History of Goodhue County, Minnesota, Part 33

Author: Curtiss-Wedge, Franklyn
Publication date: 1909
Publisher: Chicago, H.C. Cooper
Number of Pages: 1264

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"Using a postage stamp after it has onee been used, fifty dol- lars fine."'

Mr. Hoffman, who was an appointee of President Buchanan, retired in 1861, and was succeeded by Mr. Sorin, who was ap- pointed by President Lincoln. Early in his administration, con- sequent upon the breaking out of the Civil War, a new series of postage stamps was necessary, and we find in this connection the following notice published :

. To the Publié :

We are now furnished with the new stamps of the denomina- tions of 10, 20 and 30 cents and are directed to exchange for "an equivalent amount of the old issue" for six days only.

Red Wing, Nov. 4, 1861.

M. Sorin, Postmaster.

About this time newspaper wrappers were first brought into use. They must have attracted general attention, for a notice published in the "Republican" at the time states :

"Mr. Lowater, at the post-office, has shown us a new style of wrapper. It is intended for wrapping newspapers, has the stamp affixed, and is self-sealing. It is a great convenience and the price is 'but little more than the stamp itself. Try them."

The rapid development of the state at this time led to the continual changing of mail supplies and in 1862 we find a mate- rial change in the published announcement of the Red Wing post- office. Under date of May 16, that year, the following appears :

Post-Office,-Office hours on week days from 7 a. m. to 8 p. m. On Sundays from 9 to 10. a. m., and from 12:00 m. to 1:00 p. m. Up mail closes at 10:30 a. m. Down mail closes at 12:00 m.

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HISTORY OF GOODHUE COUNTY

Red Wing to Mantorville,-Leaves Tuesday, Thursday and Satur- day at 8:00 a. m. Arrives Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 5:00 p. m.

Red Wing to Blue Earth City,-Leaves Monday at 8:00 a. m. Arrives Thursday at 6:00 p. m.

Red Wing to Le Sueur,-Leaves Monday at 8:00 a. m. Arrives Saturday at 5:00 p. m.

The mail UP will be closed at 10:30 a. m. The mail DOWN will be closed at 12:00 m. until further notice.

There were delinquents in matters postal in those days as now. Under date of September 19, 1862, there appeared in print the following notice :

Post-Office Notice,-All persons indebted to the post-office for box rent or postage are requested to make payment before the first of October, if not we shall consider that they do not wish for their box or papers any longer. M. Sorin,

By E. P. Lowater, Deputy. Postmaster.

A change in the postal laws of decided interest was made about this time. It provided :

"By sections 33 and 34 of this law the rate of postage on all transient matter and upon all mailable matter, except letters and regular papers and periodicals, is fixed by the weight of the pack- age.(excepting circulars). The standard weight is fixed at four ounces, and passes at the rate of two cents, an extra rate of two cents being added for each additional weight or fraction of it. Double this rate (that is, four cents) is charged for books by the same standard weight. Three circulars or any less number, in one unsealed envelope to one address, pass at the same rate of two cents. Seeds, engravings, and the other miscellaneous matter mentioned in the third class of section 20 of this law, are also charged at the same rate of two cents for each four ounces or fraction of it, sent to one address. These postage charges must in all cases be prepaid by stamps; no extra charge is made, as heretofore, for any business card or address printed on the wrap- per."

Some considerable changes are noted in a mail schedule ap- pearing on November 15, 1863, which reads as follows :

Post-Office Notice.

From this time, to the 15th of April, 1864, unless further notice is given, the Up River Mail will be closed daily at 6:00 p. m., Mondays excepted ; Down River Mails will be closed daily at 1:00 p. m., Fridays excepted.

The Way mails for St. Paul and Winona leave Red Wing on Monday, at 7:00 a. m.

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The Mantorville Mails leave Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Satur- days, at 8:00 a. m.

Cannon River Mails leave Wednesdays and Saturdays at 6:00 a. m.

