Did You Know... Hypoluxo

Did you know the Town of Hypoluxo is the "Home of the Barefoot Mailman"? The Star Mail Route was established in 1885 to take the mail by rowboat from Jupiter to Hypoluxo, from Hypoluxo across Lake Worth, and then by foot along 60 miles of beach to Miami - a six-day round trip. In 1886 the U.S. Postal Service established a post office in Hypoluxo and appointed a postmaster. The rigorous route, usually walked barefoot, claimed the life of one mailman in 1887 when alligators or sharks attacked him as he swam across Hillsboro Inlet to retrieve his skiff. The beach mail route, which paid $600 per year, ended in 1893. Reprinted from Quality Cities November/December 2003 Back to City Trivia Home