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Little Rest for the Pony Express
The Pony Express relied on fearless young men to carry letters and news across the country on horseback. Riders set a breakneck page, changing horses every 10 miles at swing stations along the dangerous route. Two of those stations were located in East Canyon.
At one of the East Canyon stations, Mr. Bauchmann, the station attendant would spring to his feet at the sound of the approaching rider’s horn. The rider would pull a lightweight mail pouch, called a mochila, off his exhausted horse and throw it over the saddle of a well-fed, rested horse. Bauchmann had the rider back on the trail within a few minutes, regardless of weather or time of day, with a biscuit to feast on.
Bauchmann’s Station, also knows as East Canyon Station, Carson House and Dutchman’s Flat.
Toughened men like Bauchmann lived in almost uninhabitable swing stations. The structures were built near water, but provided little protection from weather, animals, or dangerous people on the wild frontier.
In later years, a rancher renovated the structure and made the rustic cabin his home. It has since been moved 100 yards south on the private property.
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