear Jennifer,

BODY OF LETTER

This summer I went to Scotland. I saw the castle where the movie Braveheart was filmed. It was very old and on a high hill. The hill was on the coast of the North Sea. The castle was very big and had many rooms. It was built of gray stone. Many of the stones were missing. I loved the castle because I imagined I was a princess who lived in the castle.

CLOSING

Your friend,

SIGNATURE

Ms. Welch

Write a letter using this letter generator:

http://www.readwritethink.org/materials/letter_generator/

Parts of a letter

Print your own paper to write a letter:

http://www.momsnetwork.com/kids/stationary/index3.shtml

http://www.kidprintables.com/stationery/group1.shtml

http://www.primarygames.com/print_zone/stationery/stationery.htm

http://www.primarygames.com/print_zone/stationery/older/bigstationery.htm

http://www.alphabet-soup.net/dir2/applelined.html

http://www.alphabet-soup.net/ttools/specialpaper.html

http://www.abcteach.com/USA/unit/proudamer.htm

http://www.abcteach.com/directory/teaching_extras/border_papers/holidays/

Personalized stationary: http://www.billybear4kids.com/stationery/printable/personalized.html

http://www.postalmuseum.si.edu/activity/8a_writealetter.html

Parts of an Envelope

This is a cancellation mark. Before the letter is delivered, the stamp will be cancelled by the post office. This is an example of a cancellation mark; however there are many other types. Stamps are cancelled so that they cannot be used again.

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