What does "RFD" stand for?

RFD stands for Rural Free Delivery, a service that was started in the late 1800's as a way to deliver mail to rural farm families. Before RFD was implemented, people living in rural areas had to travel into the nearest town to retrieve their mail.

RFD was initially opposed by shopkeepers who often handled the mail in small towns, as they feared a loss of business if the US Postal Service began delivering mail directly to rural families. The US government, however, strongly pushed for RFD acceptance and between the late 1800s and early 1900s, it was implemented in every state across the country.