Ruby Valley Pony Express Station

The Ruby Valley Pony Express Station is an 11-by-18-foot log building with a stone fireplace, now at 1515 Idaho St. in Elko, Nevada. Its roof was originally covered with sod. Built in 1860 in Ruby Valley, it was moved about 60 miles to Elko in 1960, with every log and stone numbered for reconstruction.

Built in 1860 in Ruby Valley, the station served as a Pony Express stop from April 1860 to October 1861 and as a stagecoach stop before and after. In 1960, for the Pony Express centennial, it was moved about 60 miles to Elko; all logs and stones were numbered and charted for reconstruction. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975.

The station served as a stagecoach stop before and after its Pony Express months, from April 1860 to October 1861. When the building was moved to Elko in 1960, a historical marker was dedicated at the original Station Spring site in Ruby Valley on July 19, 1960, with Supreme Court Justice Earl Warren as guest speaker and local residents and the Cave Creek School student body attending.

The building sits in an open area near Elko surrounded by wide, empty Nevada landscape, so bring weather-appropriate clothing and sturdy shoes. Signage at the site provides historical information directly, and there is plenty of space to explore and photograph the exterior and surroundings.

The station is one of only two remaining Pony Express stations out of the original 43 in Nevada, making it among the rarest relics of this brief communication history. Visitors often overlook that the entire building was manually reassembled in 1960 using numbered logs and stones, an impressive example of careful historical preservation.