The US Post Offices dataset was created by Cameron Blevins and Richard Helbock. It is a spatial‑historical collection containing records for 166,140 post offices that operated in the United States between 1639 and 2000. The maps showing the expansion of post offices over time are particularly fascinating.

Much of the dataset was compiled by Richard Helbock in the 20th century. A stamp collector, he painstakingly hand‑transcribed U.S. Postal Service lists to build the foundation of this resource.

For Neighbor Historians, the opening and closing dates of post offices provide valuable insights into the development of towns where ancestors lived—both in the colonial period and across later centuries. These records help trace patterns of settlement, community growth, and the shifting infrastructure that shaped everyday life in America.