Ruby Valley Pony Express Station

In Elko, outside of the Northeastern Nevada Museum, is one of the only two surviving Pony Express Stations in Nevada.

First settled by William “Uncle Billy” Rogers, it was first used by the Jackass Express, and later by the Overland Stage. Fertile land supplied other stations with food and feed. Rider William Frederick Fisher made a legendary ride during the Pyramid Indian War, 300 miles in 34 hours.

Ruby Valley

The Shoshone were the first to call Ruby Valley home. They called the range Duka Doya, meaning “Snowcapped.” The mountains run 80 miles, north to south, and are 11 miles wide. Ruby Dome, the highest peak, is 11,387 feet above sea level. East of the range is Ruby Valley. The Shoshone used the valley for hunting, gathering pine nuts, and wintering.

An Army expedition first laid eyes on the range in 1854 while scouting alternative western routes. One member, Davis, panned for gold at the base of the mountains. He discovered what he thought were rubies. Although the gems turned out to be red garnets, the name Ruby stuck.

Jackass Express Station Stop

The first non-Native to settle in Ruby Valley was William “Uncle Billy” Rogers. Former sheriff of El Dorado County, California, he was appointed as the assistant Indian Agent and tasked with locating a site for a reservation. His wife and children, one boy and two girls, remained at Frogtown, now Angels Camp, California.

Rogers built a house, planted a garden, and started a trading post. He supplemented his income by trapping and skinning a variety of animals, including wolves, minks, badgers, antelopes, and deer. He was assisted by Frederick William Hurst.

Ruby Valley Station was a stop on George Chorpenning’s mail service, known as the “Jackass Express.” Started in 1851, the line had 14 stations along its route from Salt Lake City, Utah, to Sacramento, California. The nickname derived from their use of mules, or jackasses.

Ruby Valley Pony Express station

The Jackass Express lasted a decade. The Pony Express assumed much of the route and stations used by the Jackass Express. Instead of the slower mules, they switched to horses, significantly cutting the travel time.

The Pony Express chose Rogers farm as a station stop, naming it Ruby Valley. In March of 1860, in anticipation of the first ride, Pony Express agent W.W. Finney arrived at Ruby Valley Station with mules, horses, tack, clothing, food, and feed. Noticing the shipment, several members of the local tribe stole the best supplies. Rogers unholstered his firearm and fired, injuring one of the thieves. The Native Americans fired back. Fighting continued until Hurst joined the battle and injured another Native American. In retaliation, the warriors set fire to several nearby stations.

Sir Richard Burton visited Ruby Valley Station in 1860. He wrote of Rogers…

We shook hands cordially with Uncle Billy, whose generosity – a virtue highly prized by those who rarely practicing expect it to be practiced upon them – has won for him the sobriquet of the “Bighearted hearted Father.”

The City of the Saints

Uncle Billy Rogers remained in Ruby Valley, where he died on September 5, 1876, at the age of 84. He was buried in the Ruby Valley Cemetery.

Pony Express Riders

William Frederick Fisher was one of the Pony Express riders at Ruby Valley. His route was to Egan Canyon, a distance of 55 miles in 5 hours. On April 6, Fisher received his first mochila, which arrived from Robert’s Creek, and passed it to Bill Dennis at Egan Canyon. With the onset of the Pyramid Indian War, 4 Pony Express riders were killed, and several stations were burned. Fisher carried his satchel from Ruby Valley to Salt Lake City, a distance of 300 miles in 34 hours.

The land at Ruby Valley was fertile, unlike the land surrounding many of the stations. Food and hay raised by Ruby Valley supplement the other stations. Although the Pony Express only lasted from April 1860 to October 1861, the Overland Stage Company continued to use the Ruby Valley Station until around 1869, when the transcontinental railroad was completed.

Pony Express on the move

In 1960, during the centennial of the Pony Express, the Ruby Valley station was relocated to Elko. It remains one of only two original Pony Express stations in Nevada.

WANT MORE GHOST TOWNS?

For information on more than five hundred ghost towns in Nevada & California, visit the Nevada Ghost Towns Map or a list of Nevada ghost towns.

Learn about how to visit ghost towns safely.

Nevada Ghost Towns Map

References

---

• Bloss, Roy S. Pony Express: The Great Gamble. Howell North, Berkeley, California, 1959.
• Carlson, Helen S. Nevada Place Names: A Geographical Dictionary. University of Nevada Press, Reno and Las Vegas. 1974.
• DiCerto, Joseph J. The Sage of the Pony Express. Mountain Press, Missoula, Montana. 2002.
• Gamett, James and Stanley W. Paher. Nevada Post Offices: An illustrated History. Nevada Publications. Las Vegas. 1983.
• Hall, Shawn. Connecting the West: Historic Railroad stops and stage stations in Elko County, Nevada. University Press, 2002.
• Hall, Shawn. Old Heart of Nevada: Ghost towns and mining camps of Elko County. University of Nevada Press, 1998.
• Hill, William E. Pony Express Trail: Yesterday and Today. Canton Press, Caldwell, Idaho. 2010.
• Nevada Bureau of Land Management. The Pony Express in Nevada. Nevada State Museum, 1996.
• Nevin, David. The Old West: Soldiers. Time Life Books, Alexandria, Virginia. 1974.
  Paher, Stanley. Nevada Ghost Towns & Mining Camps. Nevada Publications, 1970.
• Roberts, Robert B. Encyclopedia of Historic Forts: The military, pioneer, and trading posts of the United States. MacMillan Publishing Company, New York. 1988.

Follow me on social media:

• 
• 
• 
•