While replacing our old mailbox, I hit something solid just below the surface — a rusted chain buried about eight inches down. For a second, I thought I’d struck buried treasure. But nope — it was part of a heavy-duty anchor encased in concrete.
Turns out, it was an old-school solution to an old rural problem: mailbox vandalism. Out in the country, some folks used to treat smashing mailboxes like a sport. So homeowners got smart — and a little vengeful. Steel posts, concrete bases, even welded rebar — enough to make sure one hit would wreck a car before it wrecked a mailbox.
That chain? It wasn’t just holding up a post. It was holding the line.
I gave it a tug. It didn’t budge. After all these years, it’s still doing its job.
Today we’ve got cameras and motion sensors, but back then, it was all about grit and good ol’ rural ingenuity. That buried chain was more than hardware — it was quiet, stubborn justice… and it’s still standing
