Airmail postal delivery was first used in 1918. In 1938, President Franklin Roosevelt’s postmaster put together a big celebration that is worthy of notice today. The flight pioneered by the post office led to the commercial flight system we have today.

The first scheduled airplane service for mail delivery began on May 15, 1918. The route was between Washington and New York. The plane had a scheduled stop near Philadelphia to re-fuel and pick up more mail. Sometimes the pilot switched planes as early airplanes weren’t that reliable.

In celebration of the twentieth anniversary of the advent of airmail, Postmaster General James Farley established National Airmail Week for May 15-21, 1938. The intention of the celebration was to promote the fact the U.S. Postal Service moved the mail reliably and with speed. See “Commercial Air Travel Spurred by Post Office.”

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Planning the Celebration

Postmasters were directed to bring to the attention of the public “the wonderful network of airlines operating day and night throughout the country, and the speed and economy with which letters and parcels may be dispatched over immense distances…”

Each post office encouraged the local citizens to participate in the week’s celebration by sending an airmail letter. In addition, each town was invited to create its own “cachet,” a commemorative design printed or stamped on the envelopes mailed that week. (Several styles of cachet are shown in the images to the right. Today these envelopes are prized by collectors.)

Special Events

Thursday, May 19, was the primary day of celebration. An effort was made in advance to provide air delivery to as many post offices as possible. In each town, postmasters asked for the help of volunteer pilots for that day. And if communities did not have landing fields, the postmaster consulted local experts on appropriate landing fields. All communities within a state submitted maps of their proposed landing strips for approval to the state’s department of aeronautics.

Each state made their own plans. In Nebraska, the state postal administrators divided the state into four districts. They specified a hub city in each quadrant. Working with sixty volunteer pilots, airmail letters were picked up from each of the smaller towns. They were then flown to the hub city in their district. From there, they were ready to go out on a transcontinental flight on the 19th.

The community in Packanack Lake, New Jersey, wanted a dramatic illustration of progress. The town arranged for a pony-express-style horseback rider to deliver a pouch of airmail letters to an airplane waiting at Paterson Airport. They publicized the fact that the horseback rider covered his two-mile trip in 25 minutes. The pilot then flew the 15-mile leg of the trip to Newark Airport in only seven minutes (New York Times, May 16, 1938).

Tribute to First Postal Night Flight

The first night mail flight for the post office was in a small single-seat plane that flew between North Platte, Nebraska, and Chicago, Illinois, on February 21, 1921. Because pilots needed guidance from the ground, bonfires were built as beacons along the plane’s planned route.

In 1938, the plan was to use ground fires to demonstrate the process but to employ a larger plane. The one used held 21 passengers and a crew of three. Bonfires served as guide lights along the way,

The demonstration reminded Americans of the challenges faced by these pioneer pilots.

Wings Across America: Essay Contest

The Postal Service also sponsored an essay contest for high school students. The essays were to be about “Wings Across America.” More than a hundred prizes, including about 50 airplane trips to Washington, D.C., Hollywood, California, or Miami, Florida, were to be awarded to the winners.

Skyhooking

As airmail service became more popular, the postal service worked on ways to expand its usage while keeping down transportation time.

“Skyhooking” was one of the innovative plans used for smaller towns that lacked air service. The local post office erected two tall posts. They stretched a rope between the posts, and an outgoing sack of mail was hung from the rope.

When a plane flew into the community to retrieve the mail, the pilot flew low enough to use a hook (connected to the tail) to grab the bag of mail. Clear weather and excellent flying skills were both needed for skyhooking.

As for the mail delivery to that town? The incoming mail was simply dropped out of the plane.

The specialist in the skyhooking field was All-American Airways Company. They made 23,000 mail pickups using the method starting in May of 1939.After a one-year trial, they got a contract to continue their service for ten years.

A Hat Tip to the Post Office

Today we give little thought to the items sent by mail. We’re often annoyed by the post office. But there are many reasons to look back and appreciate the gains in American life that were spearheaded by the U.S. Postal Service.

A sled dog team making its way from Nome, Alaska, to Washington, D.C. in 1907 grabbed headlines across the nation.

