Monadnock Moment No. 128
Era 6: Development of the Industrial United States -
1870 to 1900
Free Postal Delivery
We may not often think about the postal system and the mail carrier who delivers mail to our homes each day. The United States Post Office Department, however, did not always offer free mail delivery to homes. Home delivery began in Keene on January 1st of 1888. Prior to that time postal patrons rented a post office box or picked up their mail at the post office window.
In 1887 Ormond E. Colony was Keene's postmaster, with the post office located in the Bank Block on Central Square. Home delivery was approved for Keene in December of 1887 and letter boxes were placed at homes throughout the city. Three postal employees, Clinton Hyland, Patrick O'Connor, and Frank Russell were appointed letter carriers.
The Bank Block at the corner of Central Square and Roxbury Street where the
Post Office was located in the late 1880s.
As the new year began, these three men began their rounds, each travelling 25 miles per day. They delivered mail to 2,700 Keene residents. The letter carriers covered their rounds twice each day, once at 7:00 a.m. and again at noon after the arrival of mail from Boston and New York by the train.
Keene's postal delivery system was an immediate success. More than 36,000 pieces of mail were delivered during the first month and one half of the rented post office boxes were discontinued as customers opted for delivery at home.
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