Last updated: September 10, 2026
Place
Solano House Station
NPS Photo
Quick Facts
Location:
The granite Solano House marker is on the UC-Davis campus, along a bike/pedestrian path north of Old Davis Rd. GPS 38.5315555556, -121.7570277778
Significance:
Westbound Pony Express riders normally walked aboard a river steamer at Sacramento to travel down the Sacramento River toward San Francisco. On 20 occasions when a rider arrived too late to catch the steamer, he continued overland to Benicia, switching horses at 3 stations along the way, including Solano House in Davis.
Designation:
Historic site on the Pony Express National Historic Trail.
MANAGED BY:
State of California (UC-Davis)
Amenities
2 listed
Cellular Signal, Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits
Westbound Pony Express riders changed horses at Solano House Station after missing the steamboat from Sacramento to San Francisco.
Upon reaching Sacramento, westbound riders normally stabled their horses and boarded a river steamer, continuing down the Sacramento River and across the bay to San Francisco. At times, though, unexpected delays on the trail caused a rider to miss the steamer, which typically kept a strict timetable. One well-known example occurred during the second westbound run out of St. Joseph, Missouri, in mid-April 1860, when warriors drove off the horses at Roberts Creek Station in Nevada. The resulting 6-hour delay meant rider Sam Hamilton, carrying the mochila west from Sportsman’s Hall, missed the Sacramento steamer and faced a 13-hour wait for the next departure. To keep to the Pony’s critical 10-day transcontinental schedule, Hamilton needed to continue overland on horseback.
Receiving the news by telegraph, the Sacramento Pony Express agent arranged for fresh horses along the overland route to Benicia. Solano House, located west of present-day Davis, would be Hamilton’s first remount stop.
After this episode, riders who missed the Sacramento steamboat routinely continued on horseback to Solano House before pressing on to Benicia. The station served as a remount point 20 times between April 23, 1860, and Sept. 8, 1861.
Visitors today can see the site’s granite marker on the University of California-Davis campus. To reach it, take I-80 Exit 71 and turn north onto Old Davis Rd. Drive 0.1 mile to the end of the median, where the road begins curving right. An informal gravel turnout on the left provides a spot to pull over. The marker stands among trees along the bike path just to the north.
Site Information
Location (The granite Solano House marker is on the UC-Davis campus, along a bike/pedestrian path north of Old Davis Rd. GPS 38.5315555556, -121.7570277778)