THE POST OFFICES OF CRAWFORD COUNTY, WISCONSIN ******************************************************************************************* USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. ******************************************************************************************* Copyright 2000, Donald E. Kasparek, 404 S. Michigan St. Prairie du Chien, WI 53821 Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by David W. Taft, September 2000, dtaft@cowtown.net by permission of the author. Many thanks to Don Kasparek for giving permission to post his wonderful research on the U.S. GenWeb Archives. Crawford County, Wisconsin, was created by proclamation of Lewis Cass, Governor of Michigan Territory on October 26, 1818. At that time the county covered much of the western half of Wisconsin. Shortly after the creation of the county, the Post Office Department established post offices in widely separated places throughout the area. As far as we can determine, at that time, the only post office established in what is now Crawford County is the post office at Prairie du Chien, which was established on November 13, 1823 with James D. Doty as postmaster. (But see my comments under "Prairie du Chien".) This post office has been in existence continuously since that time, although it has changed location within the village and later city limits. Another post office by the name of Elk was established in the larger Crawford county on August 28, 1849, shortly after Wisconsin became a state, but no one seems to know where that post office was located, and so we are not sure if it was in what is now Crawford County. At any rate, Elk was discontinued as a post office on August 15, 1857, so as far as we know, Prairie du Chien was the only post office in Crawford County from 1823, until February 19, 1851, when a post office was established at Mt. Sterling, with William F. Sterling as postmaster. It was not until 1851 that Crawford County was reduced to its present size. The county was named in honor of William H. Crawford, Secretary of the Treasury under President Monroe. At about the same time, the Post Office Department began establishing post offices throughout the county. Crawford County began to receive an influx of immigrants, many from Bohemia, Ireland, Germany and Norway. These new settlers converted the county from a wilderness to a farming economy, and they demanded mail service. Remember that there were no automobiles at that time and that people had to hitch up the horses to travel to their post office and a 10 mile round trip consumed considerable time, so post offices were established fairly close together. We have become so accustomed to receiving our mail every day, it is hard to realize that these post offices received mail only once or twice a week. The lucky ones received mail three times per week. Partners Magazine, January 1996 issue says: "But it is the type of remoteness, common a hundred years ago that made the 1896 advent of Rural Free Delivery (RFD) a major change in farm life. The typical farm family had no telephones. Radios and television weren't invented, and Henry Ford's company didn't begin production until 1903. Rural America meant isolation. ...Rutty, seldom traveled horse paths had to be upgraded to accommodate this new government service. After hundreds of petitions for rural delivery were turned down by the Post Office Department because of unserviceable and inaccessible roads, local governments were pressured to extend and improve existing roadways, according to John Babbitt and Craig Braak in a story about RFD in STAMPS magazine. 'Between 1897 and 1908, these local governments spent an estimated $72 million on bridges, culverts and other improvements'. " Farmers no longer needed to go to the post office; the rural carrier brought their mail to their farm. This meant that it was not necessary to have post offices so close together. Reed was the last post office established in the county. It was established on March 20, 1900. In 1901, the Post Office Department began a systematic program of discontinuing post offices and, in time, 19 post offices in Crawford County, including Reed, were discontinued or converted to Community Post Offices. In the early days of the Post Office Department, the post office usually was a room in the postmaster's home or store, usually with an exterior door so that the customers could come and go and still afford the postmaster and his family some privacy. A few of these post offices in homes exist to this day, but they are few and far between. In the early days, banks were not as numerous as they are today, and did not provide the many services which they do today. The Post Office Department provided much of these services. The Postal Savings System allowed customers to open individual savings accounts at designated post offices and many families had their life savings entrusted to the Post Office Department. The Postal Savings System was discontinued some time in the 1960's. In those early days, It was quite uncommon for people to have checking accounts, and individuals transferred money by means of postal money orders. In fact, the amount of money transferred through the post offices often far exceeded the amount received from sale of stamps, permit postage and box rents. For example, in the fiscal year ending June 30, 1916, the figures for the Prairie du Chien post office were: Postal receipts $12,627.57 Money orders Paid $46,891.23 Money Orders Issued $50,885.44 Organization of postal employees into labor unions occurred at a much later date, but postal employees always did have social organizations at which job problems were discussed. A July 12, 1922 article in the Press reads: "POSTAL EMPLOYEES ORGANIZE" A County Welfare Council of Postal Employees for Crawford County Organized at a meeting held at the Prairie du Chien post office on July 4 a County Welfare Council of Postal Employees was organized for Crawford County composed of the following persons:- Mrs. Bernice Gregerson, postmaster, Wauzeka, Chairman. Leslie W. Collins, postmaster, Seneca, Vice Chairman. Mrs. W. Quick, postmaster, Bridgeport, Secretary. A. R. Frazer, postmaster, Eastman. W. H. Jenkins, postmaster, Barnum. George W. Clark, rural carrier, Prairie du Chien. Wm. George, rural carrier, Soldiers Grove. J. P. Mills, rural carrier, Wauzeka. The purpose of the organization will be to increase efficiency in the postal service and to promote in every way possible the welfare of the postal workers. The next meeting will be held at Prairie du Chien on Sept. 4th, Labor Day. A similar organization has been organized within the Prairie du Chin post office of which C. A. Ivers is Chairman, L. E. Kieser, Vice-Chairman and R.W. Armstrong, Secretary. The nine employees of the local office make up this council." The following, is a list of both past and present post offices which existed in Crawford County, of which I could find any record. In most cases, the approximate location of the post office was known, and where possible I have shown the post office on the maps at the end of this article. KNAPP'S CREEK This post office was established July 15, 1869, with Daniel C. Adney as postmaster, and he was its only postmaster during its existence. . See the description of the location under the Adney Post office On April 9, 1895, postmaster Adney changed the name of the post office to Adney. ADNEY On April 9, 1895, Daniel Adney, postmaster at Knapp's Creek post office changed the name of his office to Adney. He was the only postmaster this office had during its existence. Crawford County land records show that Daniel Adney owned two adjoining pieces of land as follows: The west half of the SEĽ of Sec. 12, Town 10 North Range 3 west The SEĽ of the SEĽ of Sec. 12, Town 10 North, Range 3 West The post office and his home were no doubt located upon this land. It is located about 5 miles northwest by west of the community of Rolling Ground and is near the point where County Trunk U meets Plum Run Road. The office was discontinued on February 28, 1902 and its patrons subsequently received their mail from the post office at Soldiers Grove. NORTH STAR This post office was established June 15, 1864 with Anson Cook as postmaster. It was located in the SE quarter of Section 34, Township 9N, Range 4W in Haney Township. The 1878 Crawford County Plat Map shows the location as about a mile south of the present village of Barnum, where the present Maple Ridge Road meets the present Highway 131. North Star in its many years of existence had only two postmasters. These postmasters with dates of appointment are: Anson Cook 15 June 1864 John W. Jenkins 3 July 1892 On October 6, 1892, the name of this post office was changed to Barnum. BARNUM On October 6, 1892, the name of the post office at North Star was changed to Barnum with George M. Alderman as postmaster. "platted in 1892, and was named for Edward Barnum, a farmer who had a farm across the Kickapoo River. ... The top population was 50 (Editor's note: but another history says the population once was 150 and in 1969 was 11.) In the early 1900's there were: 2 hotels, 2 general stores, a hardware store, ice cream parlor, cream buying station, cheese factory, creamery, saw mill, pickle station, depot, stockyards, meat market, 2 rural routes, post office, pool hall, saloon, 4 ice houses, blacksmith, livery stable, church and school." (Cora Barnum, Barnum, U.W.Ext. 1969). A document dated January 18, 1943, signed by Postmaster W. H. Jenkins, gives the location as on Main Street, in the NW quarter of Section 34, Township 9N, Range 4W in the Township of Haney. The village of Barnum still exists. The office was discontinued on September 30, 1955 and its patrons subsequently received mail service from the post office at Gays Mills. The Barnum postmasters and their dates of appointment were: George M. Alderman 15 Apr 1892 Austin Alderman 14 Mar 1894 William E. Van Horne 1 Apr 1898 Seth Stevenson 13 Feb 1902 Loren P. Lathrop 21 Mar 1913 James M. Dowling 13 Nov 1913 Mabel Stevenson 20 Aug 1915 Edith D. Young 17 Apr 1916 William H. Jenkins 12 June 1918 BATAVIA This post office was established on March 23, 1853, with Israel Mallory as