Postal service was established in the Washington County town of Keota in March 1872, with resident John Wilson appointed postmaster with an initial salary of $1.00 per month. Many firsts are detailed in the Keota Centennial History book, including the first money order being issued July 7, 1874, and the establishment of a rural route from the Keota office on May 18, 1902.
The current post office was built in 1960 and opened January 25 the following year. Home to 355 post office boxes, the air-conditioned building featured all the newest mail handling and sorting equipment.
Residents in the Delaware County town of Earlville received a surprise letter in their mailboxes in April 2011, noting that the post office would be closing in a matter of days. The letter cited the inability of the U.S. Postal Service to reach a lease agreement with the building owner. Despite reaching out to Iowa representatives and postal service officials in attempt to find a resolution, the town’s 820 residents saw the facility close its doors on April 28, 2011, after over 150 years of continuous service.
Postal service was established in the Decatur County town of Weldon on February 14, 1881, when an office was established in a room adjacent to the L.G. Jamison general store. In the 1920s, the post office moved to the east side of the square before moving to an old bank building, wich it occupied for over 50 years. The Weldon Post Office experienced a robbery in the spring of 1935:
Postmaster Ora Garton and her husband discovered the theft when they entered the post office on the morning of Saturday, March 1, 1935. The safe was blasted open, the combination was blown across the room, drawers had been rifled and papers were scattered about the floor. $800 in money and stamps were taken as well as other valuables. Entrance to the building was made by prying open a rear window. No fingerprints were available, and there is no record that this robbery was ever solved.
The post office occupied the former bank building until November 1, 1999, when services were moved to a new modular building along Decatur County Road J12.
The Mitchell County town of Carpenter saw its post office close its doors on April 3, 2009, after nearly 140 years in the community. Though postal service dated to 1871, when Postmaster Tom Hagen retired, no one was available to replace him. The sign was removed and outdoor metal boxes were added for residents to pick up their mail. The nearest post office is in the town of St. Ansgar, six miles away.
The first post office in Wapello County was established in the community of Sac and Fox Agency on December 23, 1843. By 1849, the name of the office was changed to Agency City, with the word “City” officially dropped from the name in 1883. Since 1938, the Post Office has been located in a two-story brick building which houses the City Hall, Public Library and Olive Branch Masonic Lodge #21.
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