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Show , / , . EARLY MAIL SERVICE SER"ICE SERICE SERVICEL " - \ L ' , . { : - j ji jOne * mallservIce marlservice mail mall marl mailservice i E EOne One of the first official offlcla1 actions concerning concermng service In the American colonies colomes was v.as vas . an ordei ordel order b by ' theGeneral the theGeneral theGeneral General Court of Massachusetts , in 1639 , which direct dlrect- dlrect direct- dlrected directed directed - ed that letteis lettels letters to be carried overseas should be left leftat leftat leftat who ho would ould see seethem seethem secthem at the home of one Richard Rlchard Fairbanks , ' \ v . them placed on board ship ShlP Hence Fairbanks has been beencalJed beencaned beencalled calJed caned America Amerlca s first postmaster postmasterIn In 1672 a monthly mail bervice ervlce service ervlceas ' ' was \as as 'as \ estabnshed established estabnshedbetv.een establishedbetween establishedbetween betv.een betveen between . New York and Boston , but Itas it \ was \\as as sas soon dlS- dlS dis- dis dlSrontinued discontinued dis discontinued - - continued rontinued and not resumed until about 10 sears years ears later later.Between laterBetween . . Between Betv . een 1673 and 1691 beginnings begmnings in m postal serVIce serVIcewere servicewere servicewere were made in m Massachusetts , Connecticut , Pennsyl Pennssl- Pennssl Penns Pennsslvama Pennsylvania l- l l'V3.D1a - ' . vania 'V3.D1a V3.D1a V3D1a vama and Mainland Malland Maryland MallandThe MarylandThe MainlandThe ) The Intercolonial Intercolomal Postal Umonas Union Umon was \\as as \ ' started byprivate byt byr by r private prlvate parties under sanction of the Britlsn Br1tLsh British crown cron " , m in in1693 1693 , the post roads being bemg made through forests forestsCarr forestsCarrying forestsCarrying Carr Carrying mg letters from Philadelphia Philadelpl11a to Boston took tovk SIX SIXweeks sixweeks sixweeks weeks and arid in m winter service servlce . was v.as vas sas frequently mterrupt.m mterrupt- mterrupt interrupt- interrupt mterruptd interruptd - .m- .m . - .mIn d . . In 1707 the Bntish Bnbsh British government took 0\ 0 o\er o er 0er over \ er the sy- sy syc- syc sytent syctein sys system " - tem tent tein . . In 1737 Benjamin BenJamm Franklin became postmast postmaster postmastciat postmasterat l lat at Philadelphia Philadelphla and did md much toward to\\ard to ard \ ' Impro- Impro improving Improng - ng the theservice theservice of ofthe ofthe ofthe postmaster-general postmaster general posunaster-genera1 posunaster genera1 - deputy service mce , later becoming becommg the British colonies colomes The postal sstemnas system sstem } - was -nas nas sas a losing losingbusiness losingbusiness losingbusiness business , and Franklin Franklm paid the . . defiicits defilClts defiicrts out of hlS his hlS.own his3Wf hisown later served foi lot a a.mort ashort a.short ashort .own own . 3Wf pocket for several years yedrs He .mort mort short . . time hme as postmast postmaster-general postmaster general r-general r general - for the colonie colonies colonies.dunng coloniesjdunng " .dunng dunng . . the RevolutIonFranklin RevolutionFranklin Revolution RevolutionFranklin Franklin established estabhshed post routes from frem Massachusetts Massachu Massachu- Massachusetts Massachusetts - setts to Georgla1th Georgia Georgla , , with \\1th 1th \ \ numerous cross routc'5 routc5 routc routes , > ' , and ap- ap appomted appointed ap appointed - pointed pomted postmasters in m all the principal princlpal commwuhes communities commwuhesrhus communitiesZhus communities"Thus communitiesThus rhus Zhus : " was the foundation laid for the splendid splenwd postalservice postal postalsen.lce postalferuce sen.lce senlce service . which the United States now enJo enjoysTne enjoys enjoysTne s sTne Tne first postmaster-general postmaster general p01tmaster-genera1 p01tmaster genera1 : - appointed bv by Presi- Presi Presl- Presl Presl.dent President President - . dent Washington Washmgton " was "as as Samuel Osgood , but the post- post post.ma.stergeneral post.mastergeneral post--master-general post master general - .dent dent ' . .ma.ster-general ma.stergeneral .ma.ster master general .master-general .mastergeneral .master . . - - v . was vas as not considered a cabinet offlcel oflrcet offlcelu offlceluntil oflrcetuunttl officei"until officeiuntil . uunttl u " until 1829 In that year William WJlham T Barr Barry } v . was sas as ap- ap appomted appointed ap-ppinted ap ppinted - pomted pointed to the office bv by President Andrew Jackson |