The Wanamingo Mail leaves on Saturday, at 8:00 a. m.

It is very desirable that all letters for the country and way mails up and down be deposited in the office the evening previous.

Office hours from 7:30 a. m. until 7:30 p. m.

Red Wing, Nov. 16, 1863. E. P. Lowater, Dept. P. M.

In 1864 E. P. Lowater, who had served as deputy under Mr. Sorin, succeeded him as postmaster. During his administration, on November 1, 1864, the postal money order system of the post- office department was established and Red Wing designated as one of the 139 offices in the country authorized to transaet the business.

The first day one order was issued to Amanda Cole, of Rice Lake, Wis., for $14.00. remitted to L. A. Godey, Philadelphia, Pa. The first order was paid on November 17, 1864. It was issued at Chattanooga, Tenn., being purchased by J. C. Hawes, then serving in the army, payable to his wife, Lydia B. Hawes, and was for the sum of $30.00, the maximum amount of orders at that time. The first year 295 orders were issued, the second 411 and the third 606. During the first ten years 13,100 orders were issued. The first year 104 orders were paid. When the money order business was established the sum of $300.00 was transferred from the general fund with which to do business. With that as the basis was established the business which today amounts to more than $300,000.00 annually.

Mr. Lowater served as postmaster until October, 1866. He conducted the post-office in a general store which he owned, which was at the corner of Main and Bush streets, where the St. James Hotel now stands. Prior to his time the office had been located on Main street in the bloek between Bush and Plum, a portion of the time on the north side and the remainder of the time on the south side of the street.

A mail schedule, published in July, 1866, again shows some important changes. It reads :

Mantorville,-Arrive Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Depart Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.

Faribault .- Arrive Wednesday, Saturday. Depart Tuesday and Friday.

Northfield,-Arrive Tuesday, Friday. Depart Wednesday and Saturday.

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Saint Paul,-None up Monday. None down Saturday. Eastern,-None up Tuesday. None down Saturday. Way Mails,-None up Tuesday. None down Friday. N. B .- The Eastern mail closes at 4:00 p. m.

E. P. Lowater, Postmaster.

W. W. DeKay was appointed postmaster to succeed Mr. Lowater, but for some reason the appointment was not confirmed and Captain A. Wright was then named, taking charge of the office in May, 1867, after seven months' service by Mr. DeKay. The same year the office was removed to a building on Rush street, between Main and Third.

Captain Wright served as postmaster four years. He was succeeded in 1871 by C. C. Webster. Early in his administration the Red Wing post-office became an international money order office. But the great event of his term was the establishment of mail service by rail on the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul rail- way, then just completed through Red Wing. On October 13. 1871, the Red Wing post-office received its first mail by train, and the days of the steamboat and stage coach supply which had done service for more than twenty years were at an end. At the start there was one mail a day each way. A train left St. Paul at 9:20 a. m., arriving at Red Wing at noon and reaching Winona, the end of the run, at 4 o'clock. Another train left Winona at 10:10 a. m., arriving at Red Wing at 2:10 and at St. Paul at 4:55. The trip between Red Wing and St. Paul consumed almost three hours, where now it is performed in little more than one hour.

Captain Wright, whom Mr. Webster succeeded as postmaster. was one of the first two railway mail clerks. In June, 1872. through service to Chicago was established with two trains a day each way, which service has been increased to six at the present time. The run from Chicago to St. Paul consumed about twenty-two hours. Now it is made in little more than half that time-in fact, in ten hours by some of the mail trains.

In 1875 A. F. Graves became postmaster. Shortly after he took charge the post-office was removed to the corner of Third and Bush streets, the present loeation of Bender's drug store, where it remained more than twenty years. During the adminis- tration of Mr. Graves the office records show the first statement of receipts of the Red Wing post-office. For the year ending June 30, 1878, they amounted to $7,480.99. As showing the later growth of the office no little interest attaches to a statement of mails found in the old records. A count kept for seven days in November. 1879, showed the dispatch of the following mail from the office :

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Letters in plain envelopes. 2,171

Letters in Gov't. Special Request Envelopes. 460

Letters in private return Request Envelopes.

