LOUISA COUNTY, IOWA

The Republican Centennial Edition, Wapello, Louisa County, Iowa
Thursday, July 12, 1956, Section Three, Page 4
Transcribed by Shirley Plumb, July 1, 2019

SMALL BUSINESS FOR 119 YEARS
Never Any Competition

    No wonder we need a new post office building so badly here in Wapello as this is the oldest business here, having been in continuous operation since August 15, 1837, and has never had any competition.

    However, the post office has not been in this same location for that many years. There is a story that the first office was in John Bevins tavern there in Wapello and that he was the first postmaster. But according to a list from the postmaster general’s office a list of the early postmasters with the dates of their appointments is as follows:

    Christopher A. Ballard, Aug. 15, 1837; Tadoka C. Inghram, Oct. 26, 1838; George W. McCleary, Dec. 29, 1840; John C. McCleary, Nov. 29, 1843; George W. McCleary, Jan 20, 1845; John Bird, May 16, 1845, Jacob Minton, Feb. 10, 1846; John A. Pilger, Feb. 7, 1848; Samuel M. Kirkpatrick, Apr. 9, 1848; Samuel Townsend, Apr. 10, 1850; Mark Davison, Feb. 4, 1852; James Noffinger, Jan. 7, 18 53; Lauren Wells, Aug. 17, 1855; Wm. Keach, April 3, 1861; George H. Thomas, July 16, 1863.

    Since that time there have been, in the order of their appointments, M. L. Jamison, John M. Herrick, James S. Hurley, Mattie G. Hurley, Rodney G. Hawkins, Ed Hicklin, J. D. Hicklin, Ed Garrett, C. H. Hamilton, M. H. Barnes, Bernice Herrick, Mike Herrick, and last but not least, we have always ready to accommodate you, Francis Bucher.