Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1905-08-22
POSTMASTERS
CONVENTION

CONVENTION
Continued from page /.
ter. who was afterwards United
States district judge of the territory
The Rush Of Post Offices.
Prairie du Chen was established
July %, 1884, Green Bay July 30, 1854,
and Fort Winnebago Sept. 30, same
year. with Henry Merrill postmaster,
and well known and prominent in
later years. The foregoing includes
all the offices established ID 1884.
In 1885 poStoffices were esta blished,
including Milwaukee. March l6, 1885.
Solomon Juneau was appointed post
master. A year later he was reap
pointed and the office given its present
name of Milwaukee. Other offices
established were Lafayette, Jan. 10,
Wiota, March %, Grand Cackalin
kaukauna). July I. Butte des Morris,
Sept. 30.
In the year 1886 fifteen postoffices
were established, including ManitowOc
Rapids, Racine, B. B. Carey, P. NJ;
Oak Creek, Platteville, John H.
Rountree, P. NJ: Wingville, Cassyille,
Dodgeville, Thomas Jenkins, P. NJ,
and Mineral Point, William Henry,
2. M; Cbebowagan, William Payne,
P. NJ.
In the year 1887. prior to June Is,
fifteen pOStOfficeS were established,
including Depere. Madison, Willow
| Springs. Chase's Point. Horace Chase,
?. NJ; City of Four Lakes, Josiah A
Noonan, P. NJ; Prairie Village (Wau-
kesha), Sylvester Pettibone, P. M;
Jefferson, N. F. Hyer, P. M: Blue
River, Henry NJ. Billings, P. NJ:
GAINESVILLE, Henry F. James, P. NJ;
Lancaster, George F. Cox, P, NJ:
Rochester, John B. Wade, P. NJ.
This interesting record stops at
June 10. 1887, the time my father
settled with his family in the terri
tory. After this period, immigration
increased. and pOStofficeS multiplied
CORRESPONDENCE.
La Crosse Office.-Old and New.
In 1874 the postoffice at La Crosse
was established, and Nathan Myrick
appointed postmaster. Sixty years
and over, between Myrick and
Tscharner. The beginning, and yet
not the end. The first, an old pioneer
postmaster, with a log cabin for his
office and his hat for mail box. To-
day we have here Tscharner for
postmaster, installed in fine govern
| ment building, surrounded with all
that eXaltS and embelliSheS the SER
vice.
After the construction of railroads
| across the country, and in consequence
thereof. the rapid increase OF mail
matter of every description, it became
apparent that the poStoffice could not
handle all the mails as of old, and
| therefore, to meet the emergency,
there was conceived in the fertile
brain of George B. Armstrong, assist
ant postmaster at Chicago, the idea
of the railway mail service, which,
from the time of it's inception, has
proven such benefit to the business
world. His plan was carried into
effect, somewhat crudely, however
upon two railroads running westwar d
from Chicago. It's fale reached
Wisconsin, and / applied to Mr.
Armstrong for information on the
subject, looking towards it's introduc.
tion into our state.
| Railways Important Factor.
With that end in view, in April.
1865, drafted memorial, and sub.
miUted the same to our legislature,
which was adopted, asking the post.
office department. to extend this
particular and novel service to Wis.
consin, and in 1867 it was done. 1t
was the fOrerunner of the present
system, without which it would be
impossible, with the accumulation OF
business, to satisfactorily conduct the
postal service of today.
The first important epoch IN the
postal service, in my judgment, was
the railway mail. The next most
important was the establishment OF
the rural free delivery system, which
has come to stay. So many of the
! people of all the states and territories
in the union, who have, although fol
a short season, enjoyed fully it's great
benefits and advantages, will certainly
never relinquish the same, and / have
no doubt that congress will see to il
that liberal appropriations are made
for it's extension and support. The
time is not far distant when large
proportion of our rural population
will welcome the mail carrier on his
daily rounds in delivering to them
the fruits of the greatest and most
benefcent service ever given by a
| government to the people of any
country throughout the world.
Wisconsin Has Been Prominent.
Wisconsin has occupied in the past
a prominent position in the postal
service of the country. Early in the
| administration of President Lincoln,
] A alexander w Randall nIlr great WAL