The trip was 8000 miles through snow drifts and grasslands and was a wager undertaken by Eli Smith, musher and postal employee. Smith left Nome in November of 1905 with an eight-dog team led by a wolf that Smith rescued when a pup.

Klondike Gold Rush

In August of 1896, gold was discovered in the Klondike region of the Yukon. An estimated 100,000 prospectors made their way north to Canada in search of gold. Photographs show lines of men with backpacks traveling to the gold fields, but those who knew Northwest Canada had dog sleds to carry their equipment and speed travel.

Eli Smith (1856-1948) was one of many men in the region looking for gold. Like others, Smith had some good luck—and then a lot less good luck.

As he prospected, He traveled with a strong dog team. According to the book, Wolf, the Storm Leader, Smith used huskies (“malamoots”), “Siwash” dogs (native dogs that weren’t huskies), and a few “outside dogs” (regular dogs that were good as part of a team).

One day Smith ran into a man who was dragging with him an injured wolf pup. Smith disliked mistreatment of any animal and offered the man some gold dust for the wolf. The fellow happily agreed to the trade.

Wolf Settles In

The pup was in need of medical attention, so for the first few days, Smith kept him inside his cabin in Dawson City in the Yukon. When Wolf was better, he lived outside chained to a stake as the other dogs were. Sometimes Smith would take him with him to town but always leashed.

As winter arrived, Smith harnessed the dogs for the work at hand. Sometimes they brought back wood for the fire; other times, he used the team so that he could visit his sluice boxes to take care of any repairs necessary.

Slowly, Smith began to experiment with adding Wolf to the dog team. Wolf was happy to work, and over time, he proved to be an exceptional team leader. Because wolves have a superior sense of smell, Wolf could pick up scents that eluded most dogs. Many times that helped them find their way home.

Klondike Slows Down

News traveled slowly in gold country. Miners in Dawson City had infrequent deliveries of the U.S. mail, or they awaited travelers who might bring news.

In late 1898, the miners were particularly thrilled to hear that gold was discovered in Nome. Hope was dimming for more gold in the Klondike, so even a 60-day journey from Dawson to Nome seemed worthwhile.

By the fall of 1899, most of the Klondike miners were breaking camp and setting out for Nome, and Smith, too, was ready for the new adventure. It would be a long trip through wicked conditions, so Smith packed food and supplies carefully. Wolf had been with Eli for three years by this time, and he was very much a part of the pack.

As Smith and his team traveled, they frequently saw men and dogs whom they knew from Dawson City.

The Trip to Nome

Among the men, Smith was among the most careful with his animals. The sled dogs  that were not part huskies or part wolf needed leather “booties” to protect the pads of their feet for the long journey over ice. Smith was one of the few who took the time to create leather footwear for his dogs.

When they reached the stretch of trail near the Bering Sea, they encountered a storm that gave Eli pause. It came up suddenly and the winds were extraordinarily fierce. The temperature dropped quickly to the range of 60 below. This was one of the first times when Eli realized Wolf’s worth. Because Wolf could pick up scents from beneath the snow cover, he always knew which way to go.

No Luck for Eli in Nome

Eli Smith did not have early luck in Nome, so he needed other work. When he heard the U.S. government was paying well for mushers who took a mail route, he signed up. The work was hard. The mail was heavy and the distances were long, but he had a good team and knew he could do it.

Smith was assigned one of the most difficult routes, a 350-mile run from Nome to Unalakleet through some of the most storm-prone territories. He acquired a partner, so that they could rest between runs. Between the two men they also added more dogs and built their own lightweight sleds. Because of the weight of the mail, the dogs were harnessed in pairs and were fed three times each day instead of just twice.

Life as a mail carrier soon proved challenging but manageable, and Smith was happy with the work.

Alaska Gains Representation in Congress

Though Alaska did not become a territory until 1912, the District of Alaska gained a representative in Congress in 1905. Locals wanted to make Congress aware that Alaska needed investment in roads and railroads.

