Florida postmark illustrates Barefoot Mailman two-day hike

Postmark Pursuit by Molly Goad

A Miami, Fla., postmark commemorates the “barefoot mailman,” a moniker coined for those who delivered mail by foot and boat in the late 1800s.

From 1885 to 1892, mail carriers worked the first United States mail route between Palm Beach, Fla., and the settlements around the body of water known as Lake Worth on the north, and Miami, Coconut Grove and Lemon City to the south. Approximately 28 miles of the 68-mile route entailed rowing a boat, with the rest of the trip achieved by walking on firm sand along the beach.

The Boy Scouts of America sponsored the Feb. 6 pictorial postmark shown nearby.

The South Florida Council has organized a 35-mile, two-day hike along parts of the historic trails walked by the barefoot mailmen, beginning in Pompano Beach (just north of Fort Lauderdale) and concluding in Miami Beach.

The South Florida Council website says the event “provides numerous challenges and opportunities for Scouts, and Scouters, to test and show their teamwork, planning, self-sufficiency and Scouting skills while preparing and participating on this hike.”

To obtain the postmark, address your request to: BAREFOOT MAILMAN Station, Postmaster, 2200 NW 72 Ave., #514, Miami, FL 33152-9998, Feb. 6.

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