The first letterbox in North America Letterbox Hybrid

For years I have passed this plaque way out in the middle of nowhere and thought this place needs to be ‘‘discovered’’ by the public. When I found out about letterboxing it all clicked and I could not think of a more appropriate or historical place to put a geocache letterbox. If you are vertically challenged bring someone tall with you or something to stand on.

In 1765, before there was a United States Postal Service, there were "postal riders" regularly traveling between New York City and Greenport on the North Fork of Long Island. Subsequently, a hollowed-out white oak tree became a pick-up point for the mail. Shortly thereafter, a box was placed in the tree making it the first known letterbox in North America. When the U.S. Postal Service's Rural Free Delivery (RFD) officialy started in 1891, the box tree became the first RFD post box in America as well.  The box tree fell into disuse in 1828 when the Post Office opened in Quogue, Long Island.  On July 4, 1893, the box tree was damaged by a fire. What remains today of the box tree can be seen at the Old Schoolhouse Museum on Quogue Street. The Museum is only open to visitors in the summer however, a more detailed account and reference material can be found by searching online at the East Quogue Historical Society/the box tree . The box tree cache is about 150 yards north of the plaque which marks the spot where the box tree stood.  Please take a walk over there and take a selfie with you and the plaque and place it on the log or maybe even post it on Facebook or Instagram to inform other letterboxers about this site.