# The teen Mail Jumpers of Lake Geneva, Wisconsin

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-teen-mail-jumpers-of-lake-geneva-wisconsin/985800>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [June 20, 2023, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-teen-mail-jumpers-of-lake-geneva-wisconsin/985800 "2023-06-20T00:21:00Z")\
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**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\
**Post date:** [June 20, 2023, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-teen-mail-jumpers-of-lake-geneva-wisconsin/985800/1 "2023-06-20T00:21:00Z")

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I just learned about this from NPR today. It started in the late 19th century, when the lakefront mansions were only accessible by boat. Mail is delivered by a a “mail jumper” who jumps from a moving boat onto the dock, delivers the mail and collects outgoing mail, and jumps back on the boat, all while the boat continues moving. Although the houses are all accessible by road now, they’ve maintained the tradition.

> **[The Gravity-Defying Mail Jumpers of Lake Geneva](https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/mail-jumping-lake-geneva)**
>
> Yes, sometimes they fall in the drink.

And a video if you want to see them in action

[![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/TWdBDlKJADg/maxresdefault.jpg "Wisconsin Life | Mail Boat Jumpers") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWdBDlKJADg)

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