I love getting mail.
Well, REAL mail. And there’s so little of it anymore. Email has become a nuisance (often a convenient one!) and even physical mail is diluted with catalogs, flyers, and other junk mail.
But when I get a real package, card, or the oh-so-rare handwritten letter delivered to the box at the end of the driveway . . . what a delight!
And I’m betting you didn’t know that Rural Free Delivery began in West Virginia. Yup. It was on October 1, 1896–123 years ago–that the post office launched its effort to deliver mail to every household in America. And they started in the eastern panhandle of the mountain state.
Prior to 1896 everyone had to go to the post office to pick up their mail. And the post office was often some distance for folks on foot or horseback. When funding was approved for the effort in 1895 William Lyne Wilson was postmaster general. A native of Jefferson County, WV, he chose his home state to launch the inaugural deliveries.
Initially, there were five mail carriers. It was so successful another 15 routes were quickly added in other states. By the end of 1897 there were 82 routes and so began the introduction of R.F.D. into the American lexicon.
So when’s the last time you got something good in the mail?
It’s a lost art. Maybe that’s why books like The Potato Pie Society resonate with us so well.
Yes! We wish for letters like those . . .
I received Book Mail today! I have a wonderful carrier and she often brings me “goodies” along with my junk mail and my bills!
Isn’t it fun when the mail carrier becomes a friend? We had the sweetest lady delivering mail at work and were SO sorry when she retired.
I miss getting handwritten letters and cards! But…last week I received a sweet package from an author friend and even though the note was typed, it still gave me the same thrill as if it had been handwritten because it wasn’t ‘junk’ mail! 🙂
Exactly! Sometimes I type notes just because my handwriting is so bad.
A VERY LOOOONG time ago..🤣
Bad part..Don’t know which is WORSE for Junk Mail~Email or
USPS!! 📬
Isn’t that the truth!
Due to living back in off the county road, my mailbox sits 4 miles from my home. I still love getting real mail. Just.something about taking a break to open an envelope and read the words inside.
Wow! That’s more than a stretch of the legs!