With that in mind, a wager was offered by a fellow named Lucky Johnson (sources do not agree on who offers the wager; Johnson is mentioned in Frank Caldwell’s book). For any musher who traveled from Nome to Washington, D.C. Johnson offered  a $10.000 reward. (Some accounts say only $5,00 was offered.)

There were stipulations:

-The musher must leave Nome with 10 dogs and arrive in Washington, D.C. with at least six dogs from the original team.

-He must arrive in Washington before February 22, 1907, to be there before Congress adjourned for the 1907 term.

-He must visit President Teddy Roosevelt to discuss Alaska’s needs and receive from the president a signed note that established date of arrival.

Eli Smith Leaves Nome

Smith knew what a great team he had and accepted the challenge. He found someone to take his mail route during his absence. The trip was 8000 miles, and it would be a hard go. He wasted no time and left Nome on November 14, 1905.

With Wolf as leader they made the difficult passage past Unalakleet, across the portage and on to Nulato, From there they followed the Valdez Trail to Fairbanks where they boarded a ship for Seattle. The dogs did not like the ocean passage and were glad when the team stepped out on land again.  As the weather warmed in the northwest, the sled became difficult to pull. One of the farmers with whom Smith and the team stayed offered to add wheels to the sled to make the going easier.

Press Coverage as They Traveled

As Eli Smith’s sled dog team traveled through states in the Lower 48, he attracted attention and press. One of the questions he frequently received concerned how he remained motivated and kept the team going.

Smith noted that the dogs all knew their names, so mornings began with Smith calling each dog by name. He would receive a tail wag and the appropriate canine stepped forward for his harness.  As the day wore on, he kept up a patter with them.

“I never whip my dogs, but I talk to them, whistle tunes for them, and sing to them. They like musical sounds, but aren’t picky. It doesn’t take a very high class of music to please them.”

Dog Music

Smith also said that at night, the dogs made their own music. Huskies (and wolves) don’t bark but they do howl. In the evenings, Smith fell asleep listening to Wolf and the huskies calling around to other wildlife in the area.

Along the way, there were some surprises. A report in The Star Press in Muncie, Indiana, reported that the dogs sometimes encountered farm animals. Along one rural road, a flock of chickens startled and flew up from behind a stone fence.  Even in harness, the dogs made quick work of creating their own chicken dinner.  As usual when these things happened, Smith found the farmer and made good on the fellow’s loss.  And chickens were cheaper than the calf they took down. “My dogs will kill anything but not a human being,” explained Smith.

Reaches D.C.

On February 2, 1907, Eli Smith and the team could be found traveling up Connecticut Avenue to the White House, attracting a lot of public attention. He drove the only sled dog team amidst  horse-drawn wagons, buggies, and early automobiles. It was one year, three months, and six days since the day he left Nome.

When he pulled into the muddy drive that led to the Executive Mansion, the President was alerted. Within moments, Teddy Roosevelt came out to greet Eli Smith and to say hello to all the dogs. “Bully, Bully! Fine,” were the words the press could hear the president saying.

To their great good fortune, Roosevelt’s sons, Archie and Quentin, arrived home from school while Smith and his team were still outside the White House. The dogs were snoozing in the winter sun, and the boys were delighted to join in the conversation. The press caught a photo of Quentin sitting in the sled after he was introduced to each of the dogs.

Then Roosevelt suggested that Eli bring the dog around to the back of the house so Mrs. Roosevelt could admire them, too. Smith put the dogs through their paces to demonstrate the work of a good dog team, and Eli was invited to return to the Executive Mansion for dinner later that evening.

Heading Home

After the successful completion of their journey, Smith and team were to return to Nome, but they had been joined by Frank Caldwell (1867-1938). He was a a lecture agent who was sent to Alaska to help spread the word about religion to the men in the gold fields.

Frank Caldwell met Eli Smith in Alaska, and he saw great potential in Smith’s story. Caldwell provided photographs for a magic lantern presentation for Smith to use, and he set up lecture dates along the route home. Smith continued to tell people about the wonders of Alaska, introduced the dogs wherever he was, and made some money on the way home.

