In 1916, a businessman shipped 15,000 bricks from Salt Lake City to Vernal, Utah using the US Postal Service due to high rail costs. The bricks were individually wrapped and packed in crates, costing 54 cents each. The USPS lost money on the shipments, but the bank in Vernal was completed and is now a branch of Zions Bank. Parcel Post was successful, shipping 300 million parcels in the first six months of 1913.
In 1916, businessman W.H. Coltharp wanted his new bank in Vernal, Utah to have a beautiful brick exterior, and he was particularly fond of the durable fired bricks produced in Salt Lake City. Shipping the bricks by rail was too expensive, so Coltharp decided to take advantage of the new United States Postal Service rates. The 15,000 bricks (some sources say it was 80,000 bricks) were individually wrapped in paper and packed 10 into a wooden crate to meet the 50 lb (22.7 kg) weight limit. Shipping each of the crates cost only 54 cents.
Shipping bricks by mail:
As the crow flies, Vernal is only about 125 miles (201 km) from Salt Lake City, which puts it in the second largest delivery zone for Parcel Post, but the actual route was nearly 400 miles (644 km) long. The USPS lost 21 cents on each package.
About 37 tons of bricks were shipped to Vernal and the bank was completed in November 1916. Nicknamed the “Packet Post Bank”, the Bank of Vernal is now a branch of Zions Bank.
Despite the Bank of Vernal’s brick exterior, Parcel Post was an instant success for the United States Postal Service, shipping 300 million parcels in the first six months of 1913.
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