Before 1920, sending children through the US Postal Service was a quirky and unusual practice that sounds almost unbelievable today. The postal service, which had already established a reputation for delivering letters and packages, was once used for a brief period to transport children under certain conditions.
The practice began in 1913, when the Postal Service allowed the mailing of children as a cost-effective alternative to regular travel. The children had to meet specific criteria: they had to weigh less than 50 pounds, which was roughly the weight limit for postal packages at the time. Their parents or guardians would affix postage stamps to their clothing as a form of payment for their delivery.
This unconventional method of transportation was surprisingly economical. For some rural families, sending their children via mail was cheaper than buying a train ticket or other means of travel. The cost of mailing a child was often just a few cents, while train fare could be significantly more expensive.
The practice was not without its peculiarities. Children were usually sent with a postal employee or a trusted adult, and postal regulations mandated that the children be accompanied by a letter detailing their destination and the name of the person to whom they were being sent. Despite these measures, there were concerns about the safety and well-being of the children.
The most famous case of a child being mailed was that of 8-year-old Nettie Byrd from Halstead, Kansas, who was mailed to her grandparents' home in 1914. Nettie weighed 48 pounds, fitting comfortably within the postal weight limit, and the journey was completed without incident.
The practice of mailing children came to an end in 1920 when the Post Office Department revised its regulations, banning the practice due to concerns about child safety and the potential for abuse. By then, the novelty had worn off, and the practice was seen as outdated.
This odd chapter in postal history is a reminder of how societal norms and regulations evolve over time, and it remains a curious anecdote from the early 20th century.
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