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“A Word from the Postmaster” will be an opportunity to share postal history, information, and trivia. As the newly appointed Postmaster of the Borough of Dalton, I welcome your questions and ideas for article subjects. I thought I would begin our literary journey with a brief history of the Postal Service.
After the battles of Lexington and Concord, the Second Continental Congress met in Philadelphia in May 1775 to, among other things, take into consideration the state of America. The conveyance of letters and intelligence was essential to the cause of liberty. Therefore, a committee, chaired by Benjamin Franklin, was named to consider the creation of a postal system. The committee reported back to Congress on July 25, 1775. The Continental Congress agreed to the committee’s recommendations on the following day, creating the position of Postmaster General, and naming Franklin to it.
Under Franklin and his immediate successors, the postal system mainly carried communications between Congress and the armies. Benjamin Franklin served as Postmaster General until November 7, 1776. He was in office when the Declaration of Independence created the United States in July 1776, making Franklin the first Postmaster General of the United States. America’s present Postal Service descends from the system Franklin placed in operation over 230 years ago.
In June 1788, the ninth state ratified the Constitution, which gave Congress the power “To establish Post Offices and post Roads” in Article I, Section 8. A year later, the Act of September 22, 1789 (1 Stat. 70), continued the Post Office and made the Postmaster General subject to the direction of the President. Four days later, President Washington appointed Samuel Osgood as the first Postmaster General under the Constitution. A population of almost four million was served by 75 Post Offices and about 2,400 miles of post roads.
The Post Office moved from Philadelphia in 1800 when Washington, D.C., became the seat of government. Two horse-drawn wagons carried all postal records, furniture, and supplies.
Next time: Pony Express, Star Routes and the Confederate Post Office Department.