Pony Express Rider ~ Marysville, KS
Posted by: 
YoSam.
N 39° 50.518 W 096° 38.953
14S E 701134 N 4412861
When I was first there, this statue was in a parking lot. Second trip it was the center piece of a small park.
Waymark Code: WMNEHF
Location: Kansas, United States
Date Posted: 02/28/2015
Views: 10
County of statue: Marshall County
Location of statue: 7th St., city park between US 36 & Broadway St., Marysville
Artist: Richard Bergen, 1925- , sculptor
Proper Description: "A figure of Jack Kectley, dressed in hip-length jacket, cowboy boots, western hat, and scarf, sits atop a horse in full gallop. The figure holds the reins of the horse with his proper left hand." ~ Smithsonian American Art Museum
Remarks: "The inscription on a nearby plaque reads: 125th Anniversary of the/Pony Express/Marysville, Kansas/Dr. Richard Bergen, Sculptor/Location of the first Pony Express Home Station/on the original site/west of St. Joseph, Missouri is situated at 108 South 8th Street in this/city. Pony Express rider, Jack Kectley, represented in this sculpture/was the first rider to gallop west from/Marysville the night of April 3, 1860/on the initial run to Sacramento, California. This sculpture was made possible by the R. L. and Elsa Helvering Trust and/dedicated July 4, 1985. This/site was donated by the Hall Family." ~ Smithsonian American Art Museum
The inscription on a nearby plaque depicting the Pony Express route reads: 120 CELEBRATED RIDERS RODE/650,000 MILES WITH ONLY ONE/RIDER KILLED BY INDIANS, ONE/SCHEDULE NOT COMPLETED AND/ONE MAN LOST.
The inscription on a plaque to the right of the sculpture reads: The park area is provided by Hall Brothers; the improvements by Helvering Trust Fund. This/statue was dedicated in 1985 during the 125th anniversary/of the Pony Express. The overland mail was carried through 1,966 miles of the territory now/eight states from April 1860 until October 1861.
Movement from the highway location to the plaza can be read here: xphomestation
"The statue had to be moved from its original site west of Marysville due to the railroad relocation project. You can see the beautiful sculpture in the Pony Express Plaza located between Broadway and Highway 36 at 7th Street in Marysville. 2 Lifetiles Murals are also located in this new park." ~ Marysville Chambe of Commerce.