MUSCATINE COUNTY IOWA HISTORY

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Picture: Will Mullen in his rural mail wagon - Courtesy of Marvel Ringgenberg De Muth
A small chimney in the roof of the vehicle shows that there was a stove in this mail wagon.

Post Offices in Wilton-Moscow Area

Transcribed by Sarah Boye, December 4, 2015

     The information about post offices is taken from files at the Iowa State Historical Society in Iowa City. The numbers in parenthesis following the name of the post office refers to the Iowa number given to that office. They were designated in chronological order so the smaller the number the earlier the post office.

    Moscow (40) was established on Oct. 9, 1839. The first postmaster was Wm. I. Hughes.

    Melpine (214) about 7 miles southeast of Wilton was established Nov. 15, 1847 with Elias <. Meaksmer as postmaster. It was discontinued March 16, 1864, but was reestablished Sept. 12, 1865 with Andrew Duffs as postmaster and was discontinued July 29, 1879.

    Glendale (352) was established June 1, 1850 and discontinued July 3, 1851. The postmaster was Samuel D. Viele. Location Unknown.

    Lactin (481) was established Dec. 19, 1851 and was discontinued March 16, 1857. John Boydston, postmaster. Mr. Boydston owned the farm 2 miles north of Wilton which now belongs to Mrs. James Walton. This homestead was on the stagecoach route from Davenport to Iowa City and the mail came by stage.

    Pleasant Hill (814) about 7 miles northwest of Wilton was established July 24, 1855 with Martin G. Miller as postmaster and was discontinued Jan. 2, 1861. It was reestablished Feb. 18, 1861 with James Scott as postmaster and was discontinued Feb. 6, 1874. It was again reestablished March 5, 1879 with C.F. Bowers as postmaster. It has been out of existence for many years, probably being replaced by Munn in 1883.

    Wilton Junction (954) was established July 14, 1856 with Henry S. Geisler as postmaster. The name was changed to Wilton in the 1970's.

    Summit (1228) about 5 miles south of Wilton was established June 19, 1858 and was discontinued Aug. 3, 1863. Allan T. Lorin was the postmaster. It was reestablished Sept. 9, 1863 with Daniel Stiles as postmaster and was discontinued July 22, 1872.

    Sugar Creek Mills (2144) 3 1/2 miles northwest of Wilton was …

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… established Jan. 19, 1874 with Thomas J. Knott, the miller, as postmaster. The name was changed to Sugar Creek on Jan. 21, 1883. No closing date is given, but the post office has been gone for a long time.

    Munn (Lime City) (2757) 5 miles northwest of Wilton was established Dec. 24, 1883 with Liverton T. Munn, the storekeeper, as the first postmaster. The name was changed to Lime City on Jan. 18, 1894. It was discontinued Oct. 31, 1905 when the lime kilns were shut down.

    Sunbury (3207) about 7 miles northeast of Wilton was established Sept. 29, 1892 with Jacob L. Denkmann as the first postmaster. The closing of this post office is being considered in this bicentennial year of 1976.

    Wilton postmasters in order of service: Henry S. Giesler, R. A. McIntire, J.E. Walker, J.S. Kiefer, Charles S. Baker, Dan Harker, John G. Ellis, J.M. Rider, W.P. Ross, C.A. Walker, H.E. Nicolaus, Corneluis Van Zandt, H.W. Lamp, A.C. Shiflet, Mortimer Sullivan, Charles H. Jasperson, C.H. Jacobson, Cora Jacobson, Olive Burrows, George Kook, Mrs. Craig Henderson and Virgil A Ducker.

    Rural carriers for Wilton have been Charles Van Epps, William Mullen, Mr. Freeland, Albert Kelley, O.A. Ford, Harvey Gross, Hilbert Stucker, Harlan Beinke, Mrs. Sadie Henly, Irving Lenker, Donald Anderson, Betty Maurer and Leo Orchiltree.

    "The residents on Rural Route No 1. have adopted the Bond Steel plate rural box, for use on the route and they will be put in a position for use by the 1st of August. An agent for the company made a canvass this week and took the orders at $2.00 per box, delivered.

    "The boxes are 16 inches long, 6 inches wide, 6 inches deep front, 10 inches back and weigh 14 pounds each. They are made from Bessemer steel plates, securely riveted, coated with pure aluminum. A signal is attached to the box and is turned up when there is mail to go out.

    "There is a patent device to hold the outgoing mail. This saves the carrier time in searching the bottom of the box and makes sure that he does not miss any.

    "These boxes are to be firmly bolted to a heavy steel post which is 6 1/2 feet long set 2 1/2 ft. in the ground." The Wilton Advocate-Review July 13, 1901.

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    I remember how girls who could stay after school would play ball on the school grounds. If we didn't have a ball bat we'd find a narrow board to use. We varied in size from school age on down. Sometimes a small child wanted to play and we'd have her hold a board straight up, then the pitcher would aim at the board. The youngster would think she'd batted the ball and happily run around the bases. In those days we could play joyfully without teacher supervision. ~ Lydia Nygel