logo
From Benjamin Franklin to Pony Express to anthrax: How the US Postal Service shaped a nation

From Benjamin Franklin to Pony Express to anthrax: How the US Postal Service shaped a nation

Independent5 days ago
The one government agency that still reaches nearly every American daily — undeterred by rain, sleet, snow or even gloom of night — turns 250 on Saturday.
Established in 1775, when the Second Continental Congress appointed Benjamin Franklin as postmaster general, the postal service predates the United States. It was launched nearly a year before the colonies declared their break from British rule.
'The country may not even have come into existence but for the Postal Service,' said Stephen Allen Kochersperger, the postal service historian and a former local postmaster.
While it now grapples with concerns over its financial viability in the modern era, the agency has had a long and colorful history that helped shape the nation. It has grown from serving the 13 colonies to delivering more mail than any other postal system in the world, reaching nearly 169 million addresses and employing more than 635,000 people.
A new postal service
In those early days, creating an American postal system was a key priority for the nation's founders, who needed to communicate with the Continental Army and the colonies. When the Continental Congress met in 1775, it appointed Franklin as the first postmaster because he had served in the British postal service for North America.
The early postal system also became crucial to unifying the diverse, fragmented colonies into a nation by spreading ideas of liberty and independence through letters, newspapers and pamphlets.
' People were reading, getting ideas of what it would be like to be an independent country,' Kochersperger said.
Westward expansion
When the U.S. Constitution was ratified, Congress was granted power to establish post offices and mail routes that were first used by mail carriers on horseback and later upgraded for stagecoaches. Some evolved into highways still used today.
Initially running north–south along the East Coast, post roads later extended westward. Historians have said this aided settler expansion into Native lands and was intertwined with the displacement of tribes.
As western migration accelerated, mail was sent by ship from New York to Central America and on to California. Delivery typically took two to three months.
The Pony Express, operated by private carriers, was started to speed things up. A relay system of riders on horseback carried mail from California to Missouri, the furthest westward railroad stop. The 1,800-mile (2,900-kilometer) journey took 10 days.
While legendary, it only lasted about 18 months, until Oct. 26, 1861. The service was scuttled by the Civil War and made obsolete with the advent of the telegraph, said Daniel Piazza, chief curator of philately at the Smithsonian National Postal Museum.
Later, the transcontinental railroad reduced mail delivery from months to days.
New types of delivery
Free mail delivery to homes began in earnest in 1863 in the nation's largest cities. It was initially created as a response to grief during the Civil War. At the time, the only communication from a father, brother, husband or son usually came through letter-writing. Women lined up daily at post offices, awaiting word. They sometimes got their own letters back, with a note saying their loved one had been killed.
Postal officials in Cleveland decided to take mail to people's homes out of compassion.
Enthusiasm for home delivery spread quickly, and people living in rural areas wanted it, too. Despite logistical challenges, rural free delivery began expanding rapidly around 1900. By the 1920s, mail carriers mostly had replaced horse-drawn wagons with automobiles.
Around that time, mail started being sent by airplane as well. The nation's first regularly scheduled airmail service began on May 15, 1918. The initial routes were between Washington, D.C., Philadelphia and New York, using Army pilots and planes.
The post office soon took over air mail, running operations for nine years until turning to fledgling private airline companies, some of which remain major airlines.
In the early days, flights were so dangerous that some pilots dubbed themselves the Suicide Club. Thirty-two pilots were killed.
Major changes to the system
The postal service saw major growth during President Franklin Delano Roosevelt's time in office. His New Deal plan to address the Great Depression put people to work building 2,000 new post offices.
After World War II, a booming economy and growing population led to a surge in mail. To handle the increasing volume, the post office needed a faster alternative to manual sorting.
So, on July 1, 1963, each post office was given a five-digit ZIP code. Previously, clerks had to memorize thousands of points of address information so they could sort the mail, Kochersperger said.
The public was skeptical at first, balking at more numbers. So, the post office came up with a friendly cartoon character named Mr. ZIP, who helped convince people their mail would arrive faster.
By 1970, postal workers were angry over low wages and a strike was called by leaders of the National Association of Letter Carriers union in New York. Eventually about 200,000 workers joined the postal stoppage, which led to the Postal Reorganization Act of 1970. It authorized collective bargaining rights for postal workers and transformed the taxpayer-supported Post Office Department into the United States Postal Service, a financially self-sustaining and independent agency within the executive branch.
In more recent times, U.S. Postal Service workers have faced various threats, including anthrax, a serious infectious bacterial disease. Weeks after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, four threatening letters contaminated with anthrax were sent through the mail. Two workers at a mail distribution center in Washington, D.C. died after breathing in the spores, and thousands were potentially exposed.
Three other people were killed, and more than a dozen were sickened.
The anthrax scare led to major changes in how mail was monitored and sorted and how USPS workers protected themselves. Years later, they'd be designated essential workers during the COVID-19 pandemic and don protective gear again.
___
Haigh reported from Hartford, Conn.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