One of the most frequently asked questions concerned Wolf. Would he consider selling him? Smith’s answer was always the same: “Would you sell one of your children?”

Wolf, Storm Leader

As for Wolf, he did all that he was supposed to do to make the trip possible. Eli Smith rewarded him by removing his harness. From that day forward, Wolf either ran free alongside the team, or if he tired as old dogs can do, he hopped into the sled and rode for a time.

When Smith returned to Alaska, they settled down in Nome, but soon a new strike occurred further north. Like the other prospectors, Smith and his team went along for the next adventure.

True to his promise, Eli Smith kept Wolf—the best storm leader in all of Alaska—with him for the rest of Wolf’s life.

***

For another story about the dogs of Alaska, read The Iditarod: Also about Exploration of Alaska. 

The 6888^th Central Postal Directory Battalion was an all-female Black military unit created in 1944. (Recently, a few others were identified as members of the 6888. There was at least one Puerto Rican woman and a Mexican woman who were members of the unit.) These women are among the unsung heroes of World War II. The work they accomplished—hand-processing warehouses-full of undelivered mail–brought comfort to countless American soldiers who longed for connections to home. 

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The Mail Couldn’t Get Through

“Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds” was once written about the delivery of the mail.

But no one foresaw the problems presented by a world war. The Allied troops were on the move in the European theater, and it became increasingly difficult for the military to maintain basic services. Priority was given to food, equipment, and supplies. The mail was set aside.

Many of the soldiers serving overseas were barely 18 or 19 years old. They had never been out of the country, and they were thrust into a war for which no one could have been psychologically prepared. They were tired, cold, hungry, dirty, and lonely–simply hoping to survive. Cigarettes and reading material helped pass some of the down time, but the men longed for news from home. How was Dad feeling after his surgery? How big was Fido now that he was almost a year old? And what about his girl? Was she still waiting for him?

In December 1944, the Battle of the Bulge began.  By this time, the military was overwhelmed with other issues, and they began storing the unsorted mail in warehouses. One storage area was in Birmingham, England. The mail filled three warehouses, and the pile grew.

Yet even military leaders focused on battle strategy knew one thing: the morale of the men mattered. The soldier who worried about family members or pined for a girlfriend had trouble keeping his mind focused on fighting. News from home would help. There needed to be a way to sort through that mail.

Creation of the 6888^th

At the start of World War II, there were no female military units. By May 1942, Congress realized the commitment that a war on two fronts required. They approved a bill that provided for a volunteer civilian women’s unit, the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps.  Initially, this provision was intended for white women only.  After pressure from African American newspapers and activists, including First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt and her friend, educator Mary McLeod Bethune, it was decided that 10 percent of WAAC volunteers would be African American.

In the summer of 1942, the leader of this group of African American women was specified. It was Charity Adams (1918-2002), a well-educated young woman who was studying for her Masters in Psychology at Columbia when she joined the WAACs.

By the summer of 1943, the WAACs were given military status and renamed the Women’s Army Corps. This encouraged active recruitment, and many women joined. But like the regular Army, the WACs were segregated.

By November 1944, a battalion of 824 enlisted African American women, including 31 officers, were gathered to form the 6888^th Central Postal Directory Battalion. Though mail would be their priority, the Six-Triple Eight, as they were called, went through basic training just as all military did. Theirs took place at Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia, where they exercised, maneuvered through obstacle courses, and learned about gas masks and made long marches with various weights of rucksacks on their backs.

Prior to departure for Europe, the battalion needed a plan for self-sufficiency. Segregation meant they could not benefit from support services for whites. They needed to assign everything from meal preparation to guard duty and driving to members of their own units.

Bound for Europe

On February 3, 1945, the postal battalion boarded the ship, the Ile de France, bound for Glasgow, Scotland. The women would then be taken to Birmingham, England, for their first assignment.

Their trans-Atlantic journey was a dangerous one. German U-boats (submarines) patrolled the Atlantic continuously. The Ile de France masterfully maneuvered a zig-zag course to make it across the ocean, but the women were well aware of the danger. 

