Jackass Mail Run

With the clatter of hooves and a rousing, "Move 'em out!", the Old West will come to life once again in Porterville on April 19th when the entourage of the 47th annual Jackass Mail Run "heads for the hills" with their cargo, a strongbox full of mail bearing the official "Jackass Stamp", on board a mule-driven wagon fashioned after those of the Gold Rush era.

Picking up the mail.

At the reins, dressed for the occasion in full western gear (donated by local businesses) will be this year's Wagonmaster, flanked by teamsters, a shotgun guard, assorted horsemen (and women) all decked out in true cowboy fashion.

At the meandering pace of 5 mph, their all-day journey begins at the Porterville Fairgrounds (after picking up the mail at the Elks Lodge) and follows a route that includes parts of the Emmigrant and "Lewis" Trails. Their destination is the foothill community of Springville, where the Springville festivities will already be in full swing. A lunch stop is scheduled around noon where men and beast will get a fill of grub and quench their thirst.

At various points along the trail the team will be joined by folks on horseback from all over the Western United States, drawn by the opportunity to participate in this unique nostalgic event, and the entire procession will arrive in Springville, barring an ambush that is, at approximately 4:00 that afternoon. From there, the delivered mail will be distributed (by the U.S. Postal Service) to anywhere in the world.

A local tradition since 1962, the annual Jackass Mailrun itself is not a factual historical event. However, it truly captures the spirit of the Old West, and serves as a reminder of Porterville's role in the development of overland travel in the West back when panning of gold was a career, claim jumpers and outlaws were a common threat, and getting from one place to another over largely untamed land could be treacherous.

Porterville in the 1800's

Because the area was largely populated by miners, many of whom had left their families behind in the East until their fortune was secure, it is not surprising that correspondence of any kind, letters, newspaper and the like, became a valuable commodity. Capitalizing on the miners' insatiable demand for news from home, young entrepreneurs such as Alexander Todd earned huge profits as "expressmen". Todd utilized a subscriber list, for which he charged $1.00, just for asking the postmaster if the subscriber had mail; if so, the fee per letter was $2.00. Newspapers, sometimes over a month old, sold for $8.00. Add to this the commission he earned to deliver gold dust for deposit, and soon Todd was earning up to $1,000 per day!

Of course, this was during a time when attacks by outlaws and wild animals were a very real threat to travelers, making the job of mail or freight carrier a hazardous one, even by today's standards. And although the Jackass Mailrun is an authentic portrayal of those "wilder" times, rest assured that "law and order" will be kept, thanks to the combined effort of the California Highway Patrol, Tulare County Sheriff's Department and the Porterville Police Department, who will be on hand to head off any overzealous desperados.

As one might well imagine, the concept of law enforcement was not of much interest to early California's gun-toting, whiskey-drinking, card-playing inhabitants, who were pretty well accustomed to living by their own rules. The challenging task of keeping a wagon team in line fell upon the shoulders of the Wagonmaster, who directed and supervised everything from animal training to cargo loading, and whose word WAS law.

Doc tending to Red Cantrell back in '76

The Wagonmaster earned his position having a reputation for strength, loyalty, reliability, and being quick on his feet. His was a title of respect, much as it is today for the person privileged to be chosen Jackass Mailrun Wagonmaster, although the qualifications are not as strenuous. The bizarre initiation rites to which a new Wagonmaster must be subjected to are probably not found in any history book. (To witness this ceremony, be sure to attend the Annual Ex-Wagonmasters' Dance on April 5, 2008 at the Elk's Lodge in Downtown Porterville).

Ex-Wagonmaster (1996) Pete Perez considers the appointment of Wagonmaster "a privilege and and honor". All the Ex-Wagonmasters and their fellow committee members are dedicated to keeping the Jackass Mailrun well running so that Porterville's early traditions can be preserved and remembered for generations to come.