Postal service was established in Wapello County seat of Ottumwa in January 1844, nearly two years before Iowa became the 29th state of the union. In 1912, the post office temporarily operated from the old armory while a new stone Federal Building was constructed in downtown Ottumwa. The three-story building housed postal services until the 1964, when the post office was moved to its current location.
The post office in the Keokuk County town of Delta moved to its fifth and final location in 1958, when residents Mr. and Mrs. Alderdyce remodeled the lower floor of their building for use as the Post Office, with U.S. Congressman Karl M. LeCompte speaking at the dedication held that August. After over 130 years of continuous service, the Delta Post Office was suspended on April 10, 2009, and officially discontinued in February 2011. Mail for Delta is now served via a rural route based in nearby What Cheer.
The first post office was established in the Crawford County town of Kiron on July 23, 1872, with Andrew Norelius appointed the first postmaster. He held the position for 18 years, operating the small office from within his home. The postmaster job originally required a twice-weekly, 7.7-mile horseback ride to Deloit to pickup and drop off mail, regardless of weather. Within a few years, a route was setup to deliver mail from Denison via stage or wagon on a daily basis.
Postal service was established in the Washington County town of West Chester on January 27, 1873 with George James named the first postmaster. The first rural route was established on November 1903, a result of a petition circulated among area farmers encouraging the service. While the postmaster, Dave Kilgore, was relatively unsuccessful in his effort to obtain signatures, Catholic Priest A.G. Leet was successful in the second attempt. The first rural carrier made $48.50 per month for the 29-mile route.
West Chester was one of over 30 communities to lose its post office in 2011; service was officially discontinued on October 29, 2011. The nearest post office is 9 miles away in Keota.
The first post office was established in the Humboldt County town of Renwick in March 1882. Postmaster F.J. Stoddard was appointed the first postmaster, operating the office from his Stoddard Brothers Store. Rural delivery was introduced in April 1904 with a second route added the following year. The post office moved to its present brick building in December 1959.