The battalion took the train to Birmingham where they were housed in an old schoolhouse with little heat. Showers were available only in the courtyard.

6888^th and Processing the Mail

Their workplace was in the schoolhouse where they lived. Reports are that the mail-sorting probably took place in the gym or another large room where they could set up tables and spread out. The windows had been blacked out in the early part of the war when the building was still used as a school. Because the black-out material was never removed from the windows, the women had to work without the benefit of daylight for added warmth and to improve the lighting that was in the building.

The task before them included three warehouses of still-bagged mail. As they began sorting, it was clear that rodents had rooted through the bags looking for treasure—packages of food.

Well-Organized

The women quickly organized a system with each person assigned to one of three round-the-clock shifts. There were no computers to keep track of anything, so their system was paper-based and done by hand.

They received files of the approximately 7 million Americans serving in the European Theater. (They also were sorting for the Army and Marine Corps, and the Red Cross volunteers.)  Because the troops had been on the move since the mail was last sorted, very few of the files were up-to-date.

The information on each soldier had to be processed separately. The women of the 6888^th had to identify where each man’s unit was currently fighting, and whether or not he was still with them. If he was injured, was he in a hospital in Europe or already on the way home? And of course, the information was constantly changing.

The names of those who were killed in action had to be noted, and their mail needed to be returned to the sender.

The women developed “Current Information” cards for each soldier. That way the night shift could be made aware of locations identified by the day shift, and vice versa.

Other Complications of Sorting

But there were other complications:

• Some names like “Robert Smith” and “Tommy Jones” were very common. According to an article in Our Heritage Magazine, there were 7500 Robert Smiths serving in the European Theater. It took detective work to figure out which soldier the letter or package was intended for.
• Not all letters were addressed properly. The elderly grandmother or a little sister may have simply addressed the envelope with the unit number and a name: Junior or Bob, Rob, Bobby, Robby, Bert, or Robert…

The women of the 6888^th were fully invested in their work, knowing that they were making a difference in soldier morale. Private First Class Dorothy Turner, a member of the 6888^th, is quoted on a military website describing the excitement of holding in her hands the cards with each soldier’s information:

“There was part of the history of these men in the files. You could see the last time that this man got mail, and you were so determined to find him because you had this pile of mail [sometimes packages] that he should have gotten over the years…”

Regular Mail Vs. V-Mail

Though the U.S. government encouraged the use of V-mail, there was still heavy use of regular mail. In 1944, for instance, Navy personnel received 38 million pieces of V-mail, but over 272 million pieces of regular first class mail.

The V-mail found their way to warehouses, too. Once the microfilm with the letters arrived in England or France, a processing company transferred the filmed letters to paper and put each letter in its own envelope. All these were bagged and sent to the same warehouses where the 6888th was processing other mail.

Each shift processed 65,000 pieces of mail. The government expected the task in Birmingham to take six months, but within three months, the women were ready for another assignment.

More Mail in Rouen, France

For the 6888^th Central Postal Directory Battalion, the next location was Rouen, France. They landed at Le Havre in early June. On their trip inland to Rouen, they were shocked by the scenes of destruction, seeing firsthand the toll the war had taken on towns and countryside.

The townspeople of Rouen welcomed them warmly, but the Women’s Army Corps (WAC) military police discovered one problem. Since the war was winding down, soldiers were being released. The news that women were arriving in Rouen brought an influx of soldiers. Because WAC military police were denied guns, they developed another way to protect the 6888^th. They trained in jujitsu (martial arts) to keep out unwanted visitors.

In Rouen, the battalion suffered a tragedy. While on leave, three of the members were involved in an auto accident and were killed. The military had no provision to help with funeral arrangements, so the battalion took up a collection. They gave the three women a proper burial in France. Major Charity Adams notified the families with the sad news.

The 6888^th to Paris

After Rouen, the battalion moved to Paris where they were delighted to be in their first decent quarters since arriving in Europe. They were housed at the Hôtel États-Unis and treated well. It was with some sadness that the government began sending sections of the battalion home. Major Adams retained some members to help with the mail. They supplemented with some of the locals, all of whom were eager for work.

