Rural Free Delivery Wagon, 1899

Photographer Unknown

Carroll County was selected by the U. S. Post Office Department as the first county to receive full Rural Free Delivery.  Edwin W. Shriver was the leading proponent of countywide service and he can rightly be called the father of R.F.D. in America.  He initiated an experimental delivery on Easter Monday 1899 and full service was inaugurated on December 20th.  The new service brought mixed and sometimes angry reactions from local residents.  Some warmly embraced R.F.D. while others preferred to keep small rural post offices.  In this image, rural clerk Atlee Wampler and driver Charles Swartzbaugh prepare their wagon for a day-long journey along Route B.