Archive for June, 2025
“Pony Express”Repair Story
Posted by: | CommentsHERE’S more of the story of how MacNeil’s Pony Express got fixed.
The repairs I saw on May 18th showed two faint yellow strap marks on the base in two places.
The News Press NOW photo shows two yellow nylon cargo straps that allowed the “Poncho Villa” beast that was Hermon MacNeil’s model for this statue of horse flesh to be suspended. That’s how the old cracked base could be removed and a new stone base set in place.
By Cameron Montemayor Published 11:49 am
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — An iconic symbol of St. Joseph’s history is getting a much-anticipated tune-up today in the form of a brand new statue base.
Contractors with Brooner Construction & Crane are on site in Downtown St. Joseph, replacing the 45-ton granite base that holds the bronze Pony Express Rider statue. The statue will be removed from the base during construction to allow a new 23-ton granite base to be installed.
The entire replacement process is expected to take place over one or two days, according to contractors and city officials. The pedestal is being replaced due to decades of exposure, which has caused micro-cracking and deterioration.
The statue was first constructed in 1938 and officially opened to the public in 1940. Just over $367,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funds were allocated to make the project possible.
Between the monument’s historical significance to St. Joseph and the City Hall’s centennial celebration set for 2027, a newly repaired statue will compliment a variety of planned Civic Center Park upgrades across the street, including extensive repairs to sidewalks, the fountain and the replacement of the west-facing park balustrade with a new stairwell.
GREAT JOB ~~ Saint Joseph
Your City Icon is back on the trail
Heading WEST with the mail!
Related Images:
IT IS FIXED ! ~~~ MacNeil’s “Pony Express” Statue is Beautifully Repaired!
Posted by: | Comments
I stopped in St. Joe, MO on May 18, 2025 and took this picture.
~~
I was surprised to see finished repairs as I stopped in St. Joe, MO on May 18, 2025. All four faces of the base appeared newly repaired and engraved after 85 years of deterioration. See old photo ==>>
The Pony Express statue was Hermon MacNeil’s last public monument when unveiled in 1940.
It marks the first station on the westward mail route route to Sacramento, California filling the gap where the railroad was still under construction.
The Pony Express Monument has welcomed residents to Downtown St. Joseph on Frederick Avenue since it was first constructed in 1938, but decades of exposure are causing the massive granite slab that holds the bronze statue to deteriorate, compromising the entire structure.”
I was surprised to see finished repairs on May 18, 2025. They first thought that the base needed to be replaced and repairs would take up to 2 years.
~~
Related posts:
- Pony Express Rides Again! (26.1) In the heart of downtown Saint Joseph, Missouri the “Pony…
- Pony Express Hood Ornament (19) On a rainy day recently I visited MacNeil’s Pony Express…
- Attention to Detail ~ “The Pony Express” ~ by H. A. MacNeil (17.9) On first viewing, the sculptures of Hermon MacNeil express amazing…
