The Postal Service shall have as its basic function the obligation to provide postal services to bind the Nation together through the personal, educational, literary, and business correspondence of the people. It shall provide prompt, reliable, and efficient services to patrons in all areas and shall render postal services to all communities.
—Title 39, United States Code, Section 101
The history of the United States Postal Service® is one of transformation — from the first use of railroads to carry the mail in the 1830s, to online stamp sales in 1997, to new developments in the 21st century. Within the history of the Postal Service lies the history of the nation as a whole, as mail routes and Post Offices™ spread westward, keeping the growing nation connected.
Historians, postmasters, genealogists, and others who want to learn more about the history of their communities will discover valuable sources of historical information on Post Offices, postal employees, mail routes, and mail contractors in this publication. Sources are listed chronologically and then discussed by subject. Following that, they are described in alphabetical order. The final pages list addresses for these resources and provide further references.
Sources Chronologically
1700s- Newspapers, city directories
1773-1774 Hugh Finlay's journal
1775-1778 Benjamin Franklin's ledger
1782-1799 Ledgers of the General Post Office
1789-1818 Record of First Returns Received from Postmasters
1789-1952 Letters Sent by the Postmaster General
1789- Annual Report of the Postmaster General
1789- Congressional Serial Set
1789- Federal Statutes
1790-1930 Census records
1803- Lists, tables, and directories of Post Offices
1814-1960 Contract route registers
1814-1971 Record of Appointment of Postmasters
1816-1911 Official Register of the United States
1830s-1940s Post route maps
1835-1953 Orders of the Postmaster General (“Journals”)
1837-1950 Site location reports of Post Offices
1861-1865 Confederate Post Office Department records
1863-ca. 1900 Record Cards of Letter Carriers Separated from the Postal Service
1874-1954 United States Official Postal Guide
1880- Postal Bulletin (Daily Bulletin prior to 1919)
1890s-1986 Record cards of postmaster appointments
1896-1970s Rural route cards
1901-1934 Rural free delivery records
ca. 1910- Personnel records
1986- Postmaster Finder
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