History of Our Eagle Grove Post Office

By Lewis E. Wilson

February 11, 1971

Lewis Elmer Wilson

February 23, 1889 --- December 23, 1979

Born in Polk County, Nebraska; Died in Clarion, Wright County, Iowa

Having served for more than ten years as assistant postmaster in Eagle Grove, I was interested in looking up the records of some of the other post offices in Wright County.

I was rather shocked when I found that there had been 28 post offices established in Wright County over the years! They were Aldrich, Bach Grove, Belmond, Bruce, Clarion, Cornelia, Dows, Drew, Dry Lake, Eagle Grove, Empire, Florence, Fryeburgh, Galtville, Galt, Goldfield, Holmes, Lena, Luni, Montgomery, Morhain, Olaf, Palsville, Rosedale, Rowan, Thrall, Waterman, Woolstock.

Many of these were of short duration, but some, not operated now, served a community for a number of years. Luni was established March 9, 1858 with one, C. H. Packard as postmaster, and this office was not discontinued until June 23, 1888. Bach Grove was established June 19, 1858 with J. D. Sells as postmaster, and was discontinued on August 22, 1881, and Mr. Elmore Middleton, one of our very early settlers, was the last postmaster. Otisville later became Dows. Of special interest are the early postmasters of offices presently serving the folks of Wright County. The first postmaster of Belmond was Archer Dumond; of Clarion, O. K. Eastman; Dows, R. E. Train; Eagle Grove, S. B. Hewett Jr., (this was the post office situated north west of the present site of Eagle Grove, and his appointment was dated June 18, 1861, nearly 20 years before there was an Eagle Grove Junction. In Goldfield, John B. Skinner was appointed May 27, 1856, this appointment was made just 28 days before the Belmond appointment and Mr. Skinner was the first appointed postmaster in Wright County. B. F. McDaniels was the first postmaster of Woolstock, he being appointed on April 16, 1868.

Quoting from the early history of Wright County: "A post office known as Eagle Grove, Wright County, Iowa, was established in Eagle Grove township, near the present city of Eagle Grove, long before railroad days. It was established in the summer of 1861, and when the town was started it was moved to the new hamlet."  The first postmaster was Sumner B. Hewett, his appointment was dated June 18, 1861. Abbie S. Hewett was appointed on April 28, 1875, and when the office was moved to Eagle Grove Junction she served until George Wright was appointed March 4, 1884. The post office building at that time was located in a frame building located on a lot west of the Eagle Grove Eagle building. Following Mr. Wright, J. H. Howell was appointed October 6, 1885. O. H. Brooks was appointed on February 11, 1890, being succeeded by Mr. J. H. Howell whose term started on November 4, 1895. F. J. Wills followed, his term starting on November 5, 1897. Mr. John Buchanan followed Mr. Wills, being appointed on August 17, 1900. He served nearly 13 years, the longest term served of any postmaster since S. B. Hewett.

It was during the last term served by Mr. Howell that the office was moved to about the center of the block just east of the Security Savings Bank. This building housed the post office until 1901 when the Citizens State Bank built the brick building, now occupied by the XL Cleaners. This was the post office for many years. It was on March 9, 1909, that I joined the post office force as assistant postmaster under Mr. Buchanan. On July 1 of that year the office became a second class post office, and I along with Lysle W. Renne, who was appointed as a clerk, were classified under the civil service. A picture showing the office at that time is shown in this article.

At that time we had no city delivery and all mail had to be called for by patrons of the office. There was just over 1,100 boxes, most of them call boxes, the patrons who received the most mail usually had lock boxes, the boxes at that time being opened by keys. The rural mail was deliverd by five rural carriers, all driving horses on the routes, the shortest route being 24 miles and the longest 27-1/2 miles. The first carriers were Mr. Russell, Charles H. Warren, Carl W. Thorup, James McCurry, and J. T. Archerd. When Mr. Russell resigned Peter B. Hovland was appointed to his route and James M. Rose was appointed when Mr. Archerd resigned. These five carriers carried the rural mail for many years, but as the automobile became more in use, the force of carriers was reduced by consolidating the routes.

At present but two carriers deliver the rural mail, one route being just over 91 miles and the other one nearly 104 miles long. These longer routes are covered nowadays quicker than the shortest routes were during the horse and buggy days. After Lysle Renne quit to attend college at Ames, Rae W. Vaughn and Miss Helen Roseland were appointed as clerks. On July 15, 1913 Harry A. Cooke became postmaster. It was during his term in office that Mr. Vaughn was transferred to the Mason City post office and Miss Veronica Kenefick became a clerk and when I resigned effective April 1, 1919 she became assistant postmaster.

