“Nothing on God’s earth must stop the United States mail.” These were the famous words spoken by James Butterfield, the founder of the Overland Mail Company, to his men before they embarked on the 21-day cross-country journey through the Wild West in the mid-nineteenth century to deliver postal mail on behalf of the Post Office.
During that time, the postal service was the very fabric that held the young nation together. So much so that legendary Pony Express riders like “Pony Bob” risked their lives amid attacks, once traveling 360 miles to deliver President Abraham Lincoln’s 1861 inaugural address.
Centuries later, though perhaps in less dramatic flair, accessibility and security continue to be important tropes in carrying out the United States Postal Service’s obligation to provide universal service to the American public.