The Early History of the Colonial Post-Office

"The Early History of the Colonial Post-Office" by Mary Emma Woolley is a journey back to the American colonies, exploring the birth of their postal system in the late 1800s. It's a story about how communication gradually transformed, moving from relying on individuals to deliver messages to setting up proper postal services. Initially, colonists struggled to stay in touch due to the absence of official mail delivery. The book shines a light on the creative ways they found to solve this problem, leading to milestones like Richard Fairbanks’s home becoming the first post office and laws designed to boost the postal system. A major turning point came with Thomas Neale, who introduced the first postal system linking the different colonies. By carefully piecing together historical records, the author shows us just how important the postal service was in building the foundation of colonial society.