Background
Fry was born in Bourbon County, Kentucky to John Fry and Mary Fry.
Fry was born in Bourbon County, Kentucky to John Fry and Mary Fry.
Fry, who weighed less than 120 pounds, was assigned to the first leg of the westbound route of the Pony Express delivering it from the stables in Saint Joseph, Missouri a few blocks to a ferry across the Missouri River before carrying it on to Seneca, Kansas. Ads for the Pony Express said, "Wirey young men, preferably orphans to ride 20 miles.."
The start of the Pony Express was delayed two hours to 7:15 p.m., because the courier from the East Coast had missed a train connection. Fry was the scheduled official first rider on April 3, 1860.
Supposedly, Richardson rode the first blocks from the stables to the river, where the pouch was handed to Fry, who rode the ferry to Elwood, Kansas and then took it on to Seneca, Kansas.
Fry was to deliver the first eastbound mail back to Saint Joseph. West. B. Richardson"s recollection contradicts all historic accounts.
Clearly, as the accompanying picture shows, J. West. Richardson, the actual rider, was not West. B. Richardson, a nineor ten-year-old boy, but a grown man when he was hired by Lewis for Russell, Majors and Waddell. He rode for the company until the Transcontinental Telegraph went into service.
According to his relatives he rode on to Fort Laramie and died later that year.
Local lore says that the donut was invented as a cake for Fry to eat while speeding by young girls" homes. After the Pony Express went out of business in 1861 Fry joined the Union Army and was killed by Quantrill"s Raiders in the Battle of Baxter Springs.
