Just about every day of the year, even in winter, the Detroit River has long and low freighters making their way around the Great Lakes. Of course, the freighters have people working on them for long periods of time...did you ever wonder how the workers got their mail? (View a live Detroit River webcam and see freighters going up and down the River in realtime...)
Betcha didn't know that Detroit has the world's only floating United States Post Office! Located just south of the Ambassador Bridge is the headquarters of the J.W. Westcott II Mailboat. Founded in 1874 by Great Lakes Captain J. W. Westcott who originally used just a rowboat to deliver orders to passing vessels, the company began its unique and official mail service in 1895.
The J.W. Westcott has its own ZIP Code (48222), to send mail to a vessel, one just addresses the mail to the vessel in care of the the "Marine Post Office, Detroit MI 48222". If you need to send an invitation to your next party to a sailor on the Detroit River, you can find the schedule of the freighters from the Detroit/Wayne County Port Authority, where you can also view a live webcam of the freighters on the Detroit River.
Betcha didn't know that Detroit has the world's only floating United States Post Office! Located just south of the Ambassador Bridge is the headquarters of the J.W. Westcott II Mailboat. Founded in 1874 by Great Lakes Captain J. W. Westcott who originally used just a rowboat to deliver orders to passing vessels, the company began its unique and official mail service in 1895.
The J.W. Westcott has its own ZIP Code (48222), to send mail to a vessel, one just addresses the mail to the vessel in care of the the "Marine Post Office, Detroit MI 48222". If you need to send an invitation to your next party to a sailor on the Detroit River, you can find the schedule of the freighters from the Detroit/Wayne County Port Authority, where you can also view a live webcam of the freighters on the Detroit River.
(All MailBoat/Westcott Pictures by Jim Hebert)
Shameless Plug for my husband's blog: Read The "D" Spot...
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