Before
1912, private companies controlled package deliveries throughout
America. Since delivering packages in big cities made more money, these
companies often overlooked small towns.
That changed when
Congress passed a law in August of 1912 creating a Parcel Post service
for fourth-class mail. Instead of private companies, the Postal
Department would now deliver packages all over the country. That meant
rural Americans got access to goods and merchandise they didn’t have
before. With Parcel Post, you could send items weighing 16 ounces or
more through the mail. This gave rise to mail order giants like Sears
Roebuck & Co. and Montgomery Ward & Co.
The
Parcel Post service began January 1, 1913, and special Parcel Post
stamps were required on all fourth-class packages. The services was an
instant success. During the first five days alone, post offices
reported handling over four million packages! However, despite their
early surge in popularity, the stamps quickly lost favor. Philatelic
author Henry Gobie later dubbed these stamps the “Fourth Class Follies
of 1913.” |
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Old Parcel Post delivery wagons – Click to enlarge |
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Postal
employees didn’t like the Parcel Post stamps for several reasons. One
being they were too large and didn’t fit where they needed to be
applied. And since they were all the same color, it was hard to quickly
tell them apart.
These are a few reasons why Parcel Post stamps
ended in June 1913. But the rural delivery of parcels by the USPS
continued. The only difference – regular stamps could be used on
parcels, and Parcel Post stamps could be used on regular mail. The
stock of Parcel Post stamps was allowed to run out.
