Currents
July 2018
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South Florida had its version of the famous Pony
Express in the form of the Barefoot Mailmen.
History
1885-1892
There were several multiple mail carriers that
walked between Palm Beach and Miami, a 68 mile
route. The mail carriers would walk barefoot along
the hard-paced sand along the water's edge - so the
name “Barefoot Mailman.” The
route consisted of walking along
the beach, and rowing small
boats across the inlets, even in
poor weather.
The most famous of this culmi-
nation of mail carriers was James
E “Ed” Hamilton, who became the
icon of the Barefoot Mailman.
Hamilton met his demise while
performing his mail carrier
duties…
In October of 1887, Hamilton
was making his way south along
the route feeling under the
weather. Despite not feeling well,
he insisted on continuing his
route. However, concern was
quickly raised when he did not
return. His friends followed his
trail to the Hillsboro Inlet where
they discovered the small row
boat missing. Stranger still, they
found Hamilton's mail pouch, and
clothing neatly hanging from a
tree. The boat was seen on the
opposite side of the inlet, and his
undergarments were at the
water's side indicating that he had
left them to swim the inlet and
retrieve the boat. Strong cur-
rents, sharks and even alligators
were common in the Hillsboro
Inlet at that time, so it remains a
mystery as to what happened to
Ed Hamilton.
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