Illustration of Joseph Briggs
This figurine of a letter carrier shows the blue-gray color used by carriers for their uniforms.
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Free City Delivery Service began during the Civil War in Cleveland, Ohio. Joseph Briggs, a postal employee,
convinced postal officials to deliver letters to the city's citizens for free. Encouraged by the results,
officials expanded the service to other cities.
When Free City Delivery Service began on July 1, 1863, it was limited to 49 Northern offices, which used 450
letter carriers. By 1869 revenues from Free City Delivery were over ten times its cost, and the new system
provided employment for Civil War veterans as letter carriers.
By the end of the 19th century, nearly 10,000 letter carriers were employed in over 400 cities to bring mail
directly to people's homes. The first Free City Delivery Service carriers wore whatever they chose on the job.
By 1868, uniforms were required, although they were not standardized across the country until the end of the
19th century.
Until 1887, the Post Office Department stipulated that only cities with populations in excess of 20,000
were eligible for free delivery. After 1887, the department opened the service up to areas with either
populations exceeding 10,000, or postal revenues in excess of $10,000. Just as rural postmasters could
later demand that roads be easy to travel and free of obstructions before service could begin, urban
postmasters could insist on certain civic improvements. Before agreeing to establish free city delivery,
postmasters could ask that the city's sidewalks be paved, the streets lit, the houses numbered, and that
street names be placed at intersections.
By the end of the 19th century, 13,696 letter carriers were delivering city mail. Today, over 250,000 men
and women deliver mail to cities across the country.
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Many disabled Civil War veterans found jobs as letter carriers after the war.
Uniformed city letter carrier removing mail from a mailbox in the snow.
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