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Postal service was established in the Harrison County town of Dunlap in August 1867. The current post office building was constructed in 1962, with dedication ceremonies held Saturday, September 29. Following the dedication service, an open house and tour of the post office was held.
Published April 6, 2012 |
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Harrison County
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Postal service was established in the Jefferson County community of Packwood in 1883. When the local Farmer’s Savings Bank moved to a new building in 1918, the post office moved to the bank’s old building, which was constructed 30 years earlier. The facility housed the post office for 55 years before moving to its current location. The pictured brick post office building was dedicated March 15, 1974.
Published March 30, 2012 |
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Jefferson County
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The first post office was established in the Franklin County community of Coulter on April 30, 1902, with George F. Propst named postmaster. The post office operated inside the general store Propst co-owned for a year, until it was relocated to a spot within the new hardware store constructed the following year. In 1939, it moved to the old hotel building before moving to its current location ten years later. Around 3:00 a.m. on February 8, 1984, the postal box area was damaged and some mail was destroyed. Damage was repaired and the office reopened a short time later.
Published March 23, 2012 |
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Franklin County
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Postal service was established in the Keokuk County community of Hedrick in January 1883. After being housed in an active bank building, former bank building and former general store, the current post office facility debuted on March 1, 1966. The building was constructed at a cost of $27,559 and featured nearly double the space of the prior location. Much more historical information about the Hedrick Post Office can be found in the community’s 1982 Centennial book, including this sad but interesting tidbit:
Kenneth A. Longaker, temporary rural carrier on Hedrick Route 1, was presented a certificate and lapel emblem from the postal department in September 1962. The award was given as a symbol of postal tradition of seeing that the mail goes through despite adverse conditions.
On September 3, 1962, Longaker started on his route, which served the [rural station in nearby Farson.] He found the office closed although it was 10 a.m., unable to deposit the mail pouch and pickup outgoing mail. Longaker went to the home of Don Meeker, clerk in charge, and found him lying unconscious on the floor. He summoned a doctor and the county sherriff.
Though Meeker sadly died later that day of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, Longaker finished his rural route then returned to Farson. Despite the long day and tragic death, Kenneth Longaker distributed the mail to the Farson patrons on his own time.
Published March 2, 2012 |
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Keokuk County
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Postal service was established in the Tama County town of Vining in the spring of 1882, with resident Joseph Simon appointed as the first postmaster. He setup the post office inside his mercantile business store in time for the first piece of mail to arrive on May 1, 1882. Since January 1995, the post office has operated out of a back room of a private residence.
Published February 27, 2012 |
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Tama County
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