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Transcribed
by
Ann Selvig, from:
Allerton, Iowa Centennial,
ALLERTON
POST
OFFICE Established 6-13-1871
Postmaster
Period Served
Isaac Kersey
June 13, 1871
George McLean
August 2, 1871
Ate Raiser
April 8, 1873
Edward E. Foster
(date not given)
Charles F. LeCompte
Feb. 14, 1878
George M. Finley
Dec. 22, 1884
David D. Shirley
Dec. 4, 1885
George W. Hill
July 28, 1886
Samuel H. Hedrix
Apr. 19, 1889
John M. Hester
May 11, 1893
George W. Hill
July 2, 1895
Samuel H. Hedrix
May 17, 1897
John C. Meredith
Dec. 14, 1908
Ed McConaughey
July 23, 1913
Wilma Bull
Aug. 1, 1920
William Hall
Dec. 14, 1921
Mrs. Tilda O. Nye
June 18, 1934
Clare Dougherty
Apr. 30, 1940
Thomas H. Alley
June 30, 1952
Virgil L. Ellis
Sept. 15, 1954
Still serving – 1973
Above list from “Interesting County History”
W. H. Burton
Mildred Ruark, Clerk, started with the Post
Office Department in 1938 and is still serving. Laura
Davis is substitute clerk.
The first Post Office that is known, was
located in the Bullis Building, which was located
just north of the Bullis home on the east side of
Central Avenue in block 31. The Bullis
Home is now the residence of Edna Cook. In the
late 1800’s the Post Office was moved to the west
side where the Bank is today – then where the Civic
Center is and last at its present location.
The first main was brought to Allerton from
Corydon by Jack.
L. L. Lugar was one of the drivers. Mail came
for many years by passenger trains until they were
discontinued in 1967.
Around 1950 the HPO’s went into service. These were
Highway Post Office Buses which ran for about 8 to
10 years. The
Star Route was started after the last mail trains
and is still in service today.
Postage stamps for first class mail were
first 2c sealed or 1c unsealed. Then it
went to 3c, 4c, 6c and today 8c. Post cards
were first a penny, then 2c, 4c and now 6c. The first
air mail started around 1920 and the stamp was 24c,
but was soon reduced to 10c for ½ ounce. Later the
air mail stamp dropped to 6c, then went up to 8c,
10c and today is 11c.
The 1c post card is 100 years old.
The first Rural Mail was carried by horseback
or carriage. Some
of the Rural Mail Carriers were: P. K.
Houston, Fred Houston, Glenn Tibbets, Leo Ferrell,
Eldie Conwell, Noble Reagan, Les Bade, Bill Rayburn
and Karl Hursey.
A substitute carrier was Rodney Cobb.
1973 Rural Mail Carriers are Jack Keho and
Leonard Hashman.
Substitute is Dan Day.
In 1971 the department was changed from the
Government to the United States Postal Service which
is an Independent Corporation headed by 9 men.
From 1858 to 1866, Samuel Wright had a
contract with the government to carry the U. S. Mail
between Princeton, Missouri and Chariton, Iowa. With the
large volume of mail that is handled today, and most
of it being processed out of the Des Moines office,
undoubtedly the mail carried then by horseback went
faster than our mail today!
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