Alexander Majors, cofounder of the Pony Express, was born near this site on Oct. 4, 1814. Five years later, his family moved to Mo. Territory. In 1849, he formed a freighting business from Mo. to Santa Fe. In 1854, he became partners with Wm. Russell and Wm. Waddell, hauling military and civilian freight. By 1859, the business had 3500 wagons, 40,000 oxen, 4000 men, and 1000 mules. He started the Pony Express in 1860, and mail was carried on horseback from Mo. to Ca. in 10 days. It ended when the overland telegraph was completed in 1861. William “Buffalo Bill” Cody, who had worked for Majors as a youth, found him writing memoirs; Cody later paid to publish them and gave Majors the profits. Majors died in 1900 and was buried with his wife, Katherine, in Union Cemetery, Kansas City, Mo.