Sunday, January 23, 2005

U.S. Postal Service delivers -- 44 years too late

A 1960 American Home magazine finally makes it to an Ingersoll Twp. home.

Associated Press

Comment on this story Send this story to a friend Get Home Delivery

INGERSOLL TOWNSHIP -- It's not uncommon for magazines to be delivered late or to the wrong person's house.

But when Bud Williamson opened his mailbox, he was surprised to find a musty smelling, August 1960 edition of American Home magazine, the Midland Daily News reported.

"That's the first thing I noticed when I got it out of the mailbox. Whew," he said, fanning his nose comically. "I knew it had to be old."

The delivery address on the cover was "M.L. Williamson, Rt. 2, Freeland, MI." A partial ZIP code, "486" was written in red near the address. ZIP codes were not used by the U.S. Postal Service until 1963.

Williamson does not know who "M.L." is and says he does not believe the person is a relative.

He has lived in Midland County's Ingersoll Township, south of Midland, for 15 years. The only other Williamsons he knows in the area are unrelated and do not have those initials.

American Home magazine was published from the early 1930s to the late 1970s. It was a home improvement magazine published by Hearst and similar to Good Housekeeping.

Despite the age and odor, the magazine was in decent shape. It did not appear to have water damage, although the smell revealed that it probably had spent years in a damp location. The only noticeable damage was a slightly worn binding and a missing tear-away coupon advertisement.

Williamson laughed at the sparse, angular interior designs featured in its layouts. Homes that were considered nicely designed in 1960 were full of wood paneling, floral wallpaper and dark floor tiles speckled with metallic flakes.

"I was just amazed at all the brand names and all the things they thought were 'in' at that year," he said.

"A lot of that furniture, my mother had it. All of that squared-off stuff, it makes you think back."

Representatives from Williamson's local post office in Freeland said the magazine was delivered to them by the Saginaw plant. It remains a mystery where the magazine might have been all these years.