Although by some standards the Pony Express, which began in 1860, was a huge success, newer forms of technology replaced it. This method of mail delivery only
lasted 18 months. The telegraph was invented in 1861. Wires were laid across the
country to send signals across long distances. With this new technology, messages
could be sent in minutes.
The telegraph did not arrive without its own set of challenges. A sender that worked
at a telegraph station had to be skilled in the intricate telegraph coding language.
Mistakes were common. Even with the difficulties that occurred with this system, a
new era of communication was ushered into society. In the end, the Pony Express
became a memory of the past.