July 26
POST OFFICE DAY
On this day in 1775, a postal system was established by the Second Continental Congress of the United States. The first Postmaster General was the same gentleman who graces the U.S. $100 bill and who flew a kite with a key attached in a thunderstorm -- Benjamin Franklin. Mr. Franklin was paid $1,000 a year for his job as Postmaster General.
Just fifty-four years later, the U.S. Post Office had grown to 7,600 offices and in some places, especially big cities, lines of people were kept waiting as postal clerks determined correct postal charges. Citizens were angered over the long lines and by the U.S. Government’s enforcement of postal rates.
Some 250 years later, along with the complaints of ever-increasing postage rates, U.S. citizens complain of slow delivery, location closures and threats of elimination of Saturday delivery. The effects of e-mail, texting and social media have all taken their toll on the U.S. Postal Service.
However, the Post Office has added many new services to compete. Stamps can be purchased online, package pickup can be summoned on the Internet and we can buy an unlimited amount of Forever stamps. The cover price remains the same no matter how many times the rate goes up -- as long as you don't run out of your supply of Forever stamps.
Hopefully, the U.S. Postal Service will also last forever.
Those Were the Days, the Today in History service from 440 International
No portion of these files may be reproduced without the express, written permission of 440 International Inc.
