United States Postal Service establishes a dead letter office

Background. The United States Post Office Department, created in 1792, was responsible for postal services before becoming the independent agency known as the USPS in 1971. Undeliverable mail, termed dead letter mail, typically resulted from incomplete addresses, lack of compliance with postal regulations, or the inability to forward mail when correspondents moved.

Establishment. The Post Office Department started a dead letter office in 1825 to deal with undeliverable mail. This office handled mail that could not be delivered to the addressee or returned to the sender. The legacy row's reference to the 'United States Postal Service' is an anachronism, as the modern agency replaced the Post Office Department in 1971.

Operations. Dead letter mail is usually due to lack of compliance with postal regulations, an incomplete address and return address, or the inability to forward the mail when both correspondents move before the letter can be delivered. The establishment of the office in 1825 provided a specific mechanism for dealing with these undeliverable items.