“I Was Put in Charge of the Road”

With the establishment of Mormon settlements in Utah Territory and the gold rush in California, there was a great need for communication between east and west. Employed by the Overland Stage Company, James E. Bromley, Echo’s first settler, arrived here in July 1854. He was in charge of the Weber Stage Station until 1856, driving the mail coach and six mules, carrying passengers and the monthly mail.

The first Pony Express rider reached Bromley’s Weber Station on April 7, 1860. Bromley was the superintendent in charge of the Salt Lake Division. The ponies ran for 18 months until October 24, 1861, when the completion of the transcontinental telegraph made their services unnecessary.

In 1865, Bromley went into business for himself, established a general store, built Echo’s first hotel, and in later years, became a rancher. Bromley died on March 11, 1897, and is buried in the city cemetery to your left at the base of the hill.

This 1868 view at the mouth of Echo Canyon shows Bromley’s general store and the old Pony Express station behind and to the left of the local residents.

The road from Fort Bridger to Salt Lake City was used by various overland stage lines carrying mail and passengers for 20 years, from 1849 to 1869.

“I was put in charge of the road; I bought mules, built stations, fought Indians, and did everything that came in the line of my duty.” – James E. Bromley

This historic marker is located in Echo, Utah