The Post Office
There is a town about half a mile east of the center of Warren Township named McCallsburg, in which there is a postoffice named Latrobe. Should the reader ever want to visit this place by rail he should be careful to procure a ticket for McCallsburg; but should he write to a friend to meet him at McCallsburg, he should be particular to address his letter to Latrobe. Great in-convenience often occurs to shippers because of the different names of the town and post office; and the sooner this matter is settled by giving the town and postoffice one name the better it will be for all concerned.
— Allen's History of Story County
The first Postmaster was John Smith. He was appointed February 23, 1882 at the town of Latrobe. On February 23, 1883, the name of the Post Office was changed to McCallsburg.
Rex Corsbie has served since July 1966, when the Roland and McCallsburg routes were combined.
The following Postmasters have served at McCallsburg: 1887-1889, Asa B. Griffith; 1889-1893, John H. Boston; 1893-1897, John Peck; 1897-1914, O.J. Solyst; 1915-1921, Lars H. Bakka; 1921-1922, William A. Stevenson; 1922-1933, W. D. Lorenzen; 1934-1936, Rasmus Thompson; 1936-1942, Jake A. Mein; 1942-, Velma Olson.
The rural carriers have been John Solyst, John Schauper, William Tett, Rev. Genung, Rassie Thompson, Henry Mehlow, Bert Bergland, Gordon Woster, Roy Ringgenberg, Ione Holland, Blanche Mehlow, Rex Corsbie.
Henry Mehlow served for Twenty-three years.
The Telephone
No early records were found of the first telephone lines built in Warren Twp. but some reports indicate that they were built in Warren Twp. but some reports indicate that they were built and repaired by the farmers themselves. The first name connected with the telephone is that of Bill Harden, followed by a man named Botsford. Some of our senior citizens recall that the first switchboard was located in a building along with a restaurant, on the north side of main street, and was later moved to another building east of there - - that was destroyed by fire about 1910. (This stood where the old Coop station now stands.)
Because of the fire it was necessary to hunt a new location, so the office was set up in a room in the Ora Fish home, and they served as operators of the switchboard. (This house which is located just east of Bank's Cafe was moved into town from the country, and housed the telephone office until the dial system went into effect.)
According to records, the Marshall Finnie family took over the telephone duties following the Ora Fish family - - and operated the switchboard until April 23, 1928 when the Central Iowa Telephone Company of Cedar Rapids purchased the equipment, and Mr. and Mrs. Frank Nail were hired as the new operators of the system. (Mrs. Nail was to serve as chief operator - - and Mr. Nail as manager.)
In October 1944 another change took place when Mrs. McNamar moved into the house and assumed the duties as operator, with Mr. Nail continuing as manager of the company and Mrs. Nail as relief operator. They all served in this capacity until the dial system went into effect April 1, 1953.
While this was a big day in telephone history, and another step in progress in the community, many patrons complained about paying toll bills to surrounding towns - - including Zearing, Colo, Garden City, Hubbard, Radcliffe, Ellsworth and Jewell, which formerly they could call on a commercial line known as a Free line.
Telephones no longer were used for just emergency and necessary business calls from 5 A.M. until 9 P.M. — but with 24 hour service and the convenience of dialing, so many more calls were put through that the original dial equipment was replaced with new September 6, 1966. This is housed in a brick building erected just north of main street, when the dial system was put into operation.
The company changed hands in 1968 and is now known as the General Telephone Company of Iowa Central Iowa Telephone Company.
Plans for direct dialing are now underway - with hopes of completion in the near future.