How did the California gold rush help to create a need for the Pony Express?

Answer 1

What the gold rush created was a need for faster communication between California Territory and the United States in the east.

The Federal Government responded to this need by having the Post Office request private Stagecoach and Freight companies submit proposals for a Fast Mail Stagecoach system contract. One of these companies, the Leavenworth and Pike's Peak Express Company (later renamed to the Central Overland California and Pikes Peak Express Company), decided that to promote their proposal they would at their own expense setup and operate the Pony Express. They had no intention of operating it after the Post Office actually made a final decision on which company to give the Mail Stagecoach contract to. They actually shut the Pony Express down early, after only 18 months of operation, when the Transcontinental Telegraph line was completed making the Pony Express obsolete.

Unfortunately the Post Office contract was instead awarded to Jeremy Dehut, who had taken over the southern Congressionally favored Butterfield Overland Mail Stage Line. This resulted in very serious financial losses to the owners of the company that had operated the Pony Express, expecting that by so doing they would win and quickly makeup the money lost on the Pony Express operation.

Answer 2

What the gold rush created was a need for faster communication between California Territory and the United States in the east.

The Federal Government responded to this need by having the Post Office request private Stagecoach and Freight companies submit proposals for a Fast Mail Stagecoach system contract. One of these companies, the Leavenworth and Pike's Peak Express Company (later renamed to the Central Overland California and Pikes Peak Express Company), decided that to promote their proposal they would at their own expense setup and operate the Pony Express. They had no intention of operating it after the Post Office actually made a final decision on which company to give the Mail Stagecoach contract to. They actually shut the Pony Express down early, after only 18 months of operation, when the Transcontinental Telegraph line was completed making the Pony Express obsolete.

Unfortunately the Post Office contract was instead awarded to Jeremy Dehut, who had taken over the southern Congressionally favored Butterfield Overland Mail Stage Line. This resulted in very serious financial losses to the owners of the company that had operated the Pony Express, expecting that by so doing they would win and quickly makeup the money lost on the Pony Express operation.