Fred Lynch retired in 2018 after capturing images for the Southeast Missourian since 1975, in that time moving from black-and-white to color, from film to digital and to video. The blog title is a nod to an earlier era of news photography and the 4x5 Speed Graphic: It's more important to be there for the shot than to worry about technical details.

Mailsters for Cape Girardeau

Posted Friday, October 15, 2010, at 7:30 AM

May 20, 1961 Southeast Missourian

Postmaster Ted R. Regenhardt stands by the fleet of sleek, three-wheeled mailsters which arrived this week for use in city mail and parcel post delivery. Nine motorized mail carts will go into service soon on as many routes. Some changes will be necessary in routing of mail to take advantage of them, Mr. Regenhardt said. The three-wheel vehicles have proved efficient in cities across the country. (Photo by G.D. Fronabarger)

Editor's Note:

According to the National Postal Museum website, the mailsters proved impractical for letter carriers to use. By the 1960s, the three-wheeled vehicles comprised almost one-third of the postal service's fleet of vehicles. They were hard to handle, breakdowns were common and they were considered risky to drive by the letter carriers.

www.postalmuseum.si.edu/research-articles/machines-or-bust/transporting-the-mail

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If I remember correctly, didn't the city end up with some of those for meter maids and police?

-- Posted by Old John on Fri, Oct 15, 2010, at 12:08 PM
As a kid I loved seeing the one that came down my street. I really wanted one when I grew up, I guess I need to go to Italy and buy an Ape. Anybody know who manufactured them?

-- Posted by Professor_Bubba on Sat, Oct 16, 2010, at 9:53 AM
According to the Postal Museum website, seven different manufacturers produced them.

http://www.postalmuseum.si.edu/exhibits/2c3a_mailsters.html

-- Posted by Maynard on Sat, Oct 16, 2010, at 12:35 PM
The Postal Department....a part of the federal government it seems purchased a bunch of these things without trying and testing them. Of course at the time it would seem that Mr Regenhardt was told to say that they were the best thing since sliced bread. Just made him look bad later on....and now, Obama wants to turn our healthcare over to the feds. Bull Hockey! Make sure you vote Republican on November 2nd.

-- Posted by mo_ky_fellow on Sun, Oct 24, 2010, at 9:00 PM

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