Letters in official envelopes 1,688

Postal cards 969

218

Newspapers 3.338

Books and transient papers 432

Merchandise 92

9,367

There were cancelled: 418 one cont stamps; 86 two cent: 3,858 three cent-the three cent letter rate was in force then; 08 five cent ; 30 six cent and 31 ten cent. During the week the office issued 94 money orders and paid 29; registered 19 letters, handled 76 in transit and delivered 46.

At that time, besides the railroad service, the office supplied stage lines running to Cannon Falls, Faribault, Zumbrota, Ells- worth. Diamond Bluff, Belvidere and Thoten.

Mr. Graves served as postmaster from 1875 to 1887, when he was succeeded by Captain W. W. DeKay. During his time of office, in 1889, the city free delivery service was established here, at first with four carriers, which number was later reduced to three, but has since been increased at different times until now seven carriers are employed in the service. making two residence and four business deliveries daily.

In 1891 Fred Seebach, now county treasurer. succeeded Mr. DeKay as postmaster. He also served four years, being succeeded in 1895 by George H. Benton. A rather amusing incident during Mr. Seebach's term-amusing it appears now, although at the time it possessed a serious aspect to many-was an attempt of the post-office department in simplifying names to change "Red Wing" to "Redwing." The protests which arose because of this were so vigorous and energetic that, although the change had been ordered and put into effect, the department was finally com- pelled to countermand the order.

Mr. Benton also served four years. Near the close of his term the office was removed to the location on Third street near Bush, which has been occupied the last ten years.

In 1899 C. A. Rasmussen succeeded Mr. Benton as postmaster.

During the fall of that year, on September 5, to be exact, Mr. Rasmussen secured the establishment of the first two rural routes in this section, among the very first in the state. In 1901 this number was inereased to five, in 1903 to eight and in 1905 to nine, giving the rural distriet on the Minnesota side of the Mississippi river tributary to Red Wing as complete a system of rural mail delivery as can be found anywhere in the county. And as still further evidence of the growth and development of the business

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of the office during Mr. Rasmussen's term of service the number of city letter carriers has increased from three to seven, the force of office employees from three to eight, nine rural carriers put in service, besides two employed in the care of the new federal building, making a total force regularly connected with the new post-office of twenty-six, besides five substitutes, where there were but seven ten years ago.

For the period for which a record has been kept the postal receipts of the Red Wing post-office have been, by fiscal years ending June 30, as follows: 1876, $7,480.00; 1877. $7,714.00; 1878, $8,538.00 : 1879, $9,512.00 ; 1880, $10,127.00; 1881, $10,415.00; 1882, $12,399.00; 1883, $12,640.00; 1884. $10,369.00; 1885, $10,456.00; 1886, $10.218.00: 1887, $10.407.00: 1888. $10.272.0; 1889, $9,617.00; 1890, $10,473.00; 1891. $10,293.00; 1892, $10,965.00; 1893, $12,- 271.00; 1894, $12.068.00; 1895, $12,535.00; 1896, $12,598.00; 1897, $12,104.00; 1898, $12,817.00; 1899, $13,336.00; 1900, $14,485.00; 1901, $15.236.00; 1902, $16,122.00; 1903, $17,367.00; 1904, $18,- 889.00; 1905, $20,477.00: 1906, $21,552.00; 1907, $23,781.00; 1908, $25,530.00; 1909, $29,927.00.

The money orders issued have increased from 295 for the year ending in 1865 to 14,608 for the year ending in 1908, while the number paid has increased from 104 to 18,719.

