Russell, Majors and Waddell

• American

Russell, Majors and Waddell was formed in 1854 by William Hepburn Russell, Alexander Majors and William B Waddell to manage large military freighting contracts in the American West. The partnership arose after the US War Department shifted to two-year supply agreements, creating demand for a well-capitalized firm capable of moving goods between the new depot at Santa Fe, New Mexico, and the army posts established following the Mexican-American War. The company became one of the most prominent transportation enterprises of the mid-nineteenth century and was best known for launching the Pony Express in 1860, an ambitious but short-lived attempt to speed mail service across the frontier. - AsNotedIn