The Pony Express Museum

William Parker Lyon created the first Pony Express Museum in San Marino after making a fortune from his Lyon Van & Storage Company. His interest in Western memorabilia began when he acquired an old safe, blew it up and found $2,000 in gold coin, unused Pony Express Stamps and gold dust. W. Parker Lyon visited ghost towns, mining camps and small towns building his collection from anything that struck his fancy.

When his collection outgrew its space, Lyon moved his Pony Express Museum to Arcadia in 1934 on six acres purchased from Anita Baldwin at the corner of Huntington Drive and Colorado Blvd. There he constructed three enormous buildings using material salvaged from Lucky Baldwin’s old Santa Anita Racetrack and from the Oakwood Hotel. Parker added stagecoaches, fire engines and even a jail cell. His collection of Native American artifacts was considered one of the nation’s finest. All told, Lyon had amassed more than one million collectibles at his Pony Express Museum.