Or, should that be yay AND neigh? :D This year, I’m going to openly blog about the Creatin’ Contest. I enjoy blogging about my builds as I go, figuring out the yays and neighs along the way, and I suppose it really has been a self-imposed limit to keep it all under wraps. We might love a good reveal, but the journey itself is also pretty great. What’s my idea, you ask?
First, the horse….
Then the cart….
Then the RFD. :D This is a postcard from 1917 showing a post office with the RFD horse wagons picking up the mail. I love the awnings and the angled doorway especially. The postcard itself is a very interesting piece. The print is almost like a daguerreotype on paper. It has that weird metallic shimmer at a certain angle.
Rural Free Delivery was started because rural folk would have to go to town to get their mail, which was often far and not easy in poor weather. While free mail delivery existed in the cities by 1863, rural free delivery didn’t truly begin until 1896 with five riders in West Virginia. This video from SmithsonianNPM gives great overview. Those five rural routes spawned better roads all over the country. Fascinating!
Check out this awesome video showing the delivery in action in 1903. I know how excited I get when the mail arrives now, and you can’t give sugar cubes to the mail truck! :D
I think the Serendipity Shed will be a great starting point for my RFD post office stop. I have yet to buy the kit, but soon! A name for my town has already been chosen as well, but I will keep that until later in case I want to change things up as I get going.
I also have these two Realife kits, which will offer a lot of great already-in-the-stash filler for the interior.
I’ll need to build the shelving first to determine any alterations to the basic structure. I’ll also look through my stash of windows since the kit ones are more modern.
So, back to the horse, the wagon and the tack required to make it all work. I’m busily getting materials from the library and online. More to come soon….
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Additional sources: Encyclopaedia Britannica; RFDTV; Wikipedia
