Rural Free Delivery

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Rural Free Delivery (RFD), since 1906 officially rural delivery, is a program of the United States Post Office Department to deliver mail directly to rural destinations. The program began in the late 19th century. Before that, people living in rural areas had to pick up mail themselves at sometimes distant post offices or pay private carriers for delivery. The proposal to offer free rural delivery was not universally embraced. Private carriers and local shopkeepers feared a loss of business. RFD became a political football, with politicians promising it to voters while benefitting from it themselves as a means of reaching voters. The United States Post Office Department began experiments with Rural Free Delivery as early as 1890. However, it was not until 1893 that Georgia representative Thomas E. Watson pushed through legislation that mandated the practice. However, universal implementation was slow; RFD was not adopted generally across the country until 1902. The rural delivery service...

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