A Salute to the United States Postal Service
As America celebrates its 250th anniversary and Colorado marks its 150th year of statehood, it is fitting to recognize one of our nation’s oldest, most trusted and most enduring institutions: the United States Postal Service.
The history of the Postal Service is, in many ways, the history of America itself.
In 1775, the Continental Congress appointed Benjamin Franklin as the nation’s first postmaster general. Franklin understood that a free people depended upon the free flow of information. The founders recognized that citizens needed access to news and information if democracy was to succeed.
To help achieve that goal, Congress provided favorable postal rates for newspapers so information could travel throughout the colonies and later across a growing nation. More than 250 years later, newspapers and the Postal Service remain closely connected through the periodical mailing system.
As publisher of The Villager and the Weekly Register-Call, I am reminded of that relationship every week. To qualify for mailing privileges, newspapers must maintain periodical permits issued by the Postal Service. Each week, I file postal reports listing circulation, advertising percentages, mailing weights and destinations before paying the postage that delivers our newspapers to readers throughout the community. It is a process that traces its roots directly to the vision of Franklin and the founders, who believed an informed citizenry was essential to self-government.
Over the years, I have spent many mornings at the Englewood Post Office and other postal facilities across Colorado. Beyond the public counters is a world most Americans rarely see. Postal employees work diligently sorting mail, preparing routes, processing packages and ensuring deliveries reach homes and businesses on time. Their dedication to public service is impressive and often goes unnoticed.
The Postal Service also played a vital role in opening and connecting the American West. The legendary Pony Express riders carried mail across mountains, deserts and prairies, often facing severe weather and dangerous conditions. Generations of Americans grew up with the belief that “the mail must get through,” a principle reflected in the famous postal creed: “Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.” Although the Pony Express operated for only a brief period, it became a lasting symbol of determination, reliability and service. Railroads, telegraph lines and modern transportation eventually followed, but the mission remained unchanged: connecting Americans across vast distances.
Today, despite email, smartphones and social media, the Postal Service continues to serve a vital role in American life. It delivers newspapers, letters, prescriptions, government documents, financial statements and packages to every corner of the nation. From Colorado’s mountain communities and Eastern Plains to suburban neighborhoods and urban centers, postal employees continue a tradition of service that stretches back to the founding of the Republic.
Most of us still visit the post office regularly. We purchase stamps, mail packages, rent post office boxes and depend upon the familiar arrival of mail six days a week. It is a service so reliable that we often take it for granted.
As we celebrate America’s 250th anniversary and Colorado’s 150th anniversary, it is appropriate to pause and recognize the men and women of the United States Postal Service. Since the days of Benjamin Franklin, they have helped keep our nation informed, connected and united.
For 250 years, they have faithfully served America. For that, they deserve our gratitude, our respect and our thanks.