Today we continue our year-long celebration of 250 years of postal service in the United States with the release of the 6th postcard in our 12-postcard Commemorative Collection.
Each postcard highlights a pivotal moment in U.S. postal history—complete with fascinating facts and trivia providing historical context.
Our newest postcard celebrates the establishment of Parcel Post.
Established in 1913, Parcel Post made it easier and more economical for Americans to send and receive packages through the mail.
A couple of interesting facts:
- On the first five days of Parcel Post in 1913, post offices handled over 4 million packages.
- Parcel Post broke up the monopoly of private express companies, which had kept prices high and service limited.
- Parcel Post made it possible for farmers and rural families to receive everything from food to dry goods directly at home.
- Parcel Post fueled the explosive growth of mail-order giants like Sears, Roebuck and Co., and Montgomery Ward, whose catalogs became household staples across the country.
- Early on, rules about what could be sent were unclear—leading to at least 31 documented cases of parents mailing their children to relatives before the practice was banned.
Thanks to Parcel Post, sending and receiving packages became part of everyday life. It’s also what lets us deliver our postcards directly to you.
When you collect all 12 postcards in the series and align them in the pattern shown above, they reveal a timeline spanning from 1775 to 2025, highlighting the Post Office's amazing history.
With today’s release of the sixth postcard, we’ve reached the halfway point in the series. The timeline continues to flow through the design, and more of the hidden background image is now visible.
ORDER YOUR 250TH ANNIVERSARY POSTCARDS TODAY!
Our 12-postcard Commemorative Collection celebrating 250 years of postal service in the United States is not officially affiliated with or endorsed by the USPS.