Oct 27, 1891: Black inventor Philip B Downing received a patent for the street letter drop mailbox with a hinged door that closed to protect the mail. US Patent No. 462,093
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Cite this blog:
"Philip B. Downing and Street Letter Drop Mailbox." Historianspeaks, October 27, 2025. https://historianspeaks.org/blog/philip-b-downing-and-street-letter-drop-mailbox.
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