THE POST-OFFICE DEPARTMENT. I.-CONDENSED CHRONOLOGICAL HISTORY OF THE POST-OFFICE DE PARTMENT. There were no mails in the colonies prior to 1672. In that year the government of New York established a monthly mail to Boston. 1680. John Haywood was appointed the first postmaster in Massachusetts. 1683. William Penn established post-offices in Pennsylvania. 1702. A second monthly mail between New York and Boston was started. 1737. Benjamin Franklin was appointed postmaster at Philadelphia. 1753. Delivery of letters by penny-post was begun. 1754. A weekly mail from Philadelphia to New England was commenced. 1765. Mails conveyed in covered New Jersey wagons (without springs) semi-weekly between New York and Philadelphia. Time, three days. 1774. Benjamin Franklin, postmaster, removed by Home Department. 1775, July 26. Congress assumed direction of the post-offices, and appointed Benjamin Franklin Postmaster-General. 1775, November. Richard Bache, of Philadelphia, son-in-law of Benjamin Franklin, was appointed Postmaster-General. 1789, September 26. Samuel Osgood, of Massachusetts, appointed Postmaster-General. He had one Assistant Postmaster-General and one clerk. The number of post-offices was 75. 1791. Timothy Pickering, of Pennsylvania, appointed Postmaster. General August 12. 1793. Penny-post of Philadelphia employed three carriers, New York one carrier. Letters delivered at 2 cents each. 1795. Joseph Habersham, of Georgia, appointed Postmaster-General February 25. 1798. Transit time between Philadelphia and New York seventeen hours. 1799. United States mail-stage line between Philadelphia and Baltimore put in operation. Time between New York and Boston four days and five hours. 1800. General Post-Office moved to Washington. 1801. Gideon Granger, of New York, appointed Postmaster-General. 1810. Number of post-offices, 2,300. 1814. Return J. Meigs, of Ohio, appointed Postmaster-General. 1815. February 1, to March 31, 1816, 50 per cent. added to all postage for the purpose of raising revenues to meet war expenses. 1823. John McLean, of Ohio, appointed Postmaster-General, March 9. 1835. Amos Kendall, of Kentucky, appointed Postmaster-General March 1. 1836. General Post-Office building destroyed by fire. 1840, March 25. John M. Niles, of Connecticut, appointed PostmasterGeneral. 1841, September 3. Charles A. Wickliffe, of Kentucky, appointed Postmaster-General. 1845, March 5. Cave Johnson, of Tennessee, appointed PostmasterGeneral. 1849, March 7. Jacob Collamer, of Vermont, appointed PostmasterGeneral. 1850, July 20. Nathan K. Hall, of New York, appointed Postmaster-General. 1852, August 31. J. D. Hubbard, of Connecticut, appointed Postmaster-General. 1853, March 5. James Campbell, of Pennsylvania, appointed Postmaster-General. 1857, March 6. Aaron V. Brown, of Tennessee, appointed Postmaster-General. 1859, March 4. Joseph Holt, of Kentucky, appointed PostmasterGeneral. 1861, January 1. Horatio King, of Maine, appointed PostmasterGeneral. 1861, March 7. Montgomery Blair, of Maryland, appointed Postmaster-General. 1864, October 1: William Dennison, of Ohio, appointed PostmasterGeneral. 1866, July 15. Alexander W. Randall, of Wisconsin, appointed Postmaster-General. 1869, March 4. John A. J. Creswell, of Maryland, appointed Postmaster-General. 1874, July 6. James W. Marshall, of Virginia, appointed Postmaster-General. 1874, September 1. Marshall Jewell, of Connecticut, appointed Postmaster-General. 1876, July 13. James N. Tyner, of Indiana, appointed PostmasterGeneral. II.-REVENUES AND EXPENDITURES OF THE POST-OFFICE DEPART III.-HISTORICAL SCHEDULE OF CHANGES OF RATES OF POSTAGE ON LETTERS PASSING BETWEEN POST-OFFICES IN THE UNITED STATES. From Philadelphia to Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia.. 19 1710. Rate of postage by act of Parliament: To and from New York: Within 60 miles..... Philadelphia.. Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Maryland Virginia. Charleston... 1775. Single letters: Not exceeding 60 miles.. Exceeding 60, not exceeding 100 miles 8. d. 10 1 4 9 1 0 1 3 1 6 51 8 |