4. Delivering the mail to all Americans
Until late in the 19th century, Americans residing in smaller communities and in most rural areas did not have their mail delivered to them. Instead, they were forced to travel to the nearest post office and pick it up whenever they could. Some enterprising individuals offered themselves as paid delivery service. In bad weather especially, the receipt of mail was problematic. Major suppliers including Sears, Roebuck, Montgomery Ward, and Philadelphia department store magnate John Wanamaker considered the absence of regular delivery harmful to their businesses. They joined with liberal supporters in the push for the Post Office – then still a part of the federal government – to offer rural free delivery (RFD).
Conservative opponents argued that the cost of such a service could not be maintained and that higher mail costs would be absorbed by all. They were joined by the many private mail carriers who had established businesses moving the mail from a US Post Office to its destination, with fees paid by the recipient. In the 1890s a Georgia congressman. Thomas Watson, introduced RFD legislation in Congress and in 1896 rural free delivery became standard practice for the US Post Office, though it took several years to be in use across the country. RFD later led to legislation ensuring better roads in RFD districts.