Post Office 50551 (Jolley, Iowa)

Like many small Iowa communities, the 41 residents in the Calhoun County town of Jolley consider the post office to be not only a place to pick up mail – but also a social gathering place to interact with other members of the community. The 1983 book Jolley: The First 100 Years pays tribute to the services the small-town Post Office (and its postmaster) provide:

The townspeople greatly appreciate the many services the postmasters have given us over the years that would never have been available in a large post office. If one forgets to address one’s letter, they let you know. If the postage isn’t correct, they put a note in your box so you can take care of it, and if you’ve been looking for a package, they might even call you and tell you that it came. If someone in the community dies, they post a sign by the window, and if you need something notarized, they provide the service. Many thanks to these fine people.

Leann I. Hawks has served as the postmaster of Jolley since 1993; postal service was first established to the Calhoun County community in September 1883.