The Holt County sentinel. (Oregon, Mo.) 1883-1980, 1914-04-03
The Maitland PostoMce.
Wing Valley was for years the &C

Wing valley was Tor years the COM
mercial emporium OF Northeastern
Holt. Before the railroad was built,
produce was hauled to Bigelow, and
supplies hauled In return by wagon.
In time, the railroad saw the great
fertility Of this garden spot and the
immense quantities Of the products
that might be transