Boy Scouts of America South Florida Council complete their annual Barefoot Mailman Hike. Photo: Mirtha Uriarte
More than 600 Boy Scouts and Scout Leaders hiked 35 miles from Pompano
Beach, FL, to Miami Beach FL, to commemorate the 51st annual
Barefoot Mailman Hike this weekend.
The Boy Scouts of America
relived part of South Florida history, walking the trail of the Barefoot
Mailmen who carried mail on foot between 1885 and 1893. The Barefoot
Mailmen braved heat, thunderstorms, alligators, sharks, and bears to carry mail
between Palm Beach, FL, and Miami, FL. Crossing inlets by rowboat and
hiking along the beach, a round trip took six days. Their exploits earned them
$600 a year, and later resulted in a best-selling book and a movie.
James Hamilton was the most well-known carrier. He mysteriously disappeared
after only three months on the job. It
is believed that he lost his life at Hillsboro Inlet in Pompano Beach, FL,
where he attempted to swim from the shoreline to the other bank to retrieve his
rowboat that had drifted. Search parties scoured the coastline, but only found
Hamilton’s clothes and backpack of letters.
Following in Hamilton’s
footsteps, modern-day Barefoot Mailmen were self-sufficient, carrying their
food supply, shelter, and letters on their backs. They camped overnight on the
beach. On the second day, family and friends gathered to applaud and cheer
Scouts --- some barefooted and blistered --- as they completed their journey.
Miami Customer Relations Coordinator Mirtha Uriarte collected letters and
affixed a “Barefoot Mailman Station” special cancellation to each envelope to
commemorate the event.
Miami Customer Relations Coordinator Mirtha Uriarte affixes special cancellation to letters carried on the Barefoot Mailman Hike. Photo: Debra Fetterly
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