There are scant corporate documents for the Pony Express, making it difficult to determine who was truly engaged. Much of what we know about the project is fiction, embellished and modified in stories recounted long after the route was closed. However, through research into government records, patents, and other sources, several facts can be ascertained about the riders and equipment of the Pony Express. The Pony Express began as a private enterprise, but soon became part of the U.S. Mail Service. Once this connection was made, all rights to operate over federal land were surrendered to the Post Office Department. From its founding in 1858 until its demise in 1861, the Pony Express was a success. However, both President Lincoln and William G. Cooke, one of the founders of the Pony Express, believed that a post office-based service could be improved upon. They advocated for the creation of a telegraph line between California and Washington, D.C., which was passed by Congress in 1862-63. The Pony Express was officially terminated after only three years of operation because of financial difficulties caused by the cost of building and maintaining the western route under such conditions. However, many believe that if Congress had not acted, the Pony Express would have been replaced by something else before the end of its first year. In conclusion, yes, there are records of the Pony Express.