Mail jumping
Encyclopedia
Mail jumping is a type of mail delivery. The person doing the mail jumping (known as a mail jumper) is transported on a body of water by a boat. The person jumps off the boat onto a dock
, places incoming mail in a mailbox, retrieves outgoing mail, and jumps back onto the boat. The boat continues to move at a slow and steady pace (about 5 miles per hour (8 km/h)) while the mail jumper is jumping.
in Walworth County
, Wisconsin
, United States
, since before roads were built around the lake in the late nineteenth century. Roads were first built around the lake in the 1920s. Some residents still use boats as their primary means of transportation to their summer homes on the lake including getting groceries.
Six jumpers are hired annually to deliver mail
on behalf of the United States Postal Service
each summer from June 15 until September 15. Male jumpers were used until the first female was hired in 1969; the cruise line has hired women since. Jumpers began daily at 7 a.m. by sorting mail. Delivery begins at 10 a.m. aboard the U.S. Mailboat Walworth. Mail is delivered to about 60 houses and the delivery is completed by around 1 p.m. A typical jumper misses the jump returning to the boat once in her career and works the rest of the day wet.
The Lake Geneva Cruise Lines operates the boat. It takes approximately 150 tourists along for the ride; jumpers are expected to be able to speak as tour guides as the tour passes historic summer houses
and Yerkes Observatory
. The jumpers are privately hired by the cruise line and they work closely with the U.S. Postal Office. The Walworth II is the only mail jumping boat in the United States. Mail has been delivered this way since 1873. A local resident said "There was a time during the war when everyone really counted on the mailboat. We didn't have TV and computers and all of that, so everyone would gather to meet the mailboat."
Dock
-In transportation:*Dock , a structure for handling ships**Drydock, a basin that can be flooded and drained to allow a load to come to rest on a dry platform**Ferry slip, a docking facility that receives a ferryboat...
, places incoming mail in a mailbox, retrieves outgoing mail, and jumps back onto the boat. The boat continues to move at a slow and steady pace (about 5 miles per hour (8 km/h)) while the mail jumper is jumping.
Geneva Lake
The mail jumping delivery system has been employed on houses surrounding Geneva LakeGeneva Lake
Geneva Lake is a body of freshwater in southeastern Wisconsin in Walworth county. On its shores are the city of Lake Geneva, and the villages of Fontana-on-Geneva-Lake, and Williams Bay....
in Walworth County
Walworth County, Wisconsin
Walworth County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of 2010, the population was 102,228. Its county seat is Elkhorn.-Geography:According to the U.S...
, Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, since before roads were built around the lake in the late nineteenth century. Roads were first built around the lake in the 1920s. Some residents still use boats as their primary means of transportation to their summer homes on the lake including getting groceries.
Six jumpers are hired annually to deliver mail
Mail
Mail, or post, is a system for transporting letters and other tangible objects: written documents, typically enclosed in envelopes, and also small packages are delivered to destinations around the world. Anything sent through the postal system is called mail or post.In principle, a postal service...
on behalf of the United States Postal Service
United States Postal Service
The United States Postal Service is an independent agency of the United States government responsible for providing postal service in the United States...
each summer from June 15 until September 15. Male jumpers were used until the first female was hired in 1969; the cruise line has hired women since. Jumpers began daily at 7 a.m. by sorting mail. Delivery begins at 10 a.m. aboard the U.S. Mailboat Walworth. Mail is delivered to about 60 houses and the delivery is completed by around 1 p.m. A typical jumper misses the jump returning to the boat once in her career and works the rest of the day wet.
The Lake Geneva Cruise Lines operates the boat. It takes approximately 150 tourists along for the ride; jumpers are expected to be able to speak as tour guides as the tour passes historic summer houses
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
and Yerkes Observatory
Yerkes Observatory
Yerkes Observatory is an astronomical observatory operated by the University of Chicago in Williams Bay, Wisconsin. The observatory, which calls itself "the birthplace of modern astrophysics," was founded in 1897 by George Ellery Hale and financed by Charles T. Yerkes...
. The jumpers are privately hired by the cruise line and they work closely with the U.S. Postal Office. The Walworth II is the only mail jumping boat in the United States. Mail has been delivered this way since 1873. A local resident said "There was a time during the war when everyone really counted on the mailboat. We didn't have TV and computers and all of that, so everyone would gather to meet the mailboat."