The Hartford Post Office building was constructed in 1927, originally for use as a grocery store. It operated under three owners before it was purchased a converted to a short-order diner, as Harvey & Elsie’s Sandwich Shop in the early 1950s. The shop was short-lived as Harvey tragically was killed in a car accident, forcing the restaurant to shutter. The post office relocated to the building shortly after and has been there since. Postal service was established in Hartford in 1854.
On June 30, 1957, Donald Leinen was named the acting postmaster at the Onslow Post Office in Jones County in eastern Iowa. His confirmation as permanent postmaster was sent to the Senate by President Eisenhower, with an official title change coming July 24, 1958. That year, he purchased a lot from the town and built a modern post office building which he leased to the government. The facility featured 111 new lock boxes for patrons, plus the latest government equipment for handling and sorting mail. Leinen served as Postmaster through 1983; the post office continues to operate out of the building today.
The first post office in the Grundy County town of Reinbeck was established on May 8, 1872 with August Lusch appointed postmaster. After a number of locations, the current, standalone buildling began serving residents in November 1961. Despite being home to over 1,600 residents, budget cuts forced a reduction in hours; the office is only open afternoons, Monday through Friday.
Postal service debuted in the Hamilton County town of Stanhope on January 9, 1882, with Mrs. Ray Parker appointed as the first postmaster. Mail was delivered to Stanhope once each week, with the first letter delivered to resident W.R. Wilson. In the early 1890s, Hans Fardal became postmaster and moved the office into his local general store. After several additional moves, the post office relocated for a final time to its current location on December 1, 1961.
Postal service was first established in the Poweshiek County town of Guernsey in 1885, with local businessman Leonard B. Lowrey serving as the first postmaster. A rural route from Guernsey was established in 1901, with the first rural carrier serving about 110 families by horse and buggy. On June 30, 1957, hours and services were reduced as the Guernsey Post Office was converted to a branch location managed by the post office in nearby Montezuma. It moved to its final location, a private residence-turned-town hall, in 1974. The post office was officially shuttered on June 17, 2011; the 25 resident box holders installed mailboxes in front of their home and now receive rural delivery.