Rocky Mountain Dinosaur Resource Center

From the Education Desk

This summer is really flying by! We hope you will all join us for our next exciting event on August 2^nd and 3^rd…..CRITTERFEST. There will be many rescue groups, informational booths, and animals to touch and learn about. On Sat. and Sun. we will have lectures on different animal related subjects. These will include talks on hedgehogs, bats, wolves, amphibians, reptiles and shells. Please bring your family and friends and join us for a fun and educational two days at the museum.

August 24 is Pony Express Day. The Pony Express operated from April 3, 1860 to October 24, 1861. Their purpose was to provide mail delivery between St. Joseph, Missouri and Sacramento, California. They wanted to draw public attention to the central route in hope of gaining a million dollar government mail contract for the Central Overland California and Pikes Peak Express Company. It ran day and night, summer and winter. One hundred and eighty three men are known to have ridden for the Pony Express Company during their operation of just over 18 months. The riders earned $100.00 a month and the average age was 20. New riders took over every 75-100 miles and they received a fresh horse every 10-15 miles. The horses averaged about 10 mph with the trail length being about 2000 miles. The cost of mail was $5.00 per ½ oz. when the company first started out, and dropped to $1.00 per ½ oz. by the end of the Pony Express. The owners spent $700,000 on the venture and had a $200,000 deficit when they ended the business. The company failed to get the government contract because of the outbreak of the Civil War and political pressures. Although it only lasted 18 months, it proved the central route could be traveled all winter. It provided the fastest communication between east and west until the telegraph. It also captured the hearts and imagination of people all over the world.

August is National Inventors Month. When I was looking through all the things people had invented I was truly amazed. Here is a very small sampling. In 1286 eyeglasses were invented in Europe, in 1440 the printing press was invented by Johannes Gutenberg, in 1642 the adding machine was invented by Blaise Pascal and in 1668 the reflecting telescope was invented by Issac Newton. The list is endless. Life was made easier with the invention of the toaster by Charles Srite in 1919 and the microwave by Percy LeBaron Spencer in 1945.

Life would have been very different without these things. It does make you stop and think, doesn’t it?

“The opportunities of man are limited only by his imagination……It doesn’t matter if you try and try and try again, and fail. It does matter if you try and fail, and fail to try again”. Charles Kettering, inventor of the electric starter motor

SEE YOU AT CRITTERFEST!

Regards,

Geri LeBold
Education Director
geri@rmdrc.com