Active Support of Education

On August 6, 1945, an article about the 6888^th appeared in The New York Times. The 6888^th Central Postal Directory Battalion ran a two-week fund raising drive to help fund college education for other African Americans.  The news article reported that a check for $4504 was sent to the United Negro College Fund with a letter from Major Adams:

“We as Americans, realizing the importance of education, felt that this was our chance to make the future more promising for Negro youth.”

Belated Honors in 2009

The women of the 6888^th returned home without fanfare. While individuals within the battalion had been recognized with various service medals, there was no overall salute to a unit that made such a difference to the soldiers on the battlefields.

In February of 2009, the Freedom Team Salute, a commendation program run by the Army, organized a recognition for the 6888^th to be held at Arlington National Cemetery. Alyce Dixon (1907-2016) of the 6888^th was among the attendees. She was 101 at the time. Mary Crawford Ragland, 81, and Gladys Carter, 87, were also in attendance.

In his remarks, Colonel David Griffith, Director of Freedom Team Salute, noted:

 “For the morale of Soldiers in war time, only one thing counts more than somewhere to sleep or something to eat.  That one thing is mail from home – holiday greetings, photographs, regular letters, and packages filled with items from relatives and friends.  The 6888th Battalion broke all records for redistribution of mail to front line troops in the European theater.”

 One week later, a women’s history event was held at the Women’s Memorial at Arlington. There, First Lady Michelle Obama added her thanks to all women who served. Both Dixon and Ragland attended that event as well.

In 2022, the unit was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal–a well-deserved recognition for this important group..

For up-to-date information on the 6888, follow Edna W. Cummings, a veteran, a 6888 Advocate and Producer, and an Army Reserve Ambassador on Linkedin.

To read another great story of heroism in World War II, read about Dorie Miller.

• First African American woman employed to carry the U.S. mail,
• For ten years, she carried the mail through challenging terrain in Montana.
• Fields was a survivor. Over the course of her life, she worked the cotton fields during slavery, and went on to be a groundskeeper, a child-minder, and the owner of a laundromat in addition to her work for the postal service.

Mary Fields (1832-1914) was born into slavery in Hickman County, Tennessee, in about 1832. She received her freedom when the war ended and slavery was outlawed. However, she continued to live near her original owners, the Dunn family. She and the Dunns’s daughter, Dolly, became good friends.

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Growing Up

Dolly Dunn chose to devote herself to hte church and became a nun. She moved to Toledo, Ohio, and Mary Fields went along with her, feeling she would find something to do. Dolly eventually became known as Mother Amadeus. She was offered a position at a mission school for Native American girls in Cascade, Montana. It was about 25 miles southwest of Great Falls.

In 1885, Mother Amadeus became quite ill and asked that Mary be summoned from Ohio.  Mother Amadeus had pneumonia and she wanted the comfort of her childhood companion.

Arriving in Montana

Mary Fields was well-suited for the West.  She was 6 feet tall and weighed about 200 pounds. In addition to her size, her clothing was right for the rugged life of Montana. She wore trousers under her skirt to keep warm. An apron covered her skirt but was often used to hide her gun, which she was not afraid to use.

Despite her propensity for alcohol and cigars, Mary Fields was a valued member of the staff. She also was not afraid to speak her mind. After she was involved in a brawl in town over a harness, the bishop ordered Mother Amadeus to fire her.

Star Route for the Postal Service

Shortly after this, the U.S. Postal Service was looking for someone who could handle the Star Route in central Montana. (In the West, the Postal Service still accepted bids for mail routes through lightly populated areas. This particular route was from St. Peter’s Mission where Mary Fields had worked to the town of Cascade. It was only 34 miles round trip, but between the dirt roads, the fierce winter storms, and the threat of wolves coming down from the mountains, it was a treacherous job. .

Mary was hired for the job in 1895. (She would have been in her early sixties.) Fields became a frequent sight, driving six horses and wagon, along with her mule Moses, on the central Montana mail route.  The weather never stopped her, though if the snow was too deep, she wore snowshoes and delivered the mail on foot. 

