In about 1857, a man named Gerat Hollenberg and his wife, Sophia, built a modest wood-shingled house in present-day Kansas, four years before the territory became a state. The structure also served as a grocery store, tavern, and unofficial post office for immigrants following the Oregon-California Trails. Three years later, it became one of the first stations along the Pony Express route.
That pathway stretched some 1,900 miles between St. Joseph, Missouri, and Sacramento, California, and was followed by horseback riders delivering mail. The Hollenberg home still stands and is a rare example of a remaining Pony Express station that exists unaltered in its original location.
