Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1892-12-08
THE JONESBORO POSTOFFICE.
Some Interesting Facts in Connection
With il.

With IL.
A very quiet but determined fight is
being made over the post Office in this
place by our friends G. w. Willet and
]. G. H. Smith. They are both very
clever, worthy gentlemen, and each
one seems to have numerous signers to
his petition, and each one also seems
to be very confident that sometime
along in the early summer months of
1893, he will have the honor of attach
ing postmaster to his name. While on
this subject we have thought that a
brief history of our post office here
would prove of interest to our readers
that is history running back some
~ years.
At the close of the war, in the early
part of 1866. E. N. Giffith was appointed
ostmaster, and the Office was kept in
Deaderick block now occupied by M.
s. Elsea. Along in the fall Of 1865 Geo.
E. Grisham was appointed postmaster,
and he removed the Office to the old
wooden building ON the side of the
railroad tract near the jail. But along
in the early part of 1866 the fight be-
tween President Johnson and Congress
began to wax both fierce and warm and
as Postmaster Grisham s paper, the
Union Flag began to excoriate
johnson and his policy" it was not
long until the fighting captain found
himself superseded by Jas. Gervin, a
one legged ex-Federal soldier. AS Ger
win was neither scholar nor scribe
he turned the Office over to his deputy.
Geo. F. Squibb and the Office was kept
for time in the summer of 1866 in the
Dillworth building, now occupied by
John S. Mathes' drug store, Gervin
soon resigned and Sam S. Luttrell was
made postmaster, and in the fall of
1866, moved the office to Sies6eld' s
store, which stood ON the ground now
occupied by Buffers saloon. In August
1868 Mr.. Luttrell removed the office
into the small wooden building stand
ing where Mottern's y store now stands.
On April 1, 1869 Mr.. Luttrell was sue
ceeded by DR.. Bowel and the office was
again removed to the Dillworth build
ing now occupied by ]. s. Mathes. In
February 1870 DR.. Bovell moved the
Office into the brick building then
standing where j. S. Mathes now re
sides. April 1, 1878 the office was
moved into the Squibb building on the
corner now occupied by Britton's drug
store. Along about June 1874 DR..
Bowel moved the office to Cox's row,
into the room now occupied by j. H.
Haws' store. In 1877 the post office
went one door west into the room now
occupied by j. A. FEBRUARY. January
/, 1879, III. Presnell succeeded DR.. Bowel
as postmaster and the Office was still
kept in the same room during his term
of service. Along in 1881 w. P. Brown
low was appointed postmaster and
served until he was elected door keeper
of US. House of Representatives, De-
cember 1881. He was succeeded by J.
A. FEBRUARY and after time he removed
the Office into the building now occu-
pied by G. G.. Mottern. In the summer
of 1886 F. w. Earnest was appointed
postmaster and he still kept the Office
in the Mottern building until along in
1887 or 'SS, when he moved it into the
room, under the Jonesboro Inn, now
used as barber shop. Mr.. Earnest
was succeeded by Geo. Mcpherson, in
the summer of 1889, and in the fall of
1889 Capt. Mcpherson moved the office
into the room now occupied by the First
National Bank, and there it remained
until January 10, 1891, when Nc moved
into his present quarters.
Summing it all up, we find that dur
ing the 81 years since the war we have
had ten different postmast Griffith,
Grisham, Gervin, Luttrell, Bowel,
Presncll, Brownlow, FEBRUARY, Earnest,
and McPherson-of these .Gervin held
for the shortest term-only month or
so, and DR.. Bowel held for the longest
term-nine years and nine months
And only three, we believe, resigned
the Office, Griffith, .Gervin and Brown
low; and the Office during these years
has been kept in fourteen different
buildings and twice in the same build
ing. This office was made money
order office during Mr.. Luttrell's term;
and postal. cards came into use while
DR.. Bovell was postmaster; The first
received was in '73, at the Brltton stand
and as we'll as we remember, was ad-
dressed to either o. F. Dillworth or Fred