Route Superintendents

Benjamin Ficklin was in overall charge of route preparations.

He had five Division Superintendents working under him. They were all under the direct authority of William H. Russell who spent most of his time in the east.
A. E. Lewis
(St. Joseph to Kearney)
Joseph A. Slade
(Kearney to Horseshoe)
James Bromley
(Horseshoe to Salt Lake City)
Howard Egan
(Salt Lake City to Robert's Creek)
Bolivar Roberts
(Roberts Creek to Sacramento)

William F. Finney was Agent for the Central Overland California and Pike's Peak Express Company with an office in San Francisco.

These men were thoroughly capable for the work they had in hand and were perfectly familiar with the portion of the route under their jurisdiction. Each of the Superintendents hired crews to build new relay stations and modify the old ones that had been used by the stage line. The stations were to be equipped and provisioned by local merchants. The Division Superintendents also conducted interviews and tryouts of hundreds of would-be Pony riders.

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