Gideon Granger was named Thomas Jefferson’s Postmaster General today in 1801. He was the longest serving Postmaster General at 12 1/2 years.
Nice, I think there are now more postmasters that served more than that term in service and maybe some are still working.
The firm of Slaymaker and Tomlinson, a well-known stage-route contractor, was awarded the first railway mail contract today in 1932. They carried their first load of mail on December 5th, 1932.
Today in 1899, the magazine “Horseless Age” reported the first use of an automobile to carry mail, in a test in Cleveland, Ohio.
Interestingly, although Cleveland first tested the car, it was Boston that actually implemented a couple of cars later in 1899 according to a site I found. There seems to be conflicting information about the use of the automobile by the USPOD depending on the phrasing. Here is another quote I found on the Internet: "In its Annual Report for 1899, the Post Office announced that it had tested the practicality of using the automobile to collect mail in Buffalo, New York. In 1901, the Post Office entered into its first contract to carry the mail by automobile between the Buffalo Post Office and a postal station in the Pan American Exposition grounds. Although it took 35 minutes to traverse the 4 1/2 miles between the two post offices, the U.S. professed great satisfaction with the contract and prepared for similar service on January 1, 1902, at Minneapolis." 1899 seems to be the year that propelled the automobile into the public consciousness.
Sea Post Service was inaugurated today in 1890. Two postal employees, a clerk and a mail handler, were assigned to each of 12 steamers.
"Today in 1785 Postmaster General Hazard issued contracts with stagecoach operators to carry mail between New Hampshire and Georgia." I wonder how long that would have taken? I guessing 10 days.
I'd be interested to know that myself. Stagecoaches seldom traveled more than 60 to 70 miles per day and at a distance of over 1,100 miles I'd guess it was closer to 2 weeks. Perhaps someone who has studied the travel of mail in the 18th century has a better number?
Yeah, without artificial lighting, I don't think the mail would have switched coaches and been on the road round the clock.
The Post Office Department began Parcel Post delivery service today in 1913. Learn more about its first 100 years. http://postalmuseum.si.edu/parcelpost100/?hootPostID=7a34d4262b0cb165950edeef18993d84
There are some pictures of it here.... https://www.google.com/search?q=C54...&sa=X&ei=ce-lVPOGL4SaNt3TgZgE&ved=0CAYQ_AUoAQ
