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- August Edinger with Horse-Drawn Mail Wagon, circa 1933 - Officially adopted in 1896, Rural Free Delivery was a boon to residents who were previously required to collect their mail in the nearest town. Rural routes were long and served hundreds of customers, so carriers often purchased horse-drawn wagons to facilitate their perennial labor. Here, August Edinger of Kimmswick, Missouri, poses with the wagon he used from 1902 to 1925.
- circa 1933
- Collections - Artifact
August Edinger with Horse-Drawn Mail Wagon, circa 1933
Officially adopted in 1896, Rural Free Delivery was a boon to residents who were previously required to collect their mail in the nearest town. Rural routes were long and served hundreds of customers, so carriers often purchased horse-drawn wagons to facilitate their perennial labor. Here, August Edinger of Kimmswick, Missouri, poses with the wagon he used from 1902 to 1925.
- Mail Wagon Used for Rural Delivery in Missouri, 1902-1925 - Letter carrier August Edinger used this horse-drawn wagon to deliver mail around Kimmswick, Missouri, for more than 20 years. Sliding doors offered ventilation in summer, and a tiny coal stove provided heat in winter. Rural Free Delivery, instituted by the U.S. Post Office in 1896, eased the isolation felt by rural Americans and boosted mail-order businesses as well.
- 1902-1925
- Collections - Artifact
Mail Wagon Used for Rural Delivery in Missouri, 1902-1925
Letter carrier August Edinger used this horse-drawn wagon to deliver mail around Kimmswick, Missouri, for more than 20 years. Sliding doors offered ventilation in summer, and a tiny coal stove provided heat in winter. Rural Free Delivery, instituted by the U.S. Post Office in 1896, eased the isolation felt by rural Americans and boosted mail-order businesses as well.