Mills County, Iowa

Silver City Community History
1879 - 1979

SILVER CITY MAIL CARRIER

C.C. “Jack” Clipson, veteran Silver City rural mail carrier, wore out 22 cars and five Jeeps before he retired on June 30, 1963, serving more than 43 years in his job. It made him one of the county’s most extensively traveled — in distance — men. Jack Clipson drove around a half million miles in all kinds of weather and roads, a little farther than to the moon and back.

A native Silver Citian, his interest in mail work started after graduation from Silver City in 1913. He was a substitute carrier for several years and on January 12, 1920 he became the regular carrier. He never missed a winter since 1915 and winters were special in those days of mud roads.

He started to use a team and wagon and even after he started to use a car, he had to resort to the slower mode during bad weather. During 43 years of service, the winter of 1935-36 was bad. Snow was so deep that the snow plows couldn’t push it aside.

He once drove 100 miles to deliver some mail to patrons who were only 2 miles from town. The improvement of the road was appreciated by Mr. Clipson but when he retired he still had 16 miles of unsurfaced dirt roads.

The flood of June 1947 was particularly bothersome as more than 40 bridges throughout the county were washed out and many of them around Silver City. Many extra miles were necessary to get deliveries through. During the war, vacation and sick leave were disregarded and Jack worked five years straight without a vacation.

Because of the little extras Jack provided to his route patrons, they held a pot luck picnic in his honor upon his retirement in 1963.

~submitted by Roseanna Zehner & Darlene Jacoby