M. Jeff Thompson, Mayor of St. Joseph from 1857 to 1860, gave a speech at the inauguration of the Pony Express on April 3, 1860. At the time, he said...
I see you smile, my fellow citizens, and nudge each other at the idea I am harboring. Some of you are saying, 'Jeff is dreaming as usual of the impossible and unknown.' But I tell you all that as sure as I stand here the day will come when at this very town you may board a train which will take you through to the gold fields, and that within a very few years!
More than that, I say that the wilderness which lies between us and that El Dorado will soon blossom as the rose. Cities will spring into existence where the Indians and buffalo now hold possession. The dry and useless desert will be made to yield abundant crops. Mountains will be tunneled, streams bridged, and the iron monster which has become mankind's slave will ply between our confines and those far distant shores. As the Indian vanishes the white man takes his place. Commercial activities will replace the teepee and the camp fire. Schools and colleges will span the continent. Of all these things California Overland Express is the forerunner. Hardly will the cloud of dust which envelopes the galloping pony subside before the puff of steam will be seen upon the horizon. Citizens of Saint Joseph, I bid you give three cheers for the Pony Express.
