Samuel Gideon Mozingo was a wanderer who traveled far and wide in the course of his life. He was a blacksmith, described as a man who was once affiliated with the short-lived Pony Express mail service. He was an early resident of San Francisco, California, and a prospector who sought his fortune in western mining towns in Nevada and Washington state. More importantly, he is the only known sibling of my 3rd great-grandmother Jane (Mozingo) Rice to have survived to adulthood. In an effort to learn the identity of their parents I have attempted to research his life in as much depth as her life. His 1913 obituary tells part of his life story. I imagine his nephews thought him the consummate frontiersman and undoubtedly enjoyed tales of his many adventures.
A Pony Express Man Dead
Samuel G. Mozzingo Shoed Horses—Early Plainsman.
Death Occurred Tuesday at Home of a Nephew, George L. Rice, in Brownell—Funeral at Baldwin.
The funeral of Samuel G. Mozzingo, a pioneer of Kansas, and once connected with the pony express department of Uncle Sam’s business, occurred yesterday in Baldwin City. The death of the former Douglas County man occurred at the home of one of his six nephews, G. L. Rice of Brownell, Kans., near Ness City. He was 72 years old and had been ill for several weeks before his death on last Tuesday.
Mr. Mozzingo was a blacksmith when a young man, and when he first came to this part of the state his headquarters were at Black Jack near where now is Baldwin City. He was a horseshoer for the pony express stations along the way and was well acquainted with the famous John G. Slade of whom Mark Twain has written in “Roughing It,” and who was one of the prominent pony express men.
He came here in 1857 and after a time he followed the gold call and went to the mountains. At one time he was wealthy but mine speculations lost most of his money before he moved back here. He lived twenty years in the West, then returned and after a few years he went again and remained almost twenty years longer.
The six nephews of Mr. Mozzingo are: George L. Rice, of Brownell, C. L. Rice of Garfield, W. H. Rice of Olpe, C. E. Rice of Le Loup, and S. V. Rice and G. N. Rice of Pomona.
The two nephews from Western Kansas were in Ottawa today visiting with many of their friends in town.
Source: “A Pony Express Man Dead,” The Evening Herald (Ottawa, Kansas), Sat., 11 Jan 1913, p. 1, col. 3; Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com : accessed 6 Mar 2019).
Brian and I had the pleasure of visiting the Pony Express Museum in St. Joseph, MO back in 2009. It was very interesting. There is also the Alexander Majors House in Kansas City, which was the family home of one of the principals of the company. At one time, I lived and worked within a few blocks of that historic home.
About the time the Pony Express was phased out, the founders established the Wells-Fargo stagecoach service, and out of that, they developed the bank and guard service. Eventually, the WF guard service merged with Burns, who had taken over the Pinkertons, the latter of which had served as the Secret Service & counter-intelligence unit during the Lincoln administration. The old WFGS logo even sported an image of a Pony Express rider.