A salute to the United States Postal Service
Bob Sweeney’s June 18 column ties America’s 250th to the postal reports a weekly newspaper still files.
Bob Sweeney ·
As America celebrates its 250th anniversary and Colorado marks its 150th year of statehood, it is fitting to recognize one of our nation’s oldest, most trusted and most enduring institutions: the United States Postal Service.
The history of the Postal Service is, in many ways, the history of America itself. To qualify for mailing privileges, newspapers must maintain periodical permits issued by the Postal Service. Each week, Sweeney wrote, he files postal reports listing circulation, advertising percentages, mailing weights and destinations before paying the postage.
The Postal Service also played a vital role in opening and connecting the American West. The legendary Pony Express riders carried mail across mountains, deserts and prairies, often facing severe weather and dangerous conditions. It continues to serve a vital role in American life. It delivers newspapers, letters, prescriptions, government documents, financial statements and packages to every corner of the nation. From Colorado’s mountain communities and Eastern Plains to suburban neighborhoods and urban centers, postal employees continue a tradition of service that stretches back to the founding.
Print source: The Villager, Vol. 44 No. 30, June 18, 2026, page 4. Issuu edition.