Every now and then, St. Joseph history shows up in some unusual places. Cindy Daffron, director of the Pony Express Museum, got quite a surprise when a member called to ask her if she’d seen the October issue of Road and Track magazine. She hadn’t, but she was glad when she did.

“The magazine has a 10-page article on the trail, with a two-page photo spread that features the museum’s historic trail map and the museum,” Ms. Daffron said. You can’t buy that kind of publicity, she added.

But the museum did buy another kind of advertising a year ago.

“The St. Joseph Convention and Visitors Bureau convinced us that if the museum gave away one free admission for every one we sold, the stables would have more visitors,” Ms. Daffron said.

“After a year, we know it works because paid admissions for the last 12 months are up by 12 percent, despite the economy, and sales in the gift shop are up 30 percent before this week,” she said.

Also, the Harley-Davidson riders were in town and they received a special group rate.

“Oh, my gosh, for two days our daily admissions and gift shop sales averaged $2,250 each day,” Ms. Daffron said.

Those 480 riders for two days made for the museum’s best days of this year, she said.

And the apex isn’t in site yet. Next April, the Pony Express will celebrate its sesquicentennial during the first three days of the month. And the Pony Express and Patee House museums will get more national exposure.

“I wanted to let you know we have scheduled a special section on the Pony Express for the spring issue of American Heritage,” said Edwin S. Grosvenor, president and editor-in-chief of American Heritage Publishing.

The question for the community will be: Are we ready to make the most of what will happen in the next six months as the sesquicentennial approaches?

Each week, Property of the Past writer Marshall White features a building or an item of St. Joseph history. If you have a home, building, special collection or an interesting piece of history, please contact him at marshall@npgco.com.