Founded 150 years ago by W. H. Russell, Alexander Majors, and William B. Waddell of the Overland Stage Line in Leavenworth, Kansas, the Pony Express grew from Russell's effort, encouraged in Washington by California Senator William Gwin, to speed mail service despite his partners' concerns over high costs, and its first ride began on April 3, 1860. Overland stagecoach stations stood every 10-12 miles as far as Salt Lake City, and in two months eighty skilled and experienced riders, 400 horses, and approximately 184 stations were assembled, including thirty stations across Nevada from Utah to Genoa at the eastern base of the Sierra. The riders carried mail 2,000 miles in 10 days from St. Joseph, Missouri, to Sacramento, California. The service improved nationwide communication, aided western expansion, and was credited with helping California remain in the Union at the beginning of the Civil War. That improved communication came at a high price, both in the cost of postage, advertised as $5.00 for letters less than 1/4 oz, and in the hardships faced by riders, station masters, and division agents, who endured poor housing, extreme heat and cold, limited potable water and food, and dangers arising from conflicts between Native Americans and newcomers to the West. On October 24, 1861, the telegraph began operation and the last ride was completed, ending the Pony Express as ten-day communication gave way to ten-second communication, though the memory of the riders and the route endured.