USPS: Almost 190 years ago, a fire destroyed vital postal records
December 12, 2025 On Dec. 15, 1836, a quick-moving fire destroyed a large government-owned building in Washington, DC. The ruinous conflagration is often referred to as theĀ Patent Office Fire, and for good reason: Specifications for nearly 10,000 patents registered between 1790 and mid-1836 went up in flames. But patents were not the only federal recordkeeping … Read more