Show EARLY MAIL SERVICE One of the first official actions concerning mail service in the American colonies was an order by bythe bythe bythe the General Court of Massa Massa- Massachusetts Massachusetts in 1639 which directed ted that letters to be carried overseas should be left at the home of one Richard Fairbanks who hl would see them placed on board ship Hence Fairbanks has been called caned America's Amer Amer- America's ica's first postmaster In 1672 a monthly mail service se was established between New NewYork NewYork NewYork York and Boston but it was soon pi discontinued continued and not resumed until about 10 years later Between 1673 and 1691 beginnings ginnings in postal service service ice were made in Massachusetts Connecticut Pennsylvania and Maryland The Postal Union was started by private parties un- un under under un under der sanction of the British crown in 1693 1633 the post roads being made through the forests forests Carrying let let- letters let letters tens from Philadelphia to Boston took six weeks and nd in winter ser ser- service service ser service vice was frequently interrupted In 1907 the British government took over the tM system In 1737 Ben Ben- Benjamin Benjamin jamin Franklin Franklin became postmaster at and did much to toI toward toward I ward improving the service later becoming deputy postmaster gen eral of the British colonies Th Thu pOstal system was a losing busi busi- business busi- busi business business ness and Franklin paid the def def- deficits def def- deficits deficits out of his own pocket for se- se several se several veral eral years He lie later served for a short time as postmaster general general for the colonies during the Revolution tion Franklin established post rout routes s from Massachusetts l to Georgia orgia with numerous cross routes and appointed postmasters in all the principal communities Thus was the splendid foundation laid for the did postal service which which the the Unit Unit- United United United ed States now enjoys The first postmaster-general postmaster ap- ap appointed appointed ap appointed pointed by President Washington was Samuel Osgood but th the post post- master general was not considered a cabinet officer until 1829 In that year William T Barry was ap- ap appointed appointed ap appointed pointed to the office by President Andrew Jackson |