Dock-to-dock delivery on Alabama’s Magnolia River is provided to dock-side mailboxes along a 31-mile stretch of water.
A 15-foot contract USPS mail boat delivers to 191 dock-side mailboxes on a 31-mile stretch of the river.
Thanks to This is Alabama for this:
Southern waters are chock full of boaters enjoying creeks, rivers, lakes and bays — just as their ancestors have since time immemorial. In the peaceful town of Magnolia Springs, Alabama nestled in-between Fairhope and Foley in south Baldwin County, such traditions run deeper than nearby Weeks Bay.
An integral part of that history, and the community itself, is the U.S. Postal Service’s Magnolia Star River Route — the only year-round service of its kind in America. So, when Mark Lipscomb’s aluminum skiff cruises without wake under the canopy of pines and oak on Magnolia or Fish Rivers, it’s not crab traps, skis or fishing tackle piled at the bow, but letters, packages and the roots of an institution dating back to 1916.
It was then, 90 years before Magnolia Springs incorporated into the town it is today, that postmaster W. B. Thomas and Episcopal Bishop C.M. Beckwith collaborated to create the river route, or what eventually became the Star River Route.
Lipscomb, like Magnolia Springs’s only other carrier — Geneva Dison, who handles land deliveries — isn’t a government employee, but an independent contractor.
“Mark’s friendly and has a great personality, and we certainly appreciate him, and anyone else who is out there delivering the mail,” said Magnolia Springs Mayor Bob Holk, who has lived on Magnolia River with his family for more than 40 years.
There are 191 boxes on the Magnolia Star River Route, spanning 31 nautical miles.
On land, covering the same route would encompass nearly double that.
Susan Fussell has been with the U.S. Postal Service for 31 years, having spent most of the last decade as postmaster of the Magnolia Springs Post Office. Originally from Conecuh County, Fussell said she fell in love with the people of Magnolia Springs immediately.
“This is a great town of people. [They are] caring and down to earth,” she said. “I think that if you have a positive interaction with your customers, it gives them a better feeling, building that trust so they know they can count on you.”
Once, Fussell donned a life jacket and joined Lipscomb as he wound through the main rivers, Weeks Bay and even smaller tributaries, such as Nolte Creek and Turkey Creek. All offer spectacular views and their share of challenges — from alligators and snakes in low branches to the pop-up storms every Alabama boater has had to face.
“I have to hand it to Mark,” Fussell said. “It really opened my eyes to all he has to deal with.”
During lightning storms, Lipscomb can often be found inside the nearest boathouse or under a bridge. His customers are quick to offer shelter, or even a glass of lemonade or water on the sweltering days that dominate at least half the year in the Deep South.
Life in Magnolia Springs is inseparable from the water, so it’s no surprise even the most standard service comes via remarkable means. Mayor Holk said everywhere he goes, people ask him about the route. And he said travelers from around the world sometimes make their way down rural U.S. Hwy. 98 just to ask about the river route.
“It is so unique,” Holk said. “And they all leave loving Magnolia Springs, and that’s a good thing.”
