Start of Railway Mail Service
On August 28, 1864, the US Post Office Department created the Railway Mail Service. It revolutionized mail delivery for a century.
Mail Delivery
U.S. Post Offices Takes Over Airmail Flights
On August 12, 1918, the US Post Office Department took over control of airmail service from the US Army Air Service. Under the Post Office Department, the service flourished, leading to transcontinental airmail service, which was eventually taken over by private companies.
Railway Mail
On July 7, 1838, Congress approved an act that declared all United States railroads as post roads. This would lead to a dramatic increase in the use of railroads to deliver mail.
Start of V-Mail Service
On June 15, 1942, the Post Office Department inaugurated its V-Mail service. During World War II, letters bound for service personnel were photographed and transferred to microfilm. This special process enabled letters to take up a fraction of their usual space on planes going to war zones, allowing more room for crucial supplies.
U.S. Stamps Printed on Watermarked Paper
On or around April 29, 1895, the US Post Office began issuing postage stamps with watermarks. The practice was introduced by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP) and only lasted a little over 20 years.
High-Value Stamps Rushed into Use for WWI
On March 22, 1917, the US Post Office rushed to issue two new stamps to meet an urgent need. These high-value stamps were needed quickly for use on packages going to Europe.
Postage Due Stamps
On March 3, 1879, an Act of Congress authorized the use of Postage Due stamps. These stamps were unique, since they were the first US stamps that didn’t prepay for the delivery of mail. Instead, they denoted the amount of postage to be collected by the person receiving the mail because it was insufficiently prepaid.
First Known Mail Delivered by Air
On January 7, 1785, mail was carried by an air vehicle for the first time.
Bicycle Mail
On July 6, 1894, a San Francisco businessman operated a short-lived bicycle mail route in San Francisco, complete with his own stamps.