The official roster of the office at present is as follows: Post- master, C. A. Rasmussen; assistant postmaster, C. O. Forssell; clerks, F. C. Seebach, C. A. K. Johnson, O. N. Rock, E. F. See- bach, Edna V. Erickson, Roy N. Howe; city letter carriers, A. C. Cook. Jens Love. J. G. Kappel, Edwin DeKay, W. J. Diepenbrock, L. Penfold, Alfred Swanson ; rural letter carriers, C. A. Lidberg, M. O. Nelson, A. A. Schleuter, F. J. Schenach, J. H. Drew, P. J. Buran, F. W. Boatman, O. B. Arntson, Henry Nelson; substitute city carrier, O. J. Servick; substitute rural carriers, N. W. Nel- son, G. C. Pirius, C. Reitman ; janitor, W. J. Back.

The new post-office building, which is located at the northwest corner of Third street and West avenue, on a plot of ground 142 feet on Broadway and 120 feet on Third street, has a ground area of 82 feet on West avenue and 461% feet on Third street. It stands 32 feet in height from the ground and is surmounted by a flag staff extending 20 feet above the roof. The front steps, seven in number, of granite. have a length at the bottom of 48 feet. Surmounting the steps are two cast-iron lamp standards with translucent opalescent glass globes.

The foundation is of brick on a concrete footing. The base- ment walls, 32 inches thick, are of Chaska briek, surmounted by St. Cloud granite above the grade lines.

The main structure is faced with terra-cotta and light gray

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brick, harmonious in color. The ornamentation is quite elabo- rate. The frame work is of steel. The roof is tin.

The basement story, which is 10 feet 8 inches high, contains : a store room, 13 by 15 feet : a fuel room, 15 by 16 feet; a swing room for the use of the carriers between trips, 14 by 18 feet; a toilet room, 13 by 14 feet, besides the general basement, in which is located the heating plant. The floor is cement, and the ceiling, which forms the floor of the main story, is iron frame work and reinforced concrete. The steps leading to the basement story are all either stone or concrete, making that story wholly fire- proof.

The main floor has a height of 15 feet 4 inches in the work room and departments and 20 feet in the main lobby. The main lobby, 12 feet wide, extends along the West avenne side a dis- tance of 63 feet, with a wing near the south end extending back 12 feet.

At the north end of the lobby are the money order and regis- try departments combined, 15 by 19 feet in size, leading off from which is a vault of reinforced concrete surmounted by a storage vault of the same material. The postmaster's room is at the southwest corner of the building, 13 by 1412 feet in size, leading off from the lobby wing. In this wing are also stairways to the basement and attic. At the northwest corner of the building is the mailing vestibule, 13 by 14 feet, for the reception and dis- patch of mail. The remainder of the space is taken up with the main work room, 30 by 47 feet. A vault for stamp supplies is located here and there is also a stairway to the basement. Pass- ing directly through the work room, suspended from the ceiling, is the look-out from which can be watched the work of employees, unbeknown to them. Look-onts also extend into the money order and registry sections, the mailing vestibule and the basement.

The public lobby has a revolving door entrance, terrazzo floor, marble border and wainscote. The general delivery and stamp windows are directly in front of the main entrance, the carrier windows to the right and the post-office boxes to the left.

The money order and registry department has wood floor and cove cornice, as has also the main work room and mailing lobby. The postmaster's room has wood floor, base, chair rail, picture moulding and plaster cornice.

A granite curb faces the walk on Third street and West ave- nue, a conerete gutter extends along the west side and a concrete curb on the north side. The sidewalk is granolithic. On West avenue it is 14 feet wide and on Third street 12 feet wide. At the inside border is a cement coping 3 inches high. A vitrified brick driveway, 12 feet wide, with granolithie eoping, leads from Third street across the lot to the north side of the building. On

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the two sides and at the rear of the building are grass plots, also a grass boulevard on Third street.

The building is essentially one of Red Wing construction. Besides being contracted by W. J. Longcor, the plumbing and heating work was done by J. H. Doyle and the electrical work by Foster Bros.

