SIGNED, SEALED, DELIVERED.

1914: May Pierstorff

Four-year-old May Pierstorff of Grangeville, Idaho was going to visit her grandparents 75 miles away in Lewiston, but how to get her there? Her parents did not want to pay the exorbitant train fare (an entire day’s pay!), but checked and found the postal rate for a 48.5 pound “package” was only 53 cents. They also checked regulations and found that there were no laws against mailing a human. Mr. and Mrs. Pierstorff bought enough stamps and a postal clerk attached them to May’s coat, and labeled the shipment as a “baby chick”. May was never in a box, but rode in the train’s mail compartment. She was hand-delivered to her grandparent’s address by carrier Leonard Mochel. May’s story was the subject of a 1997 book, Mailing May.