Sending Christmas Cards? You Have Rural Free Delivery to Thank (1896)

In the age of Amazon delivery and overnight express mail, we have become accustomed to getting things in the mail fast, verging on instantaneously. But, as you can imagine, it hasn’t always been this way.

During this Christmas season, more than 1.3 billion Christmas cards will be mailed and sent this year, according to Hallmark and the Greeting Card Association. Typically, recipients will receive their card within 3–4 business days, depending on the priority postage.

In 1896, however Rural Free Delivery (RFD) began in the United States in as a service to deliver mail directly to rural farm families. Before RFD, people in rural areas often had to travel long distances to post offices to retrieve their mail, which was inconvenient and time-consuming.

The initiative was spearheaded by Postmaster General William L. Wilson and piloted as an experiment in West Virginia on October 1, 1896. It aimed to improve communication and connectivity for rural communities. The success of the pilot led to the rapid expansion of the RFD system across the country.

RFD had some unforeseen consequences too; when farmers stopped traveling to town to get the mail and started shopping in catalogs, local businesses suffered. Because it proved difficult for postmen to navigate narrow muddy roads, the federal government devoted funds to improve post roads, first in 1916 and again in 1936. This made a vast difference in rural people’s ability to take their crops to market and send their children to school. Rural Free Delivery cost the government $40 million per year in the 1910s, and that money improved access to goods and information for millions of people. But we don’t always make the connection between the tax we pay and the services that benefit us, and when government programs work well, we sometimes forget they’re there at all.

The implementation of Rural Free Delivery was a significant development in improving communication and connectivity for rural communities. Here are some key points about the beginning of Rural Free Delivery in 1896:

Introduction of Rural Free Delivery:

• Rural Free Delivery was officially introduced on October 1, 1896.
• The initiative was championed by Postmaster General William L. Wilson and gained support from various advocacy groups representing rural interests.

Pilot Program in West Virginia:

• The first Rural Free Delivery routes were established as part of a pilot program in Charles Town, West Virginia.
• The success of the pilot program demonstrated the feasibility and benefits of providing mail delivery services to rural areas.

Expansion Across the United States:

• Following the successful implementation of the pilot program, Rural Free Delivery was gradually expanded to other parts of the country.
• By the early 1900s, RFD routes covered a significant portion of rural America.

Legislation and Congressional Support:

• The establishment and expansion of Rural Free Delivery were facilitated by legislation and congressional support.
• The legislation providing funding and guidelines for RFD was passed by Congress, reflecting the government’s commitment to improving mail services in rural areas.

Impact on Rural Communities:

• Rural Free Delivery had a profound impact on rural communities, improving communication, and reducing isolation.
• It played a crucial role in connecting rural residents to the broader society, facilitating economic development, and fostering a sense of community.

We can see, now possibly more than ever, the importance of this great experiment. With the industrialization of the internet in combination with the mail system, we enjoy connecting with others throughout the country by sending and receiving physical mail that lifts our spirits and creates generational keepsakes.

How are you choosing to use the rural mail system this holiday season? Are you sending cards to loved ones and friends? Mailing Christmas gifts across the United States? Buying fun holiday stamps? Regardless of how, the Christmas season is the when for using the system that was first attempted right before Christmas of 1896. I’ll be using the system extensively to connect with those closest to me. How will you be using the system this year?

CITATIONS:

• Julia Guarneri, a university lecturer in American history at the University of Cambridge, is the author of Newsprint Metropolis: City Papers and the Making of Modern Americans.
• You Should Know These 15 Unsung Moments From U.S. History | Time
• Page 9 — Sept. 26, 1927, №13 — The Vault — TIME
• United States Postal Service (USPS) Historical Information: The USPS website might provide details about the history of Rural Free Delivery and its implementation.
• “Rural Free Delivery: The Last Twenty Years” by Louis Melius: This book covers the history and impact of RFD, providing specific details about its beginnings in 1896.
• Library of Congress — Chronicling America: The online newspaper archives available through the Library of Congress could offer primary sources such as newspaper articles and editorials from the late 19th and early 20th centuries that discuss the launch of Rural Free Delivery.
• Boggs, H. (1967). “The Triumph of Rural Free Delivery.” The Wisconsin Magazine of History, 51(4), 316–324.
• United States Postal Service. (n.d.). “Rural Free Delivery (RFD).” Retrieved from https://about.usps.com/who-we-are/postal-history/rural-free-delivery.pdf
• Smithsonian National Postal Museum. (n.d.). “Rural Free Delivery.” Retrieved from https://postalmuseum.si.edu/rural-free-delivery