postmaster. He was the only postmaster this office ever had. The post office was located in Section 18, Township 8N, Range 5W in the Township of Eastman. It was discontinued on February 17, 1864. BELL CENTER This post office, probably named after prominent citizen Dennis Bell, was established on November 5, 1855 with Merritt Thompson as postmaster. The Wisconsin Postal History Society gives its location as the NE quarter of Section 34, Township 10N, Range 4W, but some Post Office Department documents show the location as Section 3, Township 9N, Range 4W in the Township of Haney. An 1878 plat map confirms the latter location. One Post Office Document shows a move of the post office on March 22, 1907, and since the sections mentioned are adjacent it is very possible that the move was just a short distance across section boundaries. It was also spelled Bell Centre. "In 1895, a controversy developed in Crawford Co. On moving the county seat from Prairie du Chien to a more central county location. At a County Convention held at Petersburg on February 25, 1895, Bell Center was selected as the county seat on the 27th ballot. Action to move the county seat never developed." (Frank N. Campbell and Carl Hutchison, Bell Center, U. W. Ext.1969) This post office was discontinued on April 29, 1932 and its patrons subsequently received mail from the post office at Gays Mills. Bell Center's postmasters and their dates of appointment Merritt Thompson November 2, 1855 Caleb D. Bellville April 1, 1856 George W. Wood January 27, 1859 Wm. Raymond May 8, 1861 Isaiah Rounds May 17, 1870 George W. Wood November 17, 1870 William S. Wait June 9, 1873 Mary R. Tate March 24, 1876 Robert E. Glover May 28, 1877 Horace H. Lewis August 5, 1879 Fred W. Lewis April 4, 1883 Charles A. Huffman June 12, 1886 Horace H. Lewis August 6, 1888 Matthew D. Masten December 11, 1893 Harrison Coleman December 29, 1887 Mary Coleman March 18, 1903 Jeremiah H. Kast April 9, 1907 David L. Dobson February 25, 1910 Edna Dobson March 10,1913 Benjamin H. Kast March 27, 1914 Amy Turk March 16, 1917 John Sharp July 16, 1919 Jay S. Huckley October 25, 1920 Mrs. Wilma Kast December 4, 1928 BOMA This post office was established January 16, 1897, with Francis H. Eitsert as postmaster. He was the only postmaster this office had during its existence. The Wisconsin Postal History Society gives its location as NE quarter of Section 9, Township 10N, Range 5W in Utica Township, SE half of Section 9, Township 10N, Range 5W in the Township of Freeman. This was along the Boma Ridge Road on property, according to the 1994 Plat Book, owned by Stephen and Marilyn Kvigne. "We have been told and have no reason to question it, that a man living in LaCrosse came to the Eisert home real often to go coon hunting. His name was Boma..." (Emerth Aspenson, Laura Kvigne, Serena Langve Kramer, Utica Lutheran Church and Area History. U. W. Ext. 1969). The Boma post office was discontinued April 30, 1904 and its patrons subsequently received their mail from the post office at Ferryville. BOYDTOWN This post office was established January 20, 1890 with Robert Boyd as postmaster. It was located in the SE quarter of Section 1, Township 7N, Range 4W in the Township of Wauzeka. This location is about 6˝ miles east of the Village of Wauzeka on Highway 60. Although the post office has long been discontinued the locality is still known by the Boydtown name. "It grew rapidly and had a good store, a hotel, a school, a sawmill, and several houses. When the railroad between Madison and Prairie du Chien was built on the other side of the Wisconsin River, it abruptly ceased growing and, 'rapid as had been its growth, the decline was still more marked.' " (History of Richland and Crawford Counties, page 626). This post office was discontinued December 31,1903 and its patrons then received their mail from the post office at Wauzeka. Boydtown postmasters and their dates of appointment were: Robert W. Boyd January 20, 1890 Leora Wayne April 21, 1892 Joseph Newcomb November 12, 1896 BANFIELD This post office was established on October 22, 1857 with Frederick Corfe as postmaster. I include it here, although it was actually located in Grant County, Wisconsin. It was located somewhere near the south shore of the Wisconsin River, just across from the present community of Bridgeport. On August 25, 1859, postmaster Corfe moved the office across the Wisconsin River to the present community of Bridgeport and renamed the office Bridgeport. BRIDGEPORT On August 25, 1859, Frederic Corfe postmaster at the Banfield post office in Grant County, moved the post office across the Wisconsin River into Crawford County and changed the name of the Office to Bridgeport. I cannot find any land record showing where postmaster Corfe owned land in this new location although he did own several parcels of land in the Mount Serling area. After the move, postmaster Corfe served less than two months and was replaced by Benjamin F. Fay. The post office was located in Lot 2 of the SE quarter of Section 11, Township 6N, Range 6W in the Township of Bridgeport. It was discontinued on September 29, 1955, and its patrons subsequently received their mail from the post office at Prairie du Chien. Bridgeport postmasters and their dates of appointment were: Frederick Corfe August 25, 1859 Benjamin F. Fay October 17, 1859 Wm. Snell July 12, 1860 Benjamin F. Fay August 27, 1860 Lyman O. King February 20, 1865 Thomas Coleman January 24, 1867 John B. Davis July 7, 1869 Henry C. King January 20, 1873 J. F. Smith May 9, 1887 Edna Wilcox April 4, 1889 Carrie A. Matthews December 14, 1889 James F. Smith June 15, 1893 Carrie A. Matthews August 21, 1897 Lana Blakesley November 29, 1907 Jeanette E. Quick March 14, 1912 Mrs. Alice Sandleback July 28, 1938 Mrs. Carrie Campbell January 14, 1939 BROWN This post office was established May 5, 1899 with Otis J. Brown as postmaster. He was the only postmaster this office had during its existence. The Wisconsin Postal History Society says that the location of the post office is unknown and it is possible that it was never in operation. A Post Office Department document proposing the establishment gives the proposed location as the SE quarter of Section 11, Township 9N, Range 3W in the Township of Scott. At the short time this post office was in existence, Otis J. Brown, according to the 1900-01 Plat book owned an L-shaped piece of land starting in the northwest corner of the section and extending to the center of the section. A road ran through the section, approximately where County Trunk S now runs. This road intersected Otis J. Brown's property. It was probably somewhere along this road where his post office was located. According to the 1994 Plat Book, this property is now owned by Paul H. Berghoff. This post office was discontinued May 31, 1900, and its patrons subsequently received mail from the post office at Excelsior in Richland County. CENTRE GROVE This post office was established February 5, 1863 with Thomas Nicholson as postmaster. He was the only postmaster this office had during its short existence. The Wisconsin Postal History Society says that the location of this office is unknown, but a Post Office Department document gives the location as Section 3, Township 10N, R5W and as 4 miles south of Rising Sun and 4 miles north of Mt. Sterling. This would lead me to believe that it was located in the community now known as Fairview in the Township of Utica. This post office was discontinued on May 15, 1865. CROW'S MILL This post office was established on September 6, 1858 with Henry Crow as postmaster. Although this post office was in operation for about 4˝ years, I could find nothing concerning its location in the Post Office Department's site records. This is so in spite of the fact that the postmaster records show two different postmasters during its existence. However, checking the Crawford County land records, Vol. 26, p. 196, we find that Henry Crow, the first postmaster, at the time of his appointment, owned a piece of land described as the SEĽ of NEĽ of Section 12, Town 9 North, Range 4 West, in the Township of Haney. It was probably here that the post office was located. This would be about 40 acres approximately 2 miles east of the community of Petersburg along County Trunk S which follows Crow Hollow Creek. Some time after the discontinuance of this post office, a tragedy was reported in the February 1, 1866 Boscobel Dial as follows: "We learned that Crows Mill, in the town of Haney, Crawford County, was destroyed by fire on the 16th of January. The fire originated from the careless adjustment of a stove pipe. Over 200 bushels of wheat, belonging to customers, was destroyed by the mill. A subscription paper has been started to help rebuild the mill." This post office was discontinued February 27, 1863. Crow's Mills postmasters and their dates of appointment: Henry Crow September 6, 1858 Josiah Withey June 4, 1862 EASTMAN This post office was established March 31, 1854 with Philander Green as postmaster, and is still in existence. It is located in Section 18, Township 8N, Range 5W in the Township of Eastman. Regarding Eastman, the "History of Crawford and Richland Counties" says: "This is not large enough to be called a village, but more properly comes under the head of hamlet. It is situated in Section 18, in town 8 of range 5 west, and contained in 1884, two general stores, a hotel, a saloon; also a wagon and blacksmith shop and a post office. The place was originally started by Isaac Mallory, in 1862 when, he opened a store and kept an inn. In 1883 Hurlbut and Beach platted ten acres, upon which the place stands." Agnes Slama, former Eastman postmaster, writes: "The first post office in Eastman township was established on March 31, 1854 with Philander Green as postmaster. This early post office was located on the farm now occupied by Charles Granzow. "The next post office with Thomas S. Shaw as postmaster was moved on December 7, 1855 to what is now the Lyman Balk farm. On February 17, 1864 Leonard A. Bonney received the appointment as postmaster. This office was also located on the Lyman Balk farm. Mrs. Bonney served as postmaster, because her husband had joined