From the commencement of work until June, 1909, the gov- ernment was represented at the work by Henry Brack as super- intendent of construction. Mr. Braek was then transferred to Michigan and the work was completed under the superintendence of John H. Holmes, who at the same time superintended the erec- tion of the tower on the post-office at St. Paul.

OTHER COUNTY OFFICERS.

Cannon Falls .- The post-office at Cannon Falls was established in 1854 with James McGinnis as postmaster. Its first mail supply was on the old Dubuque & St. Paul stage route, for which later on service by stage from Red Wing was substituted. This con- tinued until early in the eighties, when the building of the Wis- consin, Minnesota & Pacific line enabled the establishment of railroad service.

Succeeding Mr. McGinnis as postmaster came George McKin- zie; then in order Eli Ellsworth, George L. Baker, A. J. Phelps, Joseph E. Chapman, F. D. Barlow, W. H. Scofield, L. L. Lewis. The present postmaster is P. A. Peterson, who has served since October 1, 1889.

The income of the office for 1908 was $5,525.00. During that year there were issued 4,255 domestic and 50 international money orders and 1,164 domestic and 7 international were paid. There were dispatched 802 registers and delivered 942. There are eight rural routes connected with the office, and four mails are re- ceived and dispatched daily. The office served 5,000 patrons. The present force of the office is: Postmaster, P. A. Peterson ; assistant, Ella M. Johnson; clerk, H. Wolander; rural carriers, John A. Anderson, August M. Johnston ; Oscar E. Olson, Harry F. Hine, John A. Lundberg, George F. Miller, John A. Johnson and Edwin Larson. Originally the name of this office was Cannon River Falls, and it so continued up to October, 1889, when a change was made to Cannon Falls.

Dennison .- This post-office, which is located on the western line of the county, on the line of the Chicago Great Western Railway, was established in 1885, with G. A. Bonhus as post- master. He was succeeded by K. A. Bonhus, who in turn gave way to A. K. Lockrem. Jens Walen succeeded him, then his brother, John Walen, then I. O. Flaten, who was succeeded by

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W. W. Bunday, the present incumbent. There are two rural routes connected with the office.

Eggleston .- This office, on the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway, about eight miles west of Red Wing; was established in the seventies. It serves a small community principally on Prairie Island, for whose greater convenience one rural route is operated from the office. M. T. Nilan is the postmaster.

Frontenac .- This is one of the oldest post-offices in the county, being established about 1855. For a long time it received its mail supply from Red Wing by stage, this continuing until early in the seventies, when the building of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway enabled a rail supply. There is one rural route connected with the office. H. Lorentzen served as postmaster for thirty-six years, and H. Scherf, who succeeded him and who still holds the place. has served sixteen years.

Goodhue .- The office of Goodhne Center, which later became Goodhue, was established in 1858 on what is known as the Hadler farm, at the present time about two miles east of Goodhue on the old Zumbrota and Red Wing road. Peter Esterly, who was the first postmaster, continued in office until 1864. At this time the office was transferred to the Gleason place, two miles north of the Esterly place, and Mrs. Rebecca Gleason was made the postmistress. She continued in office until 1880, when. Frank Durig was appointed, moving the office back to the Esterly farm, where he held it until 1887. At that time George Uslar was ap- pointed, holding the office until 1890, the same farm being the location of the office. He moved the office from the old place of Goodhue Center to the village of Goodhue during 1888.

Soon after George Uslar moved the office to Goodhue, Frank Neubel was made his successor, Neubel being followed by W. C. Pilling, who likewise had the office a short time or until 1894. K. L. Anderson was appointed at this time, keeping the office until 1900, when D. C. Pierce was appointed, being in the office at the present time. The post-offices of Belle Chester, Ryan, Claybank and White Willow have been discontinued into this office. Rural delivery from this office was established in 1901 with two carriers. Later the number of routes was inereased to six. The present carriers are : R. R. No. 1, Claire M. Acquard ; R. R. No. 2, Frank P. Ahern; R. R. No. 3, Wesley Kolbe; R. R. No. 4, Charles Han- son ; R. R. No. 5, Ebba I. O'Reilly ; R. R. No. 6, Mary Heaney.

