Post Offices

In the midst of the rush to mail holiday packages, a look back at what mail service in Southeast Florida used to mean, starting with the legendary “barefoot mailmen” of the late 19th century who delivered from Lake Worth to Biscayne Bay for a salary of $600 a year.

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12/20/1959, Bob East/Miami Herald Staff-- Chistmas mail piles up at Biscayne Annex Post Office.
12/20/1959, Bob East/Miami Herald Staff-- Chistmas mail piles up at Biscayne Annex Post Office.
12/20/1959, Bob East/Miami Herald Staff-- Chistmas mail piles up at Biscayne Annex Post Office. Manny Silberman stands on a chair to see over the great load.
2/19/1988, Brian Smith/Miami Hherald Staff-- New Martin Luther King Post Office at 6700 NW 27th Ave.
6/4/1983, John Pineda/Miami Herald Staff-- Letter carrier Gerry Costantino is the fastest of several Postal Service members competing in the Barefoot Mailman Run, held to raise money for the Palm Beach County Special Olympics. Costantino delivers mail in Lake Park. Runners had to carry an envelope from Jupiter to the Juno Beach town line, where race officials waited to stamp the "mail." Then the contestants ran back to the starting point outside the Jupiter Beach Hilton. Through most of the 19th Century, mailmen left their footprints in the sand as they carried mail from Jupiter to Miami along the beach. (This photograph was scanned from a wire transmission.)
6/16/1957, Bill Sanders/Miami Herald Staff-- We're glad we got back our Saturday deliveries and all that, but mail is still a little slow. At least, R.J. Black, 4328 SW Ninth Ter., thinks so. Black finally received his March 8, 1952, issue of Collier's Magazine Saturday -- five years and three months after it was mailed. In the meantime, Collier's has gone out of business and Durocher has joined NBC. Arthur Summerfield, however, is still postmaster general.
12/16/1965, Albert Coya/Miami Herald Staff-- Post Office facility at 2121 NW 21st St., Miami.
12/17/1963, Minerva Wagner/Miami Herald Staff-- Post Office.
1963, Mel Kenyon/Miami Herald Staff-- Hallandale, Florida Post Office.
5/24/1972, Dave Didio/Miami Herald Staff-- Postal picketers on way to post office.
1/22/1978, John Pineda/Miami Herald Staff-- Corey, age 3, at the Miami General Mail Facility at 2200 Milam Dairy Road, in Dade County.
Circa 1950s: "Women deliver the mail" is the only information on the back of this print from the files of the Miami Herald, with no indication of photographer. Likely a publicity photo -- the footwear alone makes it obvious that these women did not carry the mail sacks far.
7/10/1971, Albert Coya/Miami Herald Staff-- Coppertone "Tan Don't Burn" sign is the backdrop for a busy Miami street scene including a postal employee collecting the mail from a box.
3/25/1987, Bill Andrews/Miami Herald Staff-- 29-year-old Don Tucker has been with the Post Office for six years. He lives in North Miami as well as working here. Don says he likes being out of doors and walking his beat, but sometimes the summer gets a little too hot.
7/27/1954, Bill Sanders/Miami Herald Staff-- Clarence "Skip" Drumm.
5/14/1994, A. Brennan Innerarity/Miami Herald Staff-- U.S. Mail letter carrier Duke Sorey has mail in one hand and food the Massos left by their mailbox for collection by their letter carrier. The home is on East 24th Street in Hialeah.
12/25/1985, Steven Purcell/Miami Herald Staff-- Mary Lockhart reacts to seeing Santa Ed McCool delivering the mail.
3/31/1984, Peter Andrew Bosch/Miami Herald Staff-- Jim Goddard is a retiring mailman. His last day is Saturday. A Grove shop owner had sign and the Boy Scouts put up the flag.
5/7/1980, Carol Guzy/Miami Herald Staff-- Hope Bahney brings retired mailman Mitch Chockla a cake and his surprise party. Hope is a mail person also.
1/9/1976, Bill Kuenzel/Miami Herald Staff-- H.F. O'Malley, mailman on route at Northwest Second Avenue and 104th Street, Miami Shores.
1/11/1963, Bob East/Miami Herald Staff-- One customer has been out of town and over 131 pounds of mail has stacked up for him. Carrier Eugene Esposito will have a tough time.
5/20/1960, Dan McCoy/Miami Herald Staff-- Mrs. Kathryn Del Camp, 1552 SW Flagler Ter., Miami, receives her mail from postman Red Towsley.
12/18/1961, Bill Kuenzel/Miami Herald Staff-- Mail carrier T. William Jerome.
10/4/1961, Bob East/Miami Herald Staff-- Mail carrier Alfonzo Singleton.
3/3/1964, Albert Coya/Miami Herald Staff-- That's not a beckoning sound. On the contrary, it's the aerosol can in action, as a postman aims the spray at an oncoming pooch. The spray is a pepper-in-mineral oil solution which temporarily burns the mouth, eyes or nostrils of the dog. As a result of its use, dogbite injuries have dropped 53 per cent since 1,500 Miami area mailmen began carrying the small spray can nine months ago. As one said, "Every dog has his spray!"
10/28/1964, Tom McCarthy/Miami Herald Staff-- Judi Crain unveils new mail box.
9/20/1959, Hank Cohen/Miami Herald Staff-- Mail carriers of Delray Beach Local 4407, NALC, express their support for optional Bermuda shorts for mailmen in summer time.
3/24/1970, Bill Kuenzel/Miami Herald Staff-- Southwest Dade residents have Easter baskets for mailman from residents of the 6800 block of Southwest 28th Street. He has been delivering their mail for seven years. From left are Pat Mitchell, Gera Morand, mail carrier Frank Farace, Bertha Barrette, Mrs. D.L. Schladant and Mrs. Henry Chavarry.
5/19/1948, Fred Brent/Miami Herald Staff-- Back talk from mailbox surprises Miss Lois Hathaway of 323 SE First Ave., as she mails a letter on East Flagler Street and Southeast Second Ave., "Charlie the Talking Mail Box."
12/18/1961, Bill Kuenzel/Miami Herald Staff-- Postal mailman T. William Jerome
10/17/1961, Doug Kennedy/Miami Herald Staff--Diane Koeval, 19, "Miss Mail Early" Post Office campaign to mail before 5 p.m.
5/1/1952, Bob East/Miami Herald Staff-- Post Office exterior.
8/21/1948, Bill Stapleton/Miami Herald Staff-- Post Office patio.
11/29/1963, Albert Coya/Miami Herald Staff-- Tony Allevato, 3, at 3300 NW 13th St.
3/5/1956, Steve Weber/Miami Herald Staff-- Mrs. Lorena Gant at Biscayne Annex Post Office Dead Letter Section.
12/9/1952, Steve Weber/Miami Herald Staff-- Kathy Crammer of 1122 SW 1st Street is shown pointing to the reminder to mail early. This sign is in the lobby of the Post Office.
11/13/1942, Miami Herald Staff-- It's only 42 days until Christmas. This large printed reminder was hoisted over the lobby of the downtown post office to impress upon Miamians the importance sending their packages so they arrived in time for the holidays. Note the "shortage of transportation facilities" due to the war.

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