United plane forced to land minutes after takeoff over engine failure
United plane forced to land minutes after takeoff over engine failure

Daily Mail​

time25 minutes ago

  • Daily Mail​

United plane forced to land minutes after takeoff over engine failure

A transatlantic United Airlines Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner was forced to return to the airport just moments after taking off after suffering a mid-air engine failure . Flight UA108, carrying 219 passengers and 11 crew members, departed Washington Dulles Airport at 5:40 p.m. on Friday, July 25, bound for Munich in Germany . But as the jet climbed through 5,000 feet, the left engine failed, prompting the pilots to declare a 'MAYDAY' and alert air traffic controllers. What followed was nearly three hours of tense aerial maneuvering. The crew entered a holding pattern northwest of Dulles, circling at 6,000 feet while dumping fuel to reduce the aircraft's landing weight. Throughout the emergency, the pilots worked closely with air traffic control to maintain safe separation from other aircraft and prepare for the return. Once the fuel dump was complete, the plane was cleared to land using an Instrument Landing System approach to Runway 19 Center. In a statement to the Independent , United Airlines confirmed the emergency, saying the aircraft returned to Dulles 'to address a mechanical issue.' A spokesperson added: 'The flight was subsequently cancelled, and we arranged alternate travel arrangements to take customers to their destination as soon as possible.' The airline declined to provide further details about the engine malfunction or confirm whether an investigation is underway. The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority also confirmed the emergency landing, noting that the aircraft was met by fire and rescue crews and towed to a gate for inspection.

United Boeing 787 Dreamliner forced to land minutes after taking due to ENGINE FAILURE
United Boeing 787 Dreamliner forced to land minutes after taking due to ENGINE FAILURE

Daily Mail​

timean hour ago

  • Daily Mail​

United Boeing 787 Dreamliner forced to land minutes after taking due to ENGINE FAILURE

A transatlantic United Airlines Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner was forced to return to the airport just moments after taking off after suffering a mid-air engine failure. Flight UA108, carrying 219 passengers and 11 crew members, departed Washington Dulles Airport at 5:40 p.m. on Friday, July 25, bound for Munich in Germany. But as the jet climbed through 5,000 feet, the left engine failed, prompting the pilots to declare a 'MAYDAY' and alert air traffic controllers. What followed was nearly three hours of tense aerial maneuvering. The crew entered a holding pattern northwest of Dulles, circling at 6,000 feet while dumping fuel to reduce the aircraft's landing weight. Throughout the emergency, the pilots worked closely with air traffic control to maintain safe separation from other aircraft and prepare for the return. Once the fuel dump was complete, the plane was cleared to land using an Instrument Landing System approach to Runway 19 Center. The touchdown was smooth - but with one engine disabled, the Dreamliner was unable to taxi and had to be towed from the runway. All passengers and crew deplaned safely at the gate without injury. In a statement to the Independent, United Airlines confirmed the emergency, saying the aircraft returned to Dulles 'to address a mechanical issue.' A spokesperson added: 'The flight was subsequently cancelled, and we arranged alternate travel arrangements to take customers to their destination as soon as possible.' The airline declined to provide further details about the engine malfunction or confirm whether an investigation is underway. The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority also confirmed the emergency landing, noting that the aircraft was met by fire and rescue crews and towed to a gate for inspection. 'There was no disruption to other flights,' a spokesperson said. Although no injuries were reported, the aircraft remains grounded at Dulles as technicians continue to assess the damage.

Composting helps the planet. This is how to do it, no matter where you live
Composting helps the planet. This is how to do it, no matter where you live

