America's First Post Offices

Oklahoma's First Post Office With Rifleman Standing Guard, April 22, 1889.

On this day in 1775, the U.S. postal system is established by the Second Continental Congress, with Benjamin Franklin as its first postmaster general. -- story & video at History.com

Captain William J. Tate, the Wright Brothers' first host in Kitty Hawk, and family on porch of their home, the Kitty Hawk, North Carolina post office.

Old postcard depicting the first post office in Linton, Indiana.

The Elba, Michigan post office was established in the east wing of the Root home.

Collins & Gray Successors of W.H. Dolman General Merchant was home to the Alsea, Oregon post office. The sign hanging adjacent (center) declares "Post Office".

A post card published in 1938 shows off Yellowknife, Alaska's first post office -- the large white building at center left -- the Yellowknife Supplies general store.

Old postcard depicting the first post office in Baltimore, Maryland.

Dayton, Tennessee’s first Post Office was located in Smith’s Crossroads.

This impressive home was built by Captain Moore around 1800. It was one of the first post offices in Yancey, North Carolina. The mail was brought in weekly and dumped out of the bag onto the floor and people came there and sorted through it to find letters addressed to them.

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It is believed that the tradition from England of dropping mail off at coffee houses and taverns was adopted by the earliest Bostonians as an article in the April 8th, 1922, Boston Globe describes:

"The first post office in Boston--and probably in the first in America--was established in the home of Richard Fairbanks, on or very near the site of the [then] present Boston Globe building in 1639. On November 6 of that year, the Court voted:

'For preventing the miscarriage of letters; & it is ordered, that notice bee given that Richard Fairbanks his house in Boston is the place appointed for all letters which are brought from beyond the seas, or are to be sent thither, are to bee brought into; and hee is to take care that they bee delivered or sent according to their directions; and hee is allowed for every such letter 1 penny, & must answere all miscarriages through his owne neglect in this kind; provided, that no man shalbee compelled to bring his letters thither, except hee please.'" -- source

Happy Anniversary U.S. Postal Service