Earliest
With the advent of the automobile in the 20th century, the face of mail delivery significantly changed. The first motorized postal vehicle was tested in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1899. Several cities continued to test automobiles in the years from 1899 to 1906. It is quite unlikely that any vehicles were tested in Vermont at this time. The first official gas powered vehicles appeared were run in Baltimore, Maryland, in 1906. These were called Columbian Mark vehicles. The carrier stood in the back to the truck while another man drove. By the end of 1912, motorized delivery vehicles were being used in several major cities. In 1920, after WWI, the Secretary of War turned over a 5,000 automobiles and 1,000 motorcycles to the Post Office Department. By this time, the U.S. Post Office had the largest vehicular fleet. It is likely that this is the time that motorized mail delivery vehicles began to appear in Vermont. These vehicles were employed until the early 1920s, at which time the Post Office Department developed new standards.
The image on the left depicts the Columbian Mark vehicle. Note the platform at the rear for standing. The image on the right depicts the vehicle tested in Cleveland in 1899. The image in the center is a typical example of the type of automobile employed by the Post Office Department by 1912. Note how all three vehicles have open cabs and thin wheels with pronounced spokes.
Earliest Mail Automobiles: Images courtesy of the Smithsonian National Postal Museum online exhibit