The Independent

time2 hours ago

  • The Independent

Composting helps the planet. This is how to do it, no matter where you live

Most of what goes into U.S. landfills is organic waste, ranging from household food scraps to yard trimmings. That's a problem because in that environment, organic waste is deprived of oxygen, which helps break material down. The result: the release of a lot of methane, a potent greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming. Consumers can curb their environmental impact by composting, which helps break material down in ways that reduce the release of methane. This can be done whether someone lives in a home with a yard or in an apartment without outside space. Composting also alleviates pressure on landfill space and results in a nutrient-rich substance that help soil. Robert Reed, with the recycling and composting company Recology, said that applying compost makes soil better at retaining moisture, which makes it resilient against droughts, wildfires and erosion. For people who want someone else to compost their food scraps, some local governments offer curbside pickup. Otherwise, nonprofits, farmers markets and community gardens often fill that gap. Companies in some areas also will pick up the food waste to be taken away for composting for a fee. For those who want to try composting at home, here's how to get started. If you've got a yard Composting doesn't necessarily require much space. Even 4 square feet — roughly the size of a standard office desk — can do the trick. Common receptacles include open wooden bins or large barrel-shaped tumblers that you can rotate on a metal rod. Free-standing piles also work. Some people follow a strict schedule of turning the pile, often with a hoe or shovel, or adding to it regularly. Backyard composting typically relies on microbes to break down the waste, which can bring a pile's temperature up to 130-160 degrees Fahrenheit (54-71 degrees Celsius). Others follow a more passive approach. Experts break the composting recipe down into four main ingredients: water, oxygen, nitrogen-rich 'greens' (food scraps, grass clippings) and carbon-rich 'browns' (cardboard, dead leaves, shredded paper). Typically compost has two or three times as much 'brown' material as 'green.' The Environmental Protection Agency recommends against meat, bones, dairy, fats and oils in backyard compost piles because they typically don't get hot enough to fully break them down, and because they're more likely to attract pests. The agency also says to steer clear of treated wood, glossy paper, pet waste and compostable dishware or bags. Experts say composters can experiment with what works and what doesn't. Rodale Institute Senior Farm Director Rick Carr said he's tried animal products and just about everything in his household. Hair from the hair brush and fully cotton swabs break down great. Cotton T-shirts? Not at all. 'If you're unsure if it'll break down, put it in there and you'll find out,' he said. The bacteria and fungi feed on the pile of organic waste and turn it into compost. The finished product looks like moist, dark soil. The EPA says a well-tended pile can produce finished compost in three to five months, while a more passive pile that doesn't reach high temperatures may take up to a year. Bob Shaffer, who owns a company called Soil Culture Consulting, said that for him, the process can take closer to nine months, but it's easy to tell when it's finished. "When you look at compost, what you should not be able to see is, oh, there's a leaf. There's that carrot top that I put in there 10 months ago. You shouldn't be able to discern what the material is," he said. Common pitfalls Most composting problems happen when the ingredients get out of whack. One way to make sure you've got the right balance of 'greens' and 'browns' is a 'squeeze test,' by reaching into the pile and grabbing a handful then letting it go, said Nora Goldstein, editor of the organics recycling magazine, Biocycle. 'If it just kind of crumbles off your hand, it's too dry. If you squeeze and get a little bit of drips, it's a little wet. But what you want is to squeeze it, let it go, and have kind of a coating on your hand.' When the pile gets too dry, the composting process slows down or stops. The answer: Hose it down or add more food scraps. Another common problem is the opposite: there isn't enough air, or there are too many nitrogen-rich 'greens.' The first sign of trouble is when the compost pile smells. That typically means the microorganisms are dying and the pile is releasing methane, like in a landfill. The solution: stir the pile to get more air inside and allow it to cool down. Then add some cardboard or paper. A pile that's too wet can also attract flies, maggots and rodents. 'As long as you're mixing in enough amendment or browns, you'll stay out of trouble,' Goldstein said. If you lack outdoor space Composting indoors is possible through what's known as vermicomposting, a process that relies on worms. People can buy premade worm bins, make their own out of untreated wood or use plastic storage bins with a few modifications, according to the EPA. The containers should have tight-fitting lids and keep out the light. Only certain types of worms will work, and they can be obtained from a worm grower or a neighbor who's already started vermicomposting. Goldstein said that the process isn't always easy: 'You really have to know what you're doing.' Instead of relying on microbes, worms feed on the carbon- and nitrogen-rich organic matter. They poop out almost-black castings. That's the finished product. The EPA says it takes about three to six months, which can be faster than backyard composting. They can create a more nutritious end product than in traditional compost. But Goldstein said that it can be tricky to ensure conditions are right for the worms. 'You want to make sure those worms are very happy, because if they're not, they will leave the bin. And they're not harmful, it's just a little freaky," said Goldstein. Traditional composting, whether indoors or outdoors, is typically a process that takes place over months, not days, Goldstein said. Electric countertop devices that promise to break down food in hours or days don't use the same process. Goldstein said those devices produce material that can be used in gardens, but it's 'not completely broken down' and should be mixed with soil. ___ The Associated Press' climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store