the Northern Army during the Civil War. At this time the post office of Batavia with Israel Mallory as postmaster from 1858 to 1864 at the request of the Post Office Department was discontinued. The new post office of Eastman was established in the Village with Mrs. Leonard Bonney acting as postmaster. "Rural Carrier Service was established April 2, 1906 with John T. Wall as carrier. This was Route #1. Serving the longest period of time as a rural mail carrier was Frank C. Becwar who received his appointment on March 1, 1909, and faithfully delivered the mail until his retirement on January 31, 1944. "Neither rain nor snow or sleet nor hail prevented this mailman from delivering the mail". This was certainly true of Mr. Becwar for his day was a time of poor roads and physical hardships. His transportation in the early days was by two-wheeled cart in the summer, by cutter in the winter when roads permitted, otherwise he traveled by horseback or on foot. "On June 1, 1945 Miss Kathleen Duersten received her appointment as rural carrier, she served until November 30, 1951. She delivered the mail by jeep and at the time of her appointment was the only woman rural carrier in the state of Wisconsin. "During 1968 Howard Kramer remodeled the old Koepp building for the new post office. "In the early years Leonard Bonney and C. E. Campbell operated the stage between Prairie du Chien and Viroqua. Mail was brought only twice a week as it took three days for a complete round trip. Eastman postmasters and their date of appointment were: Philander Green Mar.31, 1854 Thomas S. Shaw Dec.7, 1855 Leonard A. Bonney Feb. 19, 1864 Martin W. Barnum Apr. 23, 1868 Alex. M. Beach Aug. 10, 1869 Louis Wm. Koep March 16, 1881 Samuel Hazen Jr. May 15, 1886 Louis W. Koep Dec. 3, 1887 John F. Pier June 11, 1889 Henry W. Seekatz Apr. 14, 1896 John F. Pier June 17, 1898 Leo E. Doll March 12, 1913 Alexander R. Fraser April 1, 1920 Mrs. Mary L. Fisher May 21, 1934 Name changed by marriage to Mary L. Schwert March 24, 1935 Margaret Lechnir April 22, 1935 Lillian Becwar March 1, 1937 Dorothy T. Mezera December 8, 1940 Helen Feye October 1, 1941 Agnes Slama October 4, 1968 Marcia A. McAllister December 30, 1991 Name changed by marriage to Marcia A. Clark August 14, 1993 ELK This post office was established August 28, 1849 with Henry Baily as postmaster. Its location is unknown, and I do not believe that it was in what is now Crawford County. It was discontinued August 18, 1857. FERRYVILLE This post office was first established on July 15, 1857 with Oscar J. Stillwell as postmaster. It was discontinued December 8, 1857, then re-established May 4, 1860 with Sanford S. Wightman as postmaster. It was again discontinued on November 28, 1862, then re-established on January 29, 1867 with S. M. Van Winters as postmaster. This post office is still in service, and is located in the NW quarter of Section 16, Township 10N, Range 6W in the Township of Freeman. It is on Highway 35 about 20 miles north of Prairie du Chien. Ferryville postmasters and their dates of appointment: Oscar J. Stillwell July 16, 1857 Discontinued December 8, 1857 Sanford S. Wrightman May 4, 1860 Discontinued November 28, 1862 S. M. Van Winters January 29, 1867 William J. Hutson March 19, 1867 Tolbert C. Ankeny April 14, 1868 Joseph Copper December 10, 1868 Louis Helgerson December 19, 1870 William McMasters August 9, 1877 William J. Lampford December 18, 1878 William Davis April 24, 1884 John C. Campbell December 8, 1890 William T. Robertson June 16, 1893 Minnie Robertson November 14, 1924 John H. Sterling January 31, 1930 Mrs. Fern Dagnon July 16, 1934 Elvira A. Smith January 31, 1965 Robert Edmund Dyer March 12, 1965 Neoma Hill July 5, 1975 Marjorie Lou Grimsled June 13, 1992 Ms. Ethel Lerum, a Ferryville historian, writes as follows: "The first railroad came in 1885. The Burlington and Quincy built it. The people here were glad to have a new transportation as it gave them employment. It helped settle the community, and people received their mail more promptly. "Mrs. Torgerson's basement was the first post office.... "John Campbell built a Post Office, which W. T. Robertson, when he succeeded, attached his house to, rural rooms were annexed. The Post Office has to be the house which Clarence and Alice Hiam purchased when the business was moved next door where Fern Dagnon had it for many years. "John Sterling was the Postmaster when I went to school in Ferryville about 1926. I remember being scared of the postmaster. Sometimes people's voices scares a little girl. My folks told of my dad, Fay Allen, driving the mail route for a while and had to get his stamps from Robertson at "the post office, so he must have been the postmaster at the time. The mail carriers at the time were: Fred Tower, James Johnston and Clinton Ellefson. There were three mail routes here. Now there is only one. In the olden days the carriers had to use buggies to deliver the mail in the wintertime. With the improve- ments of the side roads and highways, they can use their automobiles. "We could send letters for two cents back then. The road was just at the end of our lawn so it wasn't far to the mail box. If we wanted to watch for the mailman, we could watch where he came around the bend in the road and catch him at the mailbox. We used to sent to the big Montgomery Ward, Sears Roebuck and Speigel companies. They sent out huge, free catalogues in those days. We would meet the mailman to pay for a C.O.D. package. The good old days. "I remember Bill Seymour was the (dray) man at that time. He would go to the depot to get the mail from the passenger trains. The passenger train went up in the morning and came down in the morning stopping at the depot here. The drayman took the sacks of mail to the post office. "Fern Dagnon lived in the building next to the old post office and that's where she had it until they remodeled the old Greg Lucey store for the new post office, where it has been ever since. "Fern Dagnon retired from the post office and James Johnston from the mail route about the same time so they had a retiring party for them at the Community Church, which was sold in later years to Gary Rutter for a garage. The cement block building still stands there today. "The G. C. Lucey store closed after many years and remodeled to make the new post office. Robert Dyer, who married Verona Lucey, was the next postmaster. After he moved away, Neoma Hill was the next one. Now we have Marge Grimsled. FREEMAN This post office was established April 15, 1867 with John H. Tower as postmaster. It was located in the SE quarter of Section 27, Township 11N, Range 6W in the Township of Freeman. This is along Rush Creek Road about ˝ mile east of where it joins Bishop Ridge Road, probably on property which according to the 1994 Plat Book is owned by Naomi I. Whiteside. The application for establishment of this post office showed the name as Glen Mills, and this was crossed out to show Freeman, and the accompanying sketch showed the name as Glen Mills. It was discontinued April 30, 1904, and its patrons subsequently received their mail from the post office at Ferryville. Freeman postmasters and their dates of appointment were: John H. Tower April 15, 1867 Charles Lueck December 8, 1890 Cornelius F. Tower March 23, 1892 GAYS MILLS This post office was established September 1, 1892 with Theron R. Wilber as postmaster, and is still in service. It is located in the NE quarter of Section 28, Township 10N, Range 4W, in the Township of Utica. "The first mill built in the town of Utica was a sawmill. It was located on the Kickapoo River on Section 28, town 10, range 4 west. It was erected by James D. Gay about 1848." (History of Crawford and Richland Counties, page 738) Gays Mills postmasters and their dates of appointment: Theron R. Wilber September 1, 1892 John G. Robb June 15, 1893 Nicolas Jurgensen April 21, 1897 John H. Rhinehart January 26, 1910 Joseph L. O'Neil April 13, 1916 John F. Rhinehart April 13, 1922 Harland R. Hays June 3, 1929 William B. Ackerman September 30, 1933 Myra E. Johnson, Acting PM July 8, 1944 William C. Carroll July 28, 1947 Wendell D. Showen, Acting PM September 30, 1965 Bermard A. Watson, Acting PM May 13, 1966 Patrick J. McGinley July 23,1968 Rose M. Raha, Officer-In-Charge October 2, 1992 Barbara K. Dunkelberger, OIC May 28, 1993 Dorothy L. Coons November 27, 1993 HANEY This post office was established August 20, 1883 with Seymour Taft as postmaster. It was finally located in the SE quarter of Section 24, Township 9N, Range 4W in the Township of Haney, having moved from its original location at the SE quarter of Section 25, Township 9N, Range 4W. These quarter sections are adjacent and the move could have been a short one across section boundaries. According to the 1994 plat book, it was probably at first located along what is now Shaw Road near its junction with Haney Road on property owned by the Lyle A. Lathrop Residual Trust. It was discontinued on September 30,1901 and its patrons subsequently received mail from the post office at Millett. Haney's postmasters and their dates of appointment: Seymour Taft August 20, 1883 Cassius W. Lathrop August 12, 1885 James Putnam June 15, 1893 Jane Bauman August 10, 1896 Laudius Lathrop February 8, 1900 HANEY VALLEY This post office was established December 9, 1862 with George Root as postmaster. He was the only postmaster this office had during its existence. It was located in the NE quarter of Section 21, Township 9N, Range 4W in the Township of Haney. The 1994 Plat Book would lead me to believe that this post office was located along Highway 131 on land shown as belonging to Kickapoo Reserve Deal Company. It was discontinued December 6, 1867. HASTE This post office was established September 28, 1892 with Della Mitchell as postmaster. She was the only postmaster this office had during its existence. This post office was located in the SW quarter of Section 15, Township 10N, Range 4W in the Township of Clayton. This is just on the northern edge of the village of Gays Mills along Highway 131 probably on property which according to the 1994 Plat Book is presently owned by Lois Barlow. The application for establishment of the