Show U S post office Is years old first station organized in 1639 at boston to sell wine and strong water boston two hundred and eighty four bears 3 ears ago the first post ollice in tile the united states was established in boston ond and me lie celebration of 0 the anniversary this month recalled the manner of its founding it had been the custom in those days for the citizens of boston to troop on board the packets which arrived front from overseas in quest of letters and other tidings from froin england that was all very well for a while but as the population grew the habit became a nuisance to f the skippers who objected to having their decks made impromptu delivery anil and the none too spacious quarters below croN crowded ded with ith men and women Nv inell so the general court as the massachusetts chu ebu legislature always has been called stepped in in loss 1018 it ruled that richard fairbanks on the site of whose home the boston globe building no stands was to take charge of aud and distribute letters from abroad for preventing the miscarriage of letters the quaint order read and it Is ordered that notice be given that richard fairbanks its ills house in roston Is the place appointed for all letters which tire are brought front from beyond the seas or tire are to be sent hither are to bee brought unto an lice bee Is to take care that they bee delivered or sent according to 10 their directions and hee is allowed for every such letter p r penny given liquor permit john winthrop was goNer governor nor when nhen fairbanks was appointed tile the latter had a permit to sell avine wine and strong water and over ills his bar the men of boston sipped their ale and read their mall mail and talked of the tidings from far away anay I 1 fairbanks acted as postmaster un til ill in january 1673 the general court made provision for a domestic postal service the carriers to three pence per mile for their services twenty years later the american post office was established and in it 1 coach and mall mail service was be gun un between boston and hartford |