THE SPIRIT

Our documentary 1861: Spirit of the Pony Express will center around not only the history of the Pony Express itself, but also celebrate the institutions and personalities that keep that history alive today. The film is comprised largely of interviews of the people of St. Joseph, Missouri and others along the trail to California, who have dedicated their lives to teaching the history of that important time in the development of America.

With this project we hope to communicate the importance of preserving our country's historic trails - The National Park Service has acknowledged our efforts and has opened up a a huge window of opportunity; helping us film the National Pony Express Association’s cross country re-ride from Sacramento CA to St. Joseph MO in 2010 for the Sesquicentennial celebration of the historic institution.

We spent weeks on the original trail, stopping in various small towns along the way to find out what the history of the Pony Express means to the people there, and why they feel it is worth preserving. The goal of this documentary is to educate the world about the people and places that play an important part in shaping the history that surrounds us, and help inspire the generations to come.

ROLL CALL

Scenes shot at Western Frontier Adventure  and Robert "Cowboy" Culbertson's Ranch in Easton, Kansas- Special thanks to Larry Culbertson, Robert Culbertson, and families.

Special thanks to the National Pony Express Association, and NPEA 2010 President Les Bennington