USPS | Almost 190 years ago, a fire destroyed vital postal records

"...On Dec. 15, 1836, a quick-moving fire destroyed a large government-owned building in Washington, DC. ...The General Post Office — which is what the Postal Service was called back then — lost important documents...Postal accounts for the years 1776-1778 were saved thanks to a courageous clerk named Cornelius Cox, who risked his life to save Benjamin Franklin’s original ledger.

The destroyed building, once known as Blodgett’s Hotel — although it never served as a hotel — had a fascinating history. "   
Source: news.usps.com

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