That one time in Michigan: When America’s only floating post office set sail

Does the zip code 48222 ring a bell? Unless you have a loved one working on a Great Lakes freighter, probably not. But if you want to send a love letter, a bill, a care package, or even an order of fast-food French fries to a sailor traversing Michigan’s waterways, remember 48222. It’s the only non-military “floating” postal code in the country, and it’s based right here in Michigan on the J.W. Westcott II mail boat.

The Westcott maritime legacy

John Ward Westcott was born into a Great Lakes maritime family. Shipping was the Westcott family business: John’s father and uncle played key roles in Ward’s Central and Pacific shipping lines, along with Ward’s Detroit and Lake Superior Lines, which allowed goods to be transported across waterways aboard the Ste. Huron. For John, boating was a natural career course—and by the late 1860s, he’d become the youngest Great Lakes captain at just 20 years old.

But John’s innovative mind looked beyond traditional shipping logistics. Instead, he turned his focus to an oft-overlooked but vital element of the maritime trade: communication. It was common practice at the time for shipping companies to maintain secrecy around their cargo, sometimes even leaving the crews themselves unclear as to where they were sailing.

This lack of transparency also meant that on-shore shipping companies and ship crews were left unable to communicate about mishaps, route changes, or other complications. It was, Westcott thought, both an inconvenience and a liability.

Setting sail with mail

It’s here that the foundation for America’s first (and only) floating post office was laid. With the establishment of his own company in the Port of Detroit along the Detroit River’s west side, Westcott paved the way for the smooth transition of information and physical correspondences between every player in the maritime trade: shipping companies, logistics teams, vessels captains themselves, crew members, and—eventually—loved ones of Great Lakes sailors.

In those early days, Westcott and his team took a rudimentary (but effective) approach to information transmission. Vessels would sail alongside the company’s Belle Isle dock to retrieve their mail. Westcott’s employees took an obvious approach: the time-honored tradition of throwing things on board with a bucket tied to a long string. Captains and crew would toss their own communications into the bucket before sending it back up to the dock. This simple solution was fondly named the “mail in a pail” approach.

As technology and the communications needs of Great Lakes shipping companies advanced, so did Westcott’s vision. What began as a business-centered endeavor soon expanded to include “ordinary” letters and other personal mail, culminating in the official establishment of the J.W. Westcott as a United States Postal Service mail boat in 1948.

From deck supplies to DoorDash

A year later, a single vessel was designated as the primary USPS boat (a fleet of rowboats had been deployed previously) and dubbed the J.W. Westcott II. The boat provided a lifeline between Great Lakes freighters and their shoreline partners long before the days of cell service and internet access.

Today, the mail boat delivers so much more than, well, mail. Vessels import fresh groceries from the Westcott, along with gear and mechanical parts that keep shipping routes running smoothly. Crew members can receive care packages and important letters from home, but they can also order take-out straight from Detroit restaurants and even use DoorDash via the Westcott—that’s right, you can satisfy your Chipotle craving even when you’re aboard a freighter.

The J.W. Westcott legacy

It hasn’t always been smooth sailing: In 2001, the boat capsized below Detroit’s Ambassador Bridge while delivering mail to a Norwegian oil tanker. Tragically, the Westcott’s captain and another crew member passed away in the incident.

The vessel was ultimately salvaged and repaired before resuming service. In the years since, the Westcott has played a role in multiple water rescues, providing life-saving services to fishermen and swimmers struggling to stay afloat in the Detroit River.

The J.W. Westcott II boasts a rich history that has arguably revolutionized communication across the Great Lakes. The boat completes more than 6,000 mail deliveries annually and even allows everyday folks aboard for Detroit River tours and cruises throughout the area, so you can get up close and personal with the storied 45-foot tugboat.

The beauty of America’s only floating post office lies in its simplicity. All those decades ago, maritime master John W. Westcott noticed a missing link between shipping vessels and their mainland counterparts. Like so many other innovators in the Great Lakes State, he problem-solved by working with nature and not against it—harnessing the power and freedom of Michigan’s majestic waterways to get the job done.

To reach a vessel via the J.W. Westcott II, write: 

(Vessel/Sailor name)

12 24th Street

Detroit, MI

48222

This article first appeared on Good Info News Wire and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

Related: A historian’s guide to living history in and around Detroit