Philatelic Society of Lancaster County Member George Hauber Sr. shared the story of the Barefoot Mailman. In the mid-1800’s, the stretch of coastline between present-day Palm Beach, Florida and Miami (sixty-eight miles) remained largely untouched since Ponce de Leon sailed past in 1513. Local native American tribes had disappeared in the early 1700’s, but it was still wild country.
In the early 1880’s, the communities around Lake Worth, Florida were at the end of the existing mail routes. The mail was carried by a series of Star routes from Titusville to Palm Beach, but there was no mail delivery south of Palm Beach.
Star route to carrymail between Lake Worth and Biscayne Bay was established in 1885. This route involved a round trip of 136 miles from Palm Beach to Miami and back. It took six days.
To the south, Miami and communities around Biscayne Bay received mail by a weekly schooner from Key West. The mail carrier would leave Palm Beach on Monday morning, traveling by boat to the southern end of the Lake Worth Lagoon. He would then cross over to the beach and walk down to the Orange Grove House of Refuge where he would spend the night. The next day (Tuesday) he would continue walking down the beach to the Fort Lauderdale House of Refuge, where he would again spend the night.
This route was called the “barefoot route” because the carriers walked barefoot on the beach. Enjoy the journey!
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