The Fascinating Evolution Of U.S. Mail Delivery: From Horseback Riders To Airmail

The history of the United States is deeply connected to its post office. Established before the Declaration of Independence, the postal system has been a cornerstone of communication and progress.

In 1775, Benjamin Franklin was appointed the first postmaster general, transforming it from Britain’s Royal Mail into what we now know as the United States Postal Service (USPS).

Through every era—from the days of horse-drawn carriages to the advent of railroads and airmail—its mission has remained the same: to connect every American, no matter how far, and ensure that the heartbeat of communication keeps pace with the ever-expanding nation.

Let’s explore the fascinating journey of how mail has been delivered across the U.S. over the centuries.

The Early Days: Horseback Riders and Stagecoaches

A Butterfield Overland Mail stagecoach, the first overland mail service to California, picking up U.S. mail and passengers circa 1857 in Arizona.

In the late 18th century, horseback riders were the backbone of the postal system.

The federal government authorized the creation of post roads, connecting small post offices where people would line up to receive their mail. By 1789, there were 75 post offices and 2,400 miles of post roads serving a population of nearly four million people.

Mailman Collecting Mail from Mailbox after Blizzard, Washington DC, January 1922.

With westward expansion, the post office needed more efficient means of transport. Stagecoaches—large horse-drawn vehicles—began replacing individual post riders by the late 1700s.

Contracts with stagecoach lines enabled mail delivery along new routes, particularly during the California Gold Rush, which opened new territories for settlement. The Butterfield Overland Mail was one of the earliest services, carrying mail from Missouri to California in the 1850s.

Steamboats and Railroads: Faster and Further

Men collect the letters from their horse-carriage from mailboxes on trees in the woods of California, circa 1910.

The introduction of steamboats in 1813 was a major advancement in mail delivery. These boats transported mail along key waterways, such as the East Coast and the Mississippi River.

By the mid-1820s, steamboats made mail delivery faster and more reliable. By 1848, steamships were carrying mail from the East Coast to California via the Isthmus of Panama, cutting delivery times to just three weeks.

A horse-drawn mail wagon, USA, circa 1910.

The completion of the transcontinental railroad in 1869 marked another turning point. Railroads connected the entire country, allowing for the rapid transport of letters and packages.

By the 20th century, the Railway Mail Service (RMS) was handling 93 percent of all non-local mail in the U.S. Mail clerks would sort and distribute letters on moving trains, which ensured a fast and efficient mail system that lasted for nearly a century.

The Pony Express: A Legendary but Short-Lived Solution

In 1860, the Pony Express began delivering mail from the East to West Coast in a mere 10 days.

The Pony Express was one of the most exciting mail services in history. Starting in 1860, it was created to deliver mail as quickly as possible between Missouri and California.

Riders on horseback could make the trip in just 10 days, cutting the usual time in half. They switched horses every 10 to 15 miles to make sure the mail kept moving fast.

Confluence post office mailman delivering a mail to a woman in Leslie County, Kentucky, 1961.

Though it only lasted for 18 months til 1861, when the telegraph line was completed, the Pony Express became legendary. The bravery of its riders and the speedy deliveries made it a famous part of the Wild West story.

Motorized Mail: The Rise of Automobiles and Motorcycles

As motorized vehicles became popular in the early 20th century, the post office quickly jumped on board to modernize mail delivery.

In 1899, Buffalo, New York, introduced the first electric mail car, which sped up deliveries compared to the old horse-drawn wagons.

Post Office Mail Wagons “Save Time Get a Mail Box”, Washington DC, 1916.

By 1933, nearly all city mail was being delivered by car, with only 2 percent of urban postal vehicles still relying on horses.

A rural postal mail carrier stands with his Wagner 4-11 motorcycle next to a postal box on his route near Newell, South Dakota, circa 1915.

Rural areas benefited, too, thanks to the Rural Free Delivery (RFD) system, which started in 1896. This service brought mail straight to people’s doorsteps, even in the most remote areas, helping to keep everyone connected.

Four special delivery postmen for the US Postal Service try out new scooters, mid 1910s.

By the 1920s, postal workers tried out motorcycles for mail delivery in some regions. However, these were soon replaced by trucks because trucks offered more space for all the letters and packages.

Airmail and Victory Mail: Taking to the Skies

Earle Ovington, pioneer aviator, flew the first air mail in the United States in 1911. U.S. Postmaster General Frank Hitchcock participated in the historic ceremony at Sheepshead Bay, New York when he delivered the first bag of mail to Ovington.

As technology advanced, the post office took to the skies to deliver mail faster. In 1911, aviator Earle Ovington made the first authorized airmail flight to carry letters between Garden City and Mineola, New York.

A new invention for delivering air mail to airports in Whittier, California, circa 1926. The mail sack is lowered down on a rope by the pilot and carried into a 40′ x 40′ net that is equipped with a series of sharp knives on the upper rim, which cut the rope and the mail bag then rolls gently to the ground.

By 1918, regular airmail services using Army planes and pilots were up and running. Even the famous Charles Lindbergh flew mail routes before his legendary transatlantic flight in 1927.

A mail employee preparing parcels for the first air mail flight to Atlanta from Cincinnati’s Lunken airport, April 1931.

During World War II, a new innovation called Victory Mail (V-Mail) revolutionized mail delivery. To make sending letters overseas more efficient, V-Mail used microfilm to shrink letters to a fraction of their original size.

A man operates a continuous paper processing machine to develop, fix, wash and dry paper reproductions of microfilmed v-mails at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., February 1943.

The post office would photograph letters, send the film, and then develop and print the letters at military stations abroad. This clever system saved millions of pounds in cargo space!

Unconventional Methods: Pneumatic Tubes and Beyond

An operator preparing to feed a carrier holding about 500 letters into the transmitter for despatch through the tube from Brooklyn Post Office to New York General Post Office, a distance of about 1.75 miles, circa 1899.

One of the quirkiest ways mail was delivered involved the pneumatic tube system.

Mail canisters whizzing through underground tubes, propelled by pressurized air, zooming from one postal facility to another at 30 mph.

A view of a mail carrier delivering mail using a makeshift snowmobile with a propeller in North Dakota, 1935.

These futuristic tubes, developed in the early 20th century, connected postal offices in six major U.S. cities and could carry up to 500 letters at a time! This high-speed system was phased out in the 1950s.