post office indicated that it would serve about 75 families. The map which accompanied the application for establishment of the office does not show a post office at Gays Mills. It was discontinued February 2, 1893. HILLS VALLEY This post office was established on October 31, 1855 with Alexander A. McDonnell as postmaster. He was the only postmaster this office had during its existence. It was located in the SE quarter of Section 6, Township 6N, Range 5W in the Township of Bridgeport. The postmaster never filed a site report giving this location. On May 14, 1857, its name was changed to Wright's Ferry. HURLBUT'S CORNERS This post office was established February 9, 1864 with Edgar C. Dunham as postmaster. It was discontinued on January 8, 1873 and then re- established two days later on January 10, 1873 with John R. Hurlbut as postmaster. These were the only two postmasters this office had. It was located in the center of Section 17, Township 9N, Range 3W, in the Township of Scott. See comments in the text for Hurlbut for exact location. On June 23, 1883, the name of the Office was changed to Hurlbut. HURLBUT On June 23, 1883, John R. Hurlbut, postmaster at Hurlbut's Corners changed the name of his post office to Hurlbut. This post office was located near the center of Section 17, Township 9N, Range 3W in the Township of Scott. This was at the Southwest corner of the intersection of County Road W and Hurlbut Road, on property now owned by Russell and Evelyn Mindham, according to the 1994 Plat Book of Crawford County. Also see page 12 of the 1878 plat book which marks the location in Sect. 17.The post office was discontinued on October 31, 1901 and patrons subsequently received their mail from the post office at Wheatland. Hurlbut postmasters and their dates of appointment: John R. Hurlbut June 22, 1873 Albert L. Hurlbut January 10, 1900 LOWER LYNXVILLE This post office was established June 21, 1858, with Charles Lyman as postmaster. This post office was originally located in Section 23, Township 9N, Range 6W, and was moved later to the SW quarter of Section 14, Township 9N, Range 6W all in Seneca Township. "...laid out in 1857. Another village was begun by other parties, north of and nearly adjoining this plat. The former, for the sake of distinction was called Lower Lynxville and the latter Upper Lynxville...upper village was absorbed by its rival." (History of Richland and Crawford Counties, page 720). On June 22, 1883, the name of this office was changed to Lynxville. Lower Lynxville postmasters and their dates of appointment: Charles Lyman June 21, 1858 John D. Reynolds December 31, 1859 Elmer Graham December 23, 1861 Lorenzo D. Hopkins August 18, 1862 Samuel Langdon September 5, 1871 J. U. Searle July 14, 1873 L. Allen January 6, 1874 L. D. Hopkins January 21, 1874 A. Nicetus Searle November 8, 1880 LYNXVILLE This post office was established on July 6, 1857, with Edward Cox as postmaster. It was discontinued on June 21, 1858 simultaneously with the establishment of the Lower Lynxville post office. Then on June 22, 1883, the name of the Lower Lynxville post office was changed to Lynxville. It is located in NW quarter of Section 23, Township 9N, Range 6W in Seneca Township. On January 5, 1974, the post office was discontinued and the next day established as a Community Post Office. It is still in service. Lynxville postmasters and their dates of appointment: Edward Cox July 6, 1857 Discontinued June 21, 1858 A. Nicetus Searle July 22, 1883 James S. Kingsland January 19, 1886 Freeman B. Pease October 8, 1892 Sanford C. Prince November 4, 1893 John S. Davidson October 31, 1895 Alden E. Wolcott August 20, 1898 Milo E. Wolcott October 11, 1909 Richard E. Lawler, Actg. PM March 3, 1936 Margaret E. Ingham May 5, 1937 Mrs. Sylvia K. Davis, Off. in ch. June 29, 1973 MAPLE RIDGE This post office was established on June 23, 1875 with John Posey as postmaster. On December 6, 1875, James Posey became postmaster, and these were the only two postmasters this office had during its short existence. It was located in the SE quarter of Section 21, Township 8N, Range 4W in Marietta Township. It was discontinued on April 12, 1876. MARIETTA This post office was established on December 20, 1854 with Oliver E. Wise as postmaster. It was discontinued on November 6, 1863, then re-established October 1, 1866 with Lewis Kimball Jr. as postmaster. It was located in the NW quarter of Section 9, Township 8N, Range 3W in Marietta Township. Velma Allen records: "Marietta had a store and a hotel. The last store was sold out in 1867, and only the post office, then called Millett, remained." (LWR Historical and Genealogical Research Center, Velma Allen historical card files, Wauzeka, WI) Marietta postmasters with dates of appointment were: Oliver E. Wise December 20, 1854 Guy S. Thompson November 8, 1856 Stephen S. Farrell August 2, 1860 Oliver E. Wise November 6, 1863 Discontinued November 6, 1863 and reestablished Oct. 1, 1866 Lewis Kimball Jr. October 1, 1866 James M. Callaway September 10, 1867 Name changed to Millet September 9, 1880 MILLETT On September 9, 1880, the name of the post office at Marietta was changed to Millett with James W. Calloway as postmaster. This office was originally located in the NW quarter of Section 9, Township 8N, Range 3W in the Township of Marietta. This is on property which, according to the 1994 Plat Book, is now owned by Howard and Antoinete Chapman, and the office was located in a house near the junction of Meadowbrook Road and Spring Valley Road. A document signed by Elizabeth J. Patterson, postmaster, indicates that the office was moved to the NW quarter of the NW quarter of Section 33, Township 9N, Range 3W, but the 1900-01 plat book shows it as located in the NE corner of Section 32, Township 9N, R3W which would place it on property, which according to the 1994 plat book, is now owned by Jack and Orla Mae Brown, near the end of Lookout Lane. This is near the community now known as Plugtown in the Township of Scott. "...near where the Calloway Saw Mill later stood, called the village of Marietta and was indeed quite a trading post. In 1853 Alvin Woods and William Rogers put in a large stock of general merchandise and operated on so large a scale that the pioneers said they 'failed up bad'. Guy S. Thompson built a tavern (hotel) there, but in 1884 it was used by Mr. Calloway as his residence and no traces then were visible of a village for years." (Mrs. Harley Faulkner, Marietta Valley History. U. W. Ext. 1969). This post office was discontinued on December 31, 1901, and patrons subsequently received mail from the post office at Wheatland. Millett postmasters and dates of appointment: James M. Calloway September 9, 1880 Elizabeth J. Patterson January 16, 1896 MOUNT STERLING This post office was established February 19, 1851 with William F. Sterling as postmaster. It was discontinued October 12, 1853 and then re-established August 28, 1855 with Cyrus C. Bennett as postmaster. It is still in existence and is located in the NE quarter of Section 26, Township 10N, Range 5W in the Township of Utica. "The village takes its name from the mound so called in honor of the first settler, Mr. Sterling. The mound is situated just east and adjacent to the place ---". (History of Crawford and Richland Counties, page 734). Judith Hansen writes: "The P.O. had many different locations, the first being in Sterling's log cabin on the N.E. edge of town. When Merv (Helgerson) was appointed, I believe the post office was in his house next door to the existing building. When Merv bought it, he created a P.O. in front and living quarters in back. Perhaps the only P.O. whose basement served also as an aging and storage cellar for blocks of cheddar cheese made at the local factory. In 1957, the Mt. Sterling Cheese Factory produced and won the title of World Champion Cheddar. The other buildings that housed the P.O. in early years are gone and forgotten. Mount Sterling Postmasters and their dates of appointment: William T. Sterling 19 Feb 1851 Cyrus C. Bennett 28 Aug 1855 Truman Folsom 27 Oct 1856 James H. Jewell 2 Mar 1858 Truman Folsom 10 May 1861 Frederick Corfe 21 Nov 1861 Lorenzo D. Layton 29 June 1863 Frederick Corfe 24 Jan 1867 Anson H. Cook 18 Feb 1867 John A. Haggerty 9 Oct 1869 Burton Packard 11 Aug 1873 Frederick Corfe 22 Nov 1875 Charles D. Vaughn 17 Jan 1879 William Sherwood 9 July 1886 Albert D. Bellows 19 Apr 1889 John F. Crume 26 Oct 1892 John McAuley 31 Dec 1895 John Smethurst 18 May 1897 Robert J. Soleberg 31 May 1912 Ole P. Olsen 13 Dec 1912 E. Curtis Chesterton 27 Mar 1917 Fred Carnack 1 May 1919 Charles Vogel 29 June 1925 Otto H. McCullick 19 Feb 1931 Mervin J. Helgerson 21 Jan 1932 Judith E. Hansen 9 Apr 1977 Carolyn K. Lee 21 Jan 1996 NORTH CLAYTON This post office was established May 20, 1870 with John H. Winn as postmaster. It was located in the NE quarter of Section 34, Township 11N, Range 3W in Clayton Township. It was discontinued February 28, 1902, and patrons subsequently received their mail from the post office at Soldiers Grove. North Clayton postmasters and their dates of appointment were: John H. Winn May 20, 1870 Thomas Kelly January 17, 1881 David E. Gander October 12, 1886 Charles F. Winn October 17, 1890 Frederick Nicholson March 2, 1894 OCENA This post office was established December 20, 1854 with Daniel F. Seely as postmaster, and he was its postmaster the entire time the post office existed. It is strange that although this post office was in existence for more than five years there is no record of the postmaster submitting a site report to the Post Office Department. Checking the land records of the county, I find that Daniel Seely at that time owned three small tracts of land as follows: SEĽ of the NEĽ of Section 2, Township 7N, Range 4W, and W˝ of the SEĽ of Section 3, Township 7N, Range 4W NEĽ of Section 11, Township 7N, Range 4W Both of these tracts are just west and northwest of the present community of Boydtown, and it was probably on one of these that the Oceana post office was located. This is on Highway 60, about 4 miles east of the Village of Wauzeka. It was discontinued April 18, 1860. PETERSBURG This post office was established March 3, 