City mail routes were established in 1914 with two regular carriers, Zola B. Stewart and Edwin Allaire. Earl T. Maloney was the substitute carrier. Not long after the routes were established he became a regular carrier and Ben Borwey was appointed as substitute carrier, then a regular carrier for many years. Benjamin Borwey was promoted to the position of postmaster in 1921 and served three four-year terms. He was succeeded by Tom W. Kenefick who served as postmaster from July 1, 1935, until his death April 24, 1938. John R. Reider was appointed as acting postmaster May 1, 1938 and became classified as postmaster May 17, 1939. He was transferred to a rural route July 1, 1947. Charlotte R. Whalen was appointed as acting postmaster on June 30, 1947 and served until Philip W. Thurtle was appointed postmaster July 23, 1949. His service is the longest of any postmaster in the history of Eagle Grove. Some facts of interest about the post office during the years are: Office became 2nd class under Mr. Buchanan July 1, 1909. Became a 1^st class office on July 1, 1961 under Mr. Thurtle.

Postal Savings was established April 1, 1912 under Mr. Buchanan. Closed June 13, 1967. During the depression years many thousand dollars was deposited in the postal savings, but after the banks had insured deposits most of the money was withdrawn. This writer purchased the first certificate of deposit in the postal savings. I worked at the post office at that time. The first money order written in Eagle Grove post office after the office was moved to Eagle Grove Jct. was drawn in favor of Sumner B. Hewett and the second one was to H. E. Boughton, jeweler. Bert H. Clark drove the first car on a rural delivery in 1910. It was a Lambert.

The post office was moved from the building built by the Citizens State Bank in 1901 to the Kloster building, the First Liberty Savings Bank building on September 15, ??? and remained there until moved to its present location on September 27, 1957. Many have worked in the post office, on its several delivery routes during the years. Those who have retired from the work are Edward O. Larson, Edward Pool, Peter B. Hovland, Lester Cannon, Helen Roseland Newman, John Godfrey and John Reider.

Those active now are Philip W. Thurtle, postmaster; Deloris McVicker, assistant postmaster; Gerald M. Bromley, clerk; Donald D. Lindstrom, sub clerkcarrier; Lloyd M. Hanson, city carrier; Jack D. Middleton, city carrier; Donald E. Halverson, city carrier; Roger L. Strong, substitute carrier; Frances L. Lindstrom, substitute carrier-temporary; Ormal V. Roepke, rural carrier; Daryl R. Harlan, rural carrier. Deloris McVicker was of great assistance in compiling the above list.

The first post office, the log cabin pictured above, located on, what most of us refer to as the James farm, north west of our city, and getting its name, Eagle Grove, from an Eagle's nest west of the post office site located on the Grant Trask farm near the Boone river. In a recent publication of the Iowa Historical Society, covering our history up to 1875, some six years before Eagle Grove Junction was platted, stated that the early settlers built homes along the Boone and Iowa rivers. The first settler was one, Major W. Brassfield who settled on the Boone in 1854. Soon others came, William Stryker, then the families of Stephen Wilcox, Sumner B. Hewett, N. B. Paine, Elmore Middleton. North of this settlement were the W. H. Montgomery, O. C. Mcintosh and the C. H. Martin families. These were families near Liberty, now Goldfield.

Some first of these new communities were: The first merchant in the County was one, John Melrose, Esq. of Liberty. The first marriage was that of Alexander Usher to Lucy Ann Brasfield. The first white child born in the County was Amanda Jane Montgomery on March 21, 1855. The first school was in a log cabin, 12 by 14 feet, built on the land now farmed by B. H. Moklebust. The first church meeting was held in this log cabin. The first newspaper was published in Liberty. The Wright County Free Press, G. D. Ingersoll, publisher. The first County Officers were John L. Morse, auditor; L. P. Davis, clerk of courts; T. Garth, superintendent; M. H. Austin, surveyor; J.H. Rowen, treasurer; Ed Hartsock, recorder; A. R. Nelson, sheriff and C. Packard, coroner. The first Board of Supervisors were, D. N. Inman, chairman of Dry Lake; Adrian Elder, Belmond and N. B. Paine, Eagle Grove, members.