This post-office was raised to the third class on October 1, 1906.

Kenyon .- The post-office at. Kenyon was established in 1856. with James Crowley as postmaster. For nearly thirty years it received its mail supply by stage from Red Wing and from Fari-

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HISTORY OF GOODHUE COUNTY

bault, this arrangement continuing until the building of the Chi- cago Great Western Railway.

Succeeding Mr. Crowley as postmaster came Mr. Clapp, then Mr. Brill, Dr. Brown, E. R. Marshall, W. Stears, Ed. Slee and Dr. Graves. Lars Haaven served from 1877 to 1881, C. L. Brusletten from 1881 to 1884, T. R. Bullis from 1884 to 1889, then Mr. Brus- letten again from 1889 to 1893. A. M. MeLaughlin was then ap- pointed, serving until 1899. During his term the office was raised to the third class. In 1899 Anders Glimme was appointed post- master. He still holds the position.

The office became an international money order office in 1900. Rural service was started from the office in 1902, and at present there are six routes. The following offices have been discontinued into Kenyon: Norway, Aspelund, Spring Creek, Ayr, Moland, Nansen.

Pine Island .- The post-office at Pine Island was established in 1856, with John Chance as postmaster. IIe served two years. The first mail supply was by the Burbank stage line between Dubuque and St. Paul. When this supply was discontinued the office was put on the Red Wing and Mantorville star route, from which it received service until 1878, when the building of the Chicago & Northwestern branch from Rochester to Zumbrota enabled the establishing of railway mail service. The office is now supplied by the Chicago & Great Western Railway, receiving four mails daily. The postmasters following Mr. Chance and their years of service are: J. A. Tarbox, 1858 to 1861: Thomas Mc- Mannis and C. R. White. 1861 to 1865;

S. Worthing, 1865 to 1868; C. R. White, 1868 to 1876; F. Hagler, 1876 to 1880; Henry Tome. July 1, 1880. to July 1, 1886; Charles Parker, July 1, 1886, to July 1, 1889; Henry Tome, July 1, 1889, to July 1, 1893; W. II. Hamlin. July 1, 1893, to July 1. 1897 ; Henry Tome, July 1, 1897, to July 1, 1906; George H. Tome, July 1, 1906, to date.

The domestic money order division was established July 1, 1879, and the international January 1, 1903. The office has made a rapid increase in business of late years. For the year ending December 31, 1890, the receipts were $894.86; December 31, 1895, $1,315.25 ; December 31, 1905, $2,236.09; December 31, 1908, $2,- 595.30. Last year the office issued 2,986 domestic money orders. There are four rural routes connected with the office, two estab- lished in March, 1903. and two in December, 1904. The present rural carriers are : R. R. No. 1, B. T. Vessey ; R. R. No. 2. Willard H. Marsh : R. R. No. 3, John E. Clark, and R. R. No. 4, Ambrose V. Sterling.

Skyberg .- This office is one on the line of the Chicago Great.

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HISTORY OF GOODHUE COUNTY

Western Railway, about six miles south of Kenyon. One rural route starts therefrom. Francis J. White is the postmaster.

Stanton .- This post-office, located on the Chicago Great West- ern Railway, dates from early in the sixties, previous to the build- ing of the railway having received and dispatched mail by stage. One rural route is connected with the office. Henry W. Nelson is the present postmaster.

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History of Goodhue County, Minnesota, Part 33

Author: Curtiss-Wedge, Franklyn Publication date: 1909 Publisher: Chicago, H.C. Cooper Number of Pages: 1264

Author: Curtiss-Wedge, Franklyn
Publication date: 1909
Publisher: Chicago, H.C. Cooper
Number of Pages: 1264