Johnny Fry - Fort Worth Stockyards - Fort Worth, TX
Posted by: Groundspeak Premium Member QuarrellaDeVil
N 32° 47.327 W 097° 20.992
14S E 654523 N 3629076
Pony Express rider Johnny Fry is honored with a star on the Texas Trail of Fame in the Fort Worth Stockyards, Fort Worth, TX.
Waymark Code: WM115QT
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 08/20/2019
Published By:Groundspeak Premium Member bluesnote
Views: 1

Mr. Fry's star is located on the south side of W Exchange Ave, in front of Pinkie's, and it reads:

Texas Trail of Fame
Johnny Fry
Pony Express Rider
Fort Worth Stockyards

The Texas Trail of Fame website has a likeness of Mr. Fry, as well as this short biography (slight edits):

Johnny Fry, Pony Express Rider, 1840 – 1863.

Johnny Fry, born in 1840, was the first official westbound rider of the Pony Express. His first trip was on April 3, 1860.

The Pony Express was a mail service delivering messages, newspapers, and mail. The route ran from St. Joseph, Missouri to Sacramento, California. During its 19 months of operation, it reduced the time for messages to travel between the Atlantic and Pacific coasts to about 10 days. From April 3, 1860 to October 1861, it became the West's most direct means of east–west communication before the telegraph was established and was vital for tying the new state of California with the rest of the United States.

It was a treacherous and dangerous trip and the ad for the Pony Express read, "Wirey young men, preferably orphans to ride 20 miles..."

Fry, who weighed less that 120 pounds, ran from St. Joseph, Missouri to Seneca, Kansas, a distance of eighty miles, which he covered at an average speed of twelve and a half miles per hour, including all stops.

After the Pony Express went out of business in October 1861, due to the advent of the transcontinental telegraph, Fry joined the Union Army and was killed by Quantrill's Raiders in 1863 at the Battle of Baxter Springs.

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About the Texas Trail of Fame, established in 1997:

Celebrating Texas culture and our western heritage, The Texas Trail of Fame was established to honor those individuals who have made a significant contribution to our Western way of life. Throughout the walkways of the Fort Worth Stockyards National Historic District, bronze inlaid markers have been placed in recognition of their achievements. These markers are patterned after a frontier marshal's badge and are inscribed with the honoree's name.

It is the desire of the Texas Trail of Fame that reflecting upon these Westerners's accomplishments will serve as both an educational adventure for the visitor and an inspiration.

Website with more information on either the memorial or the person(s) it is dedicated to: [Web Link]

Location: Fort Worth Stockyards

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