Historian Roger D. Hardaway relates an anecdote where Fields was caught in a blizzard that obscured the road….”She had to stop the wagon and walk back and forth all night to keep from freezing to death.” He also found a report when wolves surrounded her wagon, threatening an attack on her supplies. She kept them away.

Her personality and integrity earned her the name Stagecoach Mary.

Wanted a Change

After more than eight years of delivering the mail, Mary decided it was time to retire. She built her home in Cascade and opened a laundry. Mary Fields often ended her day with a drink and a cigar at the local saloon with the men of the community. She earned respect from them for her business savvy.

One day a fellow who had not paid is laundry bill came into the saloon. Mary saw him, and she stepped up behind him and knocked the man down. She then put her foot on his chest and wouldn’t let him up until he agreed to pay the bill. After that, customers made sure their laundry bill was paid up.

Mary Fields became a beloved part of the town. Sometimes she made herself available to help local mothers with their children. She loved baseball and before each town game, she  presented the players with buttonhole bouquets from her garden.

Everyone knew Mary. When cowboy artist Charles Russell (1864-1926) moved to Cascade, Montana, for a time, he sketched what he most enjoyed about the town. In his illustration, he teased Mary, drawing her by a basket of spilled apples. The sketch indicates she was knocked down by a hog running through town.

The town adored her. They declared her birthday to be a town holiday and closed the school on that day.

In 1914, Stagecoach Mary died of liver failure.  The whole town attended her funeral.

In the 1880s in San Bernardino county–just northeast of Los Angeles–the town of Calico, California, had an unusual mail carrier—a dog.

Jim Stacy worked as postmaster in Calico and his brother Alwin ran a general store near the Bismarck mines, about a mile and half from Calico.

At some point, Jim Stacy acquired a dog named Dorsey. Dorsey has been identified as a Border Collie, an  English Shepherd and a Scotch Collie, but more likely was some mixture of any of the above.  The story goes that one day Jim wanted to get a message to Alwin but didn’t want to make the trip himself.  He decided to experiment by tying letter around Dorsey’s neck; he took the dog out and pointed him toward the other town, saying “Bismarck!”

Dorsey hesitated at first but with added encouragement he started on his trip. Dorsey was not seen around Calico the rest of the day but the next day he appeared with a response from Alwin.

The idea of Dorsey carrying a letter or two back and forth soon caught on with the miners who loved the Dog Delivery System. At first, Dorsey was sent off with a single letter or two, but then one of the Stacy  brothers came up with a way to create a wearable mail pouch for the dog.  Soon Dorsey’s route became a regular thing.  The miners reported that Dorsey stopped at one or two of their houses where he was petted and likely fed, but he concluded his trip by stopping off at the store where the pouch was unloaded and reloaded with outgoing messages.

From 1883-1886 Dorsey regularly carried the U.S. mail. The assignment ended only because the mine closed and many of the miners moved away.  When the Stacy brothers moved to a new community it was said that they gave Dorsey to San Francisco financier John S. Doe, who owned an interest in the mine.

The story of Dorsey was given added life when country western singer Kenny Rogers recorded an album called “The Ballad of Calico” in 1972.  One of the songs was called “Dorsey, the Mail Carrying Dog.”

For another story about a dog who made his home at a post office, see Owney, the Post Office Dog.

One hundred years ago in Redlands, California, there were no mail trucks or mail cars…just a mail horse.

Mail carrier Ernest L. Danielson (now deceased) was beginning his route, and no other worker had time to explain to him what the route actually was.

They assigned him his horse and wagon, already loaded with mail, and just said, “Follow the horse.”

It worked.  The horse was on “auto pilot” and not only led Danielson along the correct route, but the horse stopped and waited a reasonable time while Danielson took the mail to the box.  However, there was a problem: One package was insured and required a signature.  While Danielson took the package to the door and nervously awaited a response to his knock, the horse went on about the route, and quite a bit later, Danielson finally caught up with the horse and the U.S. mail.

For more stories of the U.S. mail, see “The Celebration of Airmail Week” or “Little-Known Facts about the Pony Express.”