Photo acquired from Get Archive, LLC (public domain photos)

The above photo is a photo of the Patee (pronounced Pay-tee) House Hotel. It was a four-story, red brick building built in 1858 on the corner of South Twelfth and Penn Streets in St. Joseph, Missouri. It is believed to be the first hotel west of the Mississippi River.

In 1860, when the Pony Express began, the Patee House was the headquarters of the Pony Express.

The Patee House was also said to provide the last taste of civilization for pioneers and prospectors who were bound for the western frontier.

The hotel drew a lot of attention due to its size, and despite its elaborate appearance, its top floor was home to a sanitarium for epileptics.

Though the Patee House was the Pony Express Headquarters, I did not choose to house my Pony Express rider in the hotel for the purpose of the fictitious part of my story. However, my rider does spend some time in the Hotel on one or two occasions.