Is it true that ABS printed a special Pony Express Bible? How many Bibles did ABS distribute by 1860? 
— Kathie Kurth, by e-mail


In 1861, American Bible Society made a grant of 300 Bibles “to Messrs. Major and Russell … for distribution among their men.” The recipient of the grant was the firm of Russell, Majors and Wadell, best remembered as the owner of the Pony Express*. Alexander Majors insisted that all his employees lead an exemplary life and provided each of them with a Bible printed by ABS. He also made sure that a copy of the Bible was available in each of the more than 160 stations along the route.



American Bible Society printed 1,396,386 copies of Scriptures between 1816 and 1830 and 14,103,579 between 1831 and 1860. 



*The Pony Express was a mail service that used a relay system of horseback riders in the Western U.S. for 18 months from 1860 through 1861.