1893 with Helen A. Lawrence as postmaster. It was located in the NW quarter of Section 10, Township 9N, Range 4W in Haney Township. It was discontinued February 15, 1930 and its patrons subsequently received mail from Barnum. Petersburg postmasters and their dates of appointment: Helen A. Lawrence March 3, 1893 Daniel R. Lawrence April 15, 1898 Elmer Garner August 26, 1893 Robert W. Boyd May 13, 1903 John Steinbach July 31, 1903 Theodore W. Sampson October 16, 1905 Maude Garreth April 3, 1914 "The Romance of Wisconsin Placenames" by Robert Gard and L. G. Sorden explain the name: "Peter Haskins laid out a village here in 1855.". PINE GROVE on December 13, 1865 the name of the post office at Yankeetown was changed to Pine Grove with Samuel Hutchins as postmaster, and he was the only postmaster this office had during its short existence. It was located in the NE quarter of Section 30, Township 11N, Range 3W in Clayton Township. It was short-lived as on October 1, 1866, the name of the office was changed back to Yankeetown. PLEASANT HILL This office was established on May 10, 1872 with Michael O'Donnell as postmaster, and he was its only postmaster during its existence. The office was located in Section 3, Township 7N, Range 6W in Prairie du Chien Township. The location of the post office is indicated on the 1878 Plat Map. On the 1994 Plat Book, page 28, it was on the property indicated in that section as being owned by David Check. Gene Check tells me she has heard stories about that post office being in Mr. O'Donnell's home and that in addition to the post office he operated an inn where travelers could stop for a meal and tend to the needs of their horses. The house has since been destroyed by fire. It was discontinued on October 20, 1881. PRAIRIE DU CHIEN Established on November 13, 1823 with James D. Doty as postmaster, this was the first post office in what is now Crawford County. It is still in service, and is located in the City of Prairie du Chien in Township 7N, Range 6W. Many sources say that James H. Lockwood was the first postmaster at Prairie du Chien, but was he? Or was Judge James Duane Doty? Lockwood himself writes: "Soon after arriving at Prairie du Chien and finding our mail matter came up on keel-boats or by military express and occasionally for the special purpose to Clarksville, Missouri, a village about one hundred miles above St. Louis, and the then nearest post office, Judge Doty made application to the Post Office Department for the establishment of a post office at Prairie du Chien which was granted, and he was appointed postmaster, with the privilege of expending the proceeds of the office for carrying the mail. The receipts for postage, together with the contributions from the principal inhabitants, and officers of the garrison, enabled him to send Jean B. Loper, an old voyageur, one trip to Clarksville during the winter, for which he was paid thirty dollars." (Wisconsin Historical collection, Vol. 2, page 151.) And later Lockwood continues, "During the winter of 1823-24, Judge Doty concluded to change his residence from Prairie du Chien to Green Bay, and resigned his office as post-master, and recommended me for the vacancy, and I was appointed with the same power and authority that he had." (Ibid. Page 152). In the book "Prairie du Chien and the Winnishiek" by Constance Evans, an entry under the year 1824 reads: "In 1824 President Monroe appointed James Duane Doty, afterward territorial governor, postmaster at Prairie du Chien, but not until 1832 was there a regular government mail service. A log house on Water Street near the present C.M.St.P station was the first post office." The C.M. St. P. railroad station is now being restored at its original site on Water Street. The Post Office Department's Archives list of postmasters, shows a James Harris, serving as postmaster from March 13, 1906 to June 23, 1913. Actually, according to newspaper articles, this was probably a father and son duo with father and son having the same name. An article in the Courier dated March 3, 1909 reads: "James E. Harris, son of former postmaster Harris was appointed to the vacancy caused by the death of his father. President Roosevelt sent the recommendation to the senate last Thursday where it was ratified. "The new postmaster is not new in the business however, as he acted as a clerk under his father's tenure for the past two years, nearly a year of which he had charge, while his father was off duty on a leave of absence on account of his health." An article in the April 23, 1912 Courier reads as follows: "In the 60's, the post office was located in what was known as "Sausage Row", a long string of one-story buildings, extending from the present Commercial House corner to the steam laundry on the north side of lower Bluff Street, and was so called owing to the three butcher shops standing jointly in a row. The entire "Sausage Row" was completely wiped out by fire in 1867. The office was then opened up in the Garvey block on Church Street, from whence it was transferred to the present quarters of the Wells & Fargo Express Co. Office. "Later the office occupied quarters in the Masonic block where the Prairie du Chien bank is located and from this point it was again transferred to the store room now occupied by the Widmann's hardware store and after the completion of the new Poehler block it was moved across the street to its present quarters. "Since the time of its establishment, it has covered a period of eighty-eight years and it is hoped by many citizens, before many years it will be housed in a building of its own, with free delivery to all parts of the city, which can be done, Mr. Citizen, if everybody will boost for a 10,000 population by 1916." The Prairie du Chien post office was not impervious to robberies. A Courier newspaper article of early March, 1897 reports: The Post Office was robbed at 8 o'clock by a masked man who entered by a rear door demanding clerk Nordrum to open the safe. About $400 in stamps was stolen. And this April 20, 1921 item in the Press: POST OFFICE TO GET SIDE ARMS POSTMASTER BERGEN WILL GET COLT AUTOMATICS FOR POSTAL CLERKS On April 15 the Post Office Department at Washington promulgated an order authorizing the distribution of 45 caliber Colt Automatic pistols to postal employee. This order is put in effect to protect government mails and other property from theft. Because of the large number of robberies recently committed the post office department has decided to exercise unusual care through its subordinates to protect valuable registered mail. Postmaster Bergen will order a supply for his assistant and clerks including belts and holsters which they will wear while on duty, so if you want to see a real wild west show just try to start something and they will show the real rough stuff at the post office. Or how about this attempt reported in the Press, May 7, 1924: ATTEMPT TO ROB THE PRAIRIE DU CHIEN POST OFFICE FRIDAY A.M. A bold attempt to rob the Prairie du Chien post office occurred last Thursday night after midnight. The robbers worked from the second story by forcing the locks in Dr. C. A. Armstrong's office. Dr. Armstrong was at a Madison hospital at the time and had securely locked his office with new padlocks, both the outside and inner doors. After forcing these doors a spot was selected directly over the post office vault and a hole sawed through the floor large enough for a man's body to easily pass through. A large inch and a half rope was laid around the joist and knotted at intervals so it would be easier to descend or climb it. They then tried a sledge on the corner of the vault, but it being reinforced concrete made little headway. It is thought that the would-be robbers thought there was no top on the vault and that they could be let down by the rope into the vault and thus secure what money was on hand Between 12 and 1:00 o'clock a.m., the night force at the Faultless Bakery heard pounding and went out the back door and looked around with a search light. As the post office and bakery buildings join it is believed that the robbers were frightened away by the bakers as no further sounds were heard after they investigated. The top of the vault is over six feet below the second story floor and a short man like Postmaster Munson could stand up straight on top of the vault. The tools were all left where the robbers dropped them in their hurried getaway. They consisted of a sledge hammer, a heavy blacksmith's hammer, key-hole saw, hand saw, two wide wood chisels, a brace and two bits, an inch and a half rope, also a tapering piece of iron about 12 or 14 inches long. There was also a flashlight battery among them. Part of the tools were down in the pit on top of the vault. The attempted robbery was not discovered until Friday afternoon when a lady entered the office of Dr. Armstrong and not finding him in inquired of Dr. Fallis, whose office is across the hall. He went with her to Dr. Arm-strong's office and discovered the tools and the hole in the floor, then telephoned Mrs. Armstrong to know where the doctor was. When informed that he was out of town and would be absent for several days. She was informed that his office was open and she said that was hardly possible as the doctor had purchased new locks and locked every room before he left. She immediately got in touch with her son Robert, who was on the route delivering mail, and he came to investigate. Postmaster Munson and Sheriff (?) Stevenson were also notified and a thorough investigation made (here a portion is unreadable). Post Office Inspector Nicholson of LaCrosse was notified ad came to look the matter up. Even had the robbers gotten into the vault they would not have secured the cash as it was locked in the strong box. It is believed that it was the work of amateurs as the tools were too crude for such a job. Another Courier newspaper article dated January 1, 1905 says: AFTER LAYING IN WEATHER AND RAIN FOR SEVEN MONTHS MESSAGES SENT TO THEIR DESTINATION A most remarkable piece of business was accomplished by postal inspector Maher and postmaster Hurlbut last Friday when the mess of soaked and damaged mail which had been stolen seven months ago and laid in the weather all that time was started to its destination. The mixed up mass of letters and envelopes were matched together and correctly forwarded to the addressee or sender with a circular of information requesting loss, if any, to the local postmaster.241 pieces of mail including even the circulars and postal cards were sent on, which was all but three pieces contained in the sack. Many of the delayed messages will no doubt be greeted with as much joy as it they had not been interrupted. Post cards apparently were different in those days. A courier newspaper article dated March 6, 1907: TO REGULATE POST CARD CRAZE The post card craze has grown to such proportions and brought out many freak creations, that the government has been compelled to take action and issue an order through the post master general providing new regulations governing the size, form and weight of private post cards entering the mails. Such post cards must be made of unfolded piece of cardboard not exceeding three and nine-sixteenths by five and nine-sixteenths inches, nor less than two and three-fourths by four inches. They must in form, quality and weight be substantially like the government post cards. They may be in any color. Cards bearing particles of glass, metal, mica, sand, tinsel or similar substance will not be accepted for mailing. and another article dated January 15, 1908: HUNDREDS OF POST CARDS HELD FOR POSTAGE Post cards mailed under cover of sealed envelopes (transparent, or otherwise, are charged with postage at the first class rate -- two cents an ounce or fraction thereof. If enclosed in unsealed envelopes, they are subject to postage according to the message - at first class rates if wholly or partly in writing, or the third class rate (one cent for each two ounces or fraction thereof) if entirely in print and the postage in all cases should be placed on the outside of the envelope covering the same. Postage stamps affixed to such cards enclosed in envelopes having an opening exposing the stamps is not recognized in payment of postage and is not allowable. The local office has hundreds of tinsel cards piled up that have been dropped in the post office that your friends will not get because the postal laws will not permit their transportation through the mails because they have not a two-cent stamp affixed on the outside of the envelope. Be careful of it in the future. A Courier newspaper article dated March 24, 1909 says: Postmaster Harris is to make a change in the lock box department which will be transferred between the call windows in front, and the call boxes moved to the rear. This arrangement will give those using lock boxes more convenience in getting mail. A Courier newspaper article dated March 12, 1913 says: Beginning with March 4th an additional clerk was installed in the local post office in the person of Elmer Herold who will work a trick from 5:30 until close of the day's business. This makes eight men who are employed in the local mail service and none of them except the mail messenger are allowed to work more than eight hours during the day and that time must be inside of ten hours. That is one of the signs of growing postal receipts and this city is now in line for a public post office building and someone should see that the government supplies it to the city. A women's rights group would challenge this article which appeared in the October 15, 1913 Courier: "An examination for a clerk in the Prairie du Chien Post office is to be held at the office in this city on Nov. 22. Applicants must be between the age of 18 and 45 and anyone except married women have right to try for the place. A portion of a May 4, 1921 Press article announcing a rural carrier examination reads in part: "…Both men and women, if qualified, may enter this examination, but appointing officers have the legal right to specify the sex desired in requesting certification of eligibles. Women will not be considered for rural carrier appointments unless they are the widows of U.S. soldiers, sailors or marines, or the wives of U.S. soldiers, sailors or marines who are physically disqualified for examination by reason of injuries received in the line of military duty." An article in the March 24, 1915 Press showed a picture of the new post office building and the article reads: The above is a likeness of Prairie du Chien's new post office building which is just being completed, although a large part of the building has been occupied for several weeks. It faces Bluff street just east of the Metropolitan block, and the east side is occupied by the post office with swell apartments for the handling of the mail of this city and the rural routes out of here. The west side of the lower floor is occupied by the Muller shoe store, a new enterprise. The three suites of offices facing the front on the second floor are occupied by Dr. Fallis the dentist, District Attorney Munson and Dr. Armstrong. An enormous large room to the rear will be fixed up for a lodge hall. The building is owned by John Panka who also owns the Metropolitan block and is a credit to this city. An article in the August 13, 1919 Press heralded the coming of city delivery service: CARRIER SERVICE OCT 1 POSTMASTER BERGEN AUTHORIZES STATEMENT THAT GOVERNMENT BE READY GET YOUR MAILBOX PLACED If 85 per cent of the business and residence places in the city will have walks and connecting walks, have provided suitable receptacles for their mail by Oct. 1st. Carrier service will be instituted in the city with two regular and one auxiliary carrier. These mail receptacles must be provided or the carrier will not be permitted to deliver letters, papers or parcels and under no circumstances will mail be delivered to a patron at a side or rear door, so it must be placed at or near he front door or porch. So get busy with that walk that is necessary and the mail box at your door if you expect to be served. Through the efforts of Postmaster Bergen mail service has been secured between McGregor and Prairie du Chien on the ferry boat which leaves McGregor about 8:00 a.m. upon the arrival of the train from Dubuque. This train brings the Chicago morning dailies so that we will now receive all letters mailed at Chicago between the hours of 6:00 and 11:30 the evening before as well as from connections arriving at Chicago between those hours. This mail heretofore has been reaching here at 2:00 p.m. over the Milwaukee Road. This service will begin August 15th and will continue each year between April 1st and October 31st. This will get Chicago mail here for the carriers' morning trip. And then it arrived, per a December 24, 1919 Press article: CONNECTING WALKS This city is to have mail carrier service beginning with the new year. The new service for this city was authorized from Washington last week and Postmaster Bergen will put it into effect beginning on Monday January 5th. There will be two regular carriers and one auxiliary. The successful ones in the civil service examination were Louis Potratz, Robert Armstrong, Earl Lindner and Elmer Elvert. Louis Potratz who stood higher, will have taken the place in the post office made vacant by the death of L. M. Susan, and the Second ward and all that part of the city east of the Burlington tracks in the 3rd ward will be served by Robert Armstrong. The balance of the Third ward and all of the Fourth ward will be served by Earl Lindner. These two will begin work at 8:30 in the morning and leave the post office on the delivery returning at 12:55. For the afternoon service these two men begin the sorting of mail at 2:45 and leave the post office at 3:15 and must return at 6:15. For those eight hours of work the government pays them a salary of $1200 per year. The auxiliary will be Elmer Elvert and he will make the morning delivery to the business section of the city going to work at 7:00 a.m. and leaving the post office at 7:45 and returning at 9:00. In the afternoon he will be in the service from 3:00 to 6:00 and will carry parcel post after finishing the regular mail for his district. For this service of four hours per day he will be paid 60 cts. Per hour. The young men are already having their uniforms made and will be ready for active duty on the day set. In the meantime they are laying out their routes which cover only where they are not required to step off the sidewalk or paving. The first ward which has but one walk and that only on the west side of Third Street will be served as heretofore with the rural route, but an effort will be made to give this section of the route in the city two deliveries a day, instead of one each day. This article from the Press dated Feb. 3, 1915 indicates what was the last move of the post office before moving to its present location: POST OFFICE IN NEW QUARTERS The local post office was moved into the new post office building Saturday and Sunday and they are now all settled and handling the business in regular fashion. The work was accomplished by Postmaster Long and his corps of clerks during the storm under much difficulty, but they are now enjoying the new quarters as much as the public. The up-to-dateness of the new fixtures with all their convenience facilitates the work wonderfully. Prairie du Chien postmasters and their dates of appointment: James D. Doty Nov. 13, 1823 Jmes H. Lockwood December 6, 1824 Joseph M. Street October 27, 1828 Thomas P. Street July 28, 1834 Joseph Brisbois March 4, 1840 Ira B. Brunson February 5, 1842 Peter A. Brace July 17, 1845 Hiram A. Wright December 30, 1847 Jeremiah H. Day May 30, 1849 John S. Lockwood November 8, 1849 Bernard W. Brisbois June 30, 1852 Emilie Hooe April 14, 1853 Charles H. Blair December 2, 1856 Joel D. Jones February 26, 1858 Waller B. Hunt August 5, 1859 James H. Greene May 21, 1861 Frederick J. Miller June 17, 1862 Edward Whaley January 15, 1866 William D. Merrell November 2, 1893 Ira D. Hurlbut March 31, 1898 James Harris March 13, 1906 Albert H. Long June 23, 1913 Thomas J. Bergen March 18, 1919 Matthias R. Munson, Acting PM January 17, 1924 John H. Frazier September 30, 1929 W. A. Garvey, Acting PM December 31, 1933 Edward D. Feeney April 16, 1934 Bernard A. Kennedy Jr., Acting PM April 30, 1949 Donald E. Kasparek August 22, 1950 Lawrence A. Teynor, Officer in Ch. August 12, 1977 Clement R. Wachuta January 28, 1978 Norman A. Berns, Officer in Charge June 30, 1986 Ted R. Lee October 25, 1986 REED Established on March 20, 1900 with Jens J. Berge as postmaster, this is the last post office to have been established in Crawford County. He was the only postmaster this office had during its short existence. It was located in the NW quarter of Section 1, Township 10N, Range 6W in Freeman Township. This is about 5 miles northeast of the village of Ferryville, near where County Trunk C meets Chellevold Road, on property which according to the 1994 plat book is owned by Larry and Sally Sletten. It was discontinued on April 30, 1904, and patrons subsequently received mail from the post office at Ferryville. RISING SUN This post office was established March 14, 1856 with Truman H. Wilder as postmaster. It was located in the NW quarter of the SW quarter of Section 22, Township 11N, Range 5W in Utica Township. It was discontinued April 20, 1904, and patrons subsequently received mail from the post office at Ferryville. "The village was named from the following incident: When Mr. Wilder first located there it had been raining for two weeks, and the sun had not made its appearance during all that time, but the next day, the sun made its appearance and from this the locality was named "Rising Sun" ". (History of Crawford and Richland Counties, page 739). Rising Sun postmasters and their dates of appointment: Truman H. Wilder March 14, 1856 Oscar March Jr. ___21, 1857 Neal Hines March 23, 1859 Robert Herrick November 19, 1859 Joseph O'Conner March 10, 1871 Thomas Jerman April 10, 1872 James A. Curran October 11, 1872 Henry E. Rogers September 24, 1877 James A. Curran October 21, 1881 Henry E. Rogers January 14, 1884 Michael Dolan August 11, 1885 Ole Larsen June 27, 1889 Michael J. Dolan March 30, 1893 ROLLING GROUND This post office was established June 21, 1858 with Isaac Teller as postmaster. A document dated March 18, 1865, signed by Nelson Enyart, submitted to the Post Office Department gives the location as the SW quarter of Section 32, Township 10N, Range 3W, but the original section number is crossed out and "32" written in above it. I wonder if Section 21 was intended. This would place it at the site of the present community of Rolling Ground in Clayton Township. The Wisconsin Postal History gives the location as Section 15, Township 10N, Range 3W. This post office was discontinued October 16, 1867. Rolling Ground postmasters and their dates of appointment: Isaac Teller June 21, 1858 Jonah Glover July 15, 1863 John T. Coleman February 2, 1864 Marcus L. Coleman April 12, 1864 Nelson Enyart December 21, 1864 ROWES This post office was established on September 11, 1867 with Richard Rowes as postmaster. Although both the Wisconsin Postal History Society and the Wisconsin State Genealogical Society give October 16, 1867 as the discontinuance date, there is a document dated November 20, 1869, signed by Richard Rowes, postmaster, giving the location as NW quarter of Section 15, Township 10N, Range 3W in Clayton Township. Also the Post Office Department records show a postmaster appointment dated December 6, 1875. In the application for establishment of a post office, the location is given as Section 9, Township 10N, Range 3W. When Richard Rowes was postmaster, he probably had the post office at his home in the northwest corner of Section 15.. When Simon Haney became postmaster, he probably moved the post office to his residence. Shortly after the Rowes post office was discontinued, a post office named St. Philip was established with the same Simon Haney as postmaster. The 1878 plat map shows the location of the St. Philip post office was located and it was probably at this same location that the Rowes post office was finally located. Post Office Department records show that this post office was discontinued October 16, 1876. Rowes postmasters and their dates of appointment were: Richard Rowes September 11, 1867 Simon Haney December 6, 1875 SAINT PHILIP This post office was established March 26, 1877 with Simon Haney as postmaster. His post office named Rowes was discontinued just a few months before this post office was established. He was the only postmaster this office had during its existence. It was located in the center of the south boundary line of Section 16, Township 10N, Range 3W in Clayton Township. As one drives north from Rolling Ground, it was located along Highway 61 on that property which the 1994 Plat Book indicates is owed by Robert and Shirley Ellis. It was discontinued June 7, 1881. SENECA This post office was established May 9, 1855 with Samuel P. Langdon as postmaster. It is located in Section 10, Township 9N, Range 5W in Seneca Township. It is still in existence. " Mr. Langdon gave the name Seneca to the village at the suggestion of Nicholas Morgan, as that was the name of the town in the State of New York where he came from. - - - This was before the days of railroads in western Wisconsin, and Seneca being on the route between Prairie du Chien and Sparta, was quite an important point. In those days quite a hotel business was done at Seneca" (History of Crawford and Richland Counties, page 718) Seneca postmasters and their dates of appointment were: Samuel P. Langdon May 9, 1855 Daniel L. Smethurst April 17, 1868 Wm. Smethurst December 21, 1867 Andrew B. Withee November 25, 1870 Daniel Smethurst August 5, 1881 Edward Garvey March 15, 1886 Joseph Smethurst January 15, 1891 John Fitzgibbons December 15, 1892 John J. Collins September 21, 1897 Jerome Morris October 21, 1933 Thomas K. Taylor May 5, 1934 Jerome Morris June 2, 1936 Harry Shedivy May 31, 1952 Harold Trehey July 9, 1953 Marian J. McDonald (Off. In Charge) April 26, 1974 Sandra R. Maynard November 9, 1974 Nancy C. Ostrander May 30, 1981 SHAW HILL This post office was established November 22, 1869 with Thomas S. Shaw as postmaster. He was the only postmaster this office had during its short existence. It was located in the SW quarter of Section 31, Township 9N, Range 5W in Seneca Township. The location was probably about 3 miles north of Eastman where State Highway 27 meets Duha Ridge Road on property which according to the 1994 Plat Book is owned by Donald and Susan Trautsch. This post office was discontinued February 1, 1871. SIMS This post office was established July 8, 1895 with William Graul as postmaster. He was the only postmaster this office had during its short existence. It was located in the NW quarter of Section 6, Township 7N, Range 5W in Wauzeka Township. William Graul at that time owned the property which the 1994 Plat Book indicates is owned by Joann M. Bruckner, along Dutch Ridge Road just a short distance southeast of the point where Dutch Ridge Road and Nagel Road meet. It was discontinued June 27, 1896 and its patrons subsequently received mail from the post office at Wauzeka. SLADESBURGH This post office was established March 12, 1858 with Alphonse Slade as postmaster. It was located in the SE quarter of Section 12, Township 9N, Range 3W in Scott Township. Its location is clearly indicated on the 1878 plat map. It was probably located on the north side of County Trunk S on property which the 1994 plat map indicates is owned by Brian O'Connell. It is not known if this post office was moved when James W. Turk became postmaster. It was discontinued May 15, 1886, and its patrons subsequently received mail from Excelsior in Richland County. Sladesburgh's postmasters and their dates of appointment: Alphonse Slade Mar. 12, 1858 James W. Turk Aug 24, 1880 Levi L. Stewart Jan 13, 1886 SOLDIERS GROVE This post office was established March 23, 1869 with Atley Peterson as postmaster. It is still in existence. It is located in Section 32, Township 11N, R3W in Clayton Township. "History of Crawford and Richland Counties", page 580, concerning Soldiers Grove says: " The thriving little mart, which in 1884 contained about 300 people, is situated in section 31, town 11, range 3. The first building erected in the place was erected by J. H. Brightman, in 1856. He built a sawmill at this point about the same date, these being the only buildings for a number of years. In 1866, the village was laid out by Messrs. Netwick and Sime." It should be noted that the post office was moved from the old village to the new Solar Village after river conditions have made the old village prone to frequent flooding. On May 4, 1893, the official name of the post office was slightly changed by removal of the apostrophe in "Soldier's". Soldiers Grove postmasters and their dates of appointment were: Atley Peterson March 23, 1869 Ross L. Smith August 10, 1886 Ole O. Dahl April 19, 1889 Charles A. Nebel May 4, 1893 George A. Smith January 28, 1895 Wallace W. Bennett May 14, 1897 George C. Baker December 10, 1900 Jennie C. Baker December 26, 1901 Alexander P. Pugh May 7, 1907 Ella C. Gander May 1, 1908 Thomas Gander March 1, 1909 William M. Ward November 29, 1913 Donald C. McDowell March 31, 1922 Leo E. Doll, Acting PM December 31, 1934 Leo E. Doll, PM February 9, 1935 Vilas Kenneth Fortney, Acting PM February 9, 1953 George E. Edge, Acting PM July 3, 1953 Donald A. Denison, PM May 26, 1955 Robert E. Reinstra, PM August 17, 1974 Marian McDonald, Off. In Ch. October 8, 1976 Mrs. Wilma M. Everson, PM April 9, 1977 Marjorie Grimsled, Off. In Ch. February 19, 1983 Patricia M. Schoville, PM April 30, 1983 Kathy J. Swiggum, Off. In Ch. May 24, 1996 Theresa Hartenstein, PM June 22, 1996 SOMERVILLE This post office was established April 23, 1858 with Samuel Hutchins as postmaster. There is only one site record in the Post Office Department's records. It is too faint to read, but looks like Township 10 North, Range 4W. Velma Allen's notes show that the office was located "about 2 miles above Gays Mills." Checking the Crawford County land records, in Volume D, page 110, we find that at the time of his appointment as the first postmaster, Samuel Hutchins owned a plot of land consisting of 40 acres along the west section line of Section 15, Township 10 North, Range 4 West and this is probably where the post office was located. It is about 1˝ miles north of Gays Mills along Highway 131. This office was discontinued on November 12, 1867. Somerville postmasters and their dates of appointment: Leonard Hutchins April 23, 1858 Zelda W. Lampert May 12, 1862 John D. G. Jordan February 9, 1866 STEUBEN This Post office, named in honor of the famous German Revolutionary War general, Baron Von Steuben, was established April 27, 1882 with Henry C. Kast as postmaster. The office was discontinued January 11, 1887, and its patrons subsequently received mail from North Star. It was re-established on May 3, 1887 with George W. Farris, Jr. as postmaster. It was again discontinued on December 6, 1887. It was again re-established on May 7, 1888, with Ira D. Hurlbut as postmaster. It is located in the village of Steuben in Section 9, Township 8N, Range 4W in Eastman Township and is still in service. When first established, it was in the home of postmaster Henry C. C. Kast in Lot #8 of the original village. Post Office Department records show that the location changed several times sometimes being located in homes on the south side of the Kickapoo, and sometimes on the north side. Steuben postmasterss and their dates of appointment are: Henry C. C. Kast April 27, 1882 Lewis Cooley November 1, 1886 Discontinued Jan 11, 1887 and reestablished May 3, 1887 George W. Farris, Jr. May 3, 1887 Discontinued December 6, 1887 and reestablished May 7, 1888 Ira D. Hurlbut May 7, 1888 Emma D. Hurlbut February 13, 1891 Michael J. Crowley May 16, 1895 David Syverson October 28, 1895 Holly N. Pond October 15, 1901 Leo Geisler June 25, 1902 Charles E. Zilmer June 26, 1903 Alice E. Campbell November 1,1905 Janet Bartholomew December 13, 1912 Alice L. Campbell May 8, 1916 Lillie Plank, Actg. PM March 10, 1921 Lillie Plank April 9, 1921 Wallace Campbell April 12, 1922 Mrs. Madonna E. Groom, Actg. PM August 4, 1961 Mrs. Madonna E. Groom September 11, 1964 STOCKVILLE This post office was established May 9, 1855 with Henry Stucke as postmaster. Wisconsin Postal History says that its location is unknown, and I could find no record in the Post Office Department's site records for this office, but Velma Allen's card file records: "The first post office in Wauzeka Township, kept by Henry Stuckey in Section 14. Discontinued when Wauzeka post office was established." (Velma Allen card file, LWR Genealogical and Historical Research Center, Wauzeka WI). This, and conversation with old-timers in the area, would lead me to believe that this post office was located west of the present Wauzeka post office, probably near where Rhein Hollow Road meets Highway 60. Henry Stucke was the only postmaster Stockville ever had. This office was discontinued June 30, 1858. TELLER'S CORNERS This post office was established August 28, 1857 with Isaac Teller as postmaster. It was located in the NW quarter of Section 30, Township 9N, Range 3W in Scott Township. This office was discontinued January 10, 1872. Teller's Corners postmasters and dates of appointment: Isaac Teller August 28, 1857 Peter W. Bailey June 2, 1858 Cornelius B. Pake January 18, 1865 Platt H. Lathrop January 15, 1868 TOWERVILLE This post office was established August 8, 1857 with John H. Tower as postmaster. It was located in the NE quarter of Section 21, Township 11N, Range 4W in Utica Township. "A post office was established here August 8, 1857 with John H. Tower the first postmaster, followed by his brother, Thomas w. Tower. The village was laid out by these two. For a time it was a very thriving village, with a grist mill, a store, a blacksmith and cooper shop, a saw mill and a woolen factory. ...For about 20 years Towerville was considered a place of much importance." (History of Richland and Crawford Counties, page 737). Towerville postmasters and their dates of appointment were: John H. Tower August 8, 1857 Edward Davis May 25, 1865 Thos. W. Tower June 22, 1865 Archibald Sears June 20, 1872 DeWitt C. Towers December 8, 1875 Matthew Stuckard March 18, 1874 Archibald Sears November 3, 1876 Mrs. Amanda E. Helgerson October 8, 1885 George W. Davis January 29, 1886 This office was discontinued August 31, 1903 and its customers thereafter received their mail from the post office at Soldiers Grove. TRIUMPH This post office was established November 26, 1888 with Theron R. Wilber as postmaster. He was the only postmaster this office had during its existence. It was located in the SW quarter of Section 4, Township 10N, Range 4W in Township of Utica. This is near the place where County Trunk B and Turben Road meet on property which according to the 1994 Plat Book is owned by C. G. And M. Thompson. Mr. Wilber submitted an application on August 25, 1888 to establish the post office at this location. This office was discontinued June 15, 1891, and its patrons subsequently received mail from the post office at Mount Sterling. WATTERING GROVE This post office was established May 27, 1856 with David Alion as postmaster. He was the only postmaster during the existence of this post office. It was discontinued August 28, 1856. Perhaps it was never in service. There is no record of its site in the Post Office Department records, and its location is unknown. WAUZEKA This post office was established October 7, 1857 with Benjamin F. Hutchinson as postmaster. The office is still in existence. It is located in Section 17, Township 7N, Range 4W in Wauzeka Township. "Henry Stuckey was the next settler in the town. He came to Prairie du Chien sometime during 1838 and not long after made a claim, the greater part of which is on Section 13, town 7, range 5 west. He was a single man at the time, but he began the improvement of his land, soon after erecting a log house in which he kept "bachelor hall". In 1841 he married and remained on the place till his death." (History of Crawford and Richland Counties, page 750). A Courier newspaper article dated Aug 9, 1911: Mail Carrier in Trouble Earnest Smith, a former rural mail carrier at Wauzeka, was discharged by Federal Judge Sanborn last Wednesday. He was arrested six months ago on a charge of opening letters and has been confined in the county jail at Madison ever since. Smith said the letter was opened by a woman who rode with him and that he was innocent of wrongdoing. Harry Miller another carrier from the same village was arrested recently for delaying mail matter and is under $200 bonds until the matter can be looked into. Wauzeka Postmasters and their dates of appointment Benjamin F. Hutchinson October 7, 1857 Samuel C. Ball July 26, 1861 George W. Parker July 23, 1862 Craddock Barnett July 11, 1865 Levi C. Halsted June 5, 1871 Miss Jennie Walker January 3, 1872 W. C. Oswald February 24, 1873 Levi M. Culver July 18, 1876 Charles Brandes April 3, 1882 Christian Rice August 3, 1885 Byron C. Rosencrans July 30, 1890 Harrie McDonnell April 4, 1894 Frederick Brandes May 31, 1898 Bernice M. Brandes December 23, 1910 Eva S. Brandes February 16, 1911 William P. Mills August 29, 1914 Bernice M. Gregerson July 9, 1919 Eva S. Brandes December 31, 1926 Ralph W. Lathrop January 1, 1930 Marnell E. McCloskey May 30, 1936 Raymond Ellenbolt September 1987 Linda Roen (Officer in Charge)1992 Norman Berns March 9, 1993 Mike Bowers (Officer in Charge)May 1996 Galen Freymiller September 14, 1997 WHEATVILLE This post office was established February 28, 1868 with William B. Walton as postmaster. It was originally located in the SE quarter of Section 5, Township 9N, Range 3W in Scott Township. That is on property owned, according to the 1994 Plat Book, by Mark and Jo Burbach. At that time, a road ran north and south through that quarter-section, and it was along this road that the post office was located. When William B. Walton became postmaster he moved the post office to his farm in the NE quarter of Section 9, Township 9N, Range 3W in Scott Township. This is where Wheatville Road intersects with Highway 61. It was discontinued on February 28, 1902, and its patrons subsequently received mail from the post office at Soldiers Grove. Wheatville postmasters and their dates of appointment were: William B. Walton February 28, 1868 Charles Mitchell December 1, 1897 WRIGHT'S FERRY On May 14, 1857, the name of the Hills Valley post office was changed to Wright's Ferry with William Wright as postmaster. He was replaced as postmaster on January 6,1874 by J. A. Vollmer who served until the office was discontinued. This post office was located in the SE quarter of Section 6, Township 6N, Range 5W in Bridgeport Township. It was discontinued on October 16, 1876. YANKEETOWN This post office was established May 18, 1858 with Samuel G. Mills as postmaster. On December 13, 1865, the name of the office was changed to Pine Grove with Samuel Hutchins as postmaster. October 1, 1866, the name was changed back to Yankeetown with Moses W. Blair as postmaster. This office was originally located in the SW quarter of Section 36, Township 11N, Range 4W and later moved to Section 1, Township 10N, Range 4W, all in Clayton Township. The office was discontinued on June 20, 1882, and the patrons subsequently received mail from the post office at Soldiers Grove. Yankeetown postmasters and their dates of appointment were: Samuel G. Mills May 18,1858 Charles H. Campbell April 14, 1859 Moses W. Blair May 13, 1863 Samuel Hutchins April 7, 1865 Moses W. Blair October 1, 1866 Joseph M. Craigs February 18, 1874 Massena Langdon February 14, 1879 I am deeply indebted to the Wisconsin Postal History Society for much of this material which was taken from their publication "Wisconsin: Its Territorial and Statehood Post Offices" and to the Wisconsin State Genealogical Society, Inc., for material taken from its publication: "Wisconsin Place Names". Also, I am indebted to the LWR Historical and Genealogical Research Center in Wauzeka, Wisconsin for allowing me to use the historical card file assembled by Velma Allen which is in their library. Sketch #1 - All the post offices of Crawford County, past and present, with the exception of those whose locations are unknown. Sketch #2 - The post offices which were existent in April 1859, with the exception of those whose locations are unknown. Sketch #3 - Post offices which were discontinued after January 1, 1900.