AREA HISTORY: Postoffice, Hanover, York County, PA Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Kathy Francis Copyright 2006. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/york/ _______________________________________________ History of York County, Pennsylvania. John Gibson, Historical Editor. Chicago: F. A. Battey Publishing Co., 1886. _______________________________________________ THE POSTOFFICE - Page 580 The present United States postal system went into force in 1790, when the capital of the United States was at Philadelphia. The statistics of the Post Office Department, at Washington, given below, show that the first quarterly report made by Henry Welsh, the fist postmaster at Hanover, was sent in January 1, 1795. His appointment was evidently three months before this time. The following letter illustrates that the income for the quarter mentioned was not very large: General Postoffice, Philadelphia, May 15, 1795. Sir – Yours of April 19, with your quarterly account, and one dollar and seventy- five cents, was duly received. I am Sir, Your obedient servant, To Henry Welsh, Charles Burrill. Postmaster, Hanover, Penn. James Bolton was the second appointee. George Nace, the third postmaster, had the office in a building on the lot on Carlisle Street, now owned by Samuel Michael. Dr. Peter Muller succeeded, and kept it first on Baltimore Street, where John Bair now lives. He removed it to Frederick Street, and there kept it until his death, in 1842, when his daughter, Mrs. Theresa Myers, received the appointment, holding the office until 1864. The postoffice was thus held by members of one family for over half a century. The Postoffice Department at Washington furnished the following information: Postmaster Date of Appointment Henry Welsh *January 1, 1795 James Bolton January 1, 1796 George Nace April 1, 1790 Peter Muller February 26, 1813 Theresa C. Myers November 4, 1842 Vincent C. S. Eckert March 11, 1864 William F. Stair August 29, 1864 John S. Forrest August 28, 1866 Anthony J. Smith August 4, 1868 William F. Stair March 14, 1873 Mahlon H. Naill May 26, 1877 The following statistics, compared with report of Postmaster Welsh, in 1795, will give an idea of the growth of the business of the office. In the third quarter of 1872, there were sent 19,766 letters, and 3,000 papers; and 22,730 letters, and 4,200 papers were received. This did not include county papers received, nor town papers mailed from the newspaper offices. In the third quarter of 1884, 7,186 1 cent, 25,044 2 cent, 348 4 cent, 229 5 cent, and 222 10 cent stamps were sold; besides 8,369 postal cards and stamped envelopes, amounting to $177.37. Money orders issued, 179, amounting to $2,106; paid, 83, amounting to $1,261.86. Postal notes issued, 252, aggregating $525.74, and 51 paid, aggregating $140.03. Registered letters sent, 118; received, 212. The money order system went into force in 1864; Hanover became a money order office August 6, 1866. The office, for many years, was kept in the Newman property, west of Central Hotel. It is now on Carlisle Street. Dr. Peter Muller, who, for a period of thirty years, less one day, was postmaster at Hanover, was born in Coblentz, Germany, May 17, 1765. He received a classical and medical education in France, and well informed in Latin, Greek and Hebrew, and could converse in three of four modern languages. He immigrated to Norfolk, Va., in 1802; during the following year came to Hanover, and began the practice of medicine there, which he continued until his death, October 14, 1842, having for a period of thirty- nine years, enjoyed a large practice in that community.