ca. 1775
The mail delivery wagon is another example of a commercial wagon that has been adapted for a specific use, in this case to deliver mail. When the postal service was started in 1775 by Benjamin Franklin, there was a need for a means to deliver the mail. Many different vehicles were used, although to do the rural delivery wagons like this eventually were favored. These wagons would travel familiar routes and would deliver not only mail, but also eggs and packages.
Other wagons or carriages were used to deliver mail as well, most notably the Wells Fargo Company and their Concord stagecoaches. As America expanded, the use of these wagons became more confined to the cities since the short-lived Pony Express handled mail delivery to outlying areas. Still, the carriages were used to convey most mail throughout American history.
This wagon was purchased in February 1984 in Illinois. Mr. Sterquell found it advertised in a magazine, called the owner and then purchased it without ever seeing it in person. For the restoration, Mr. Sterquell painted the wagon, did the upholstery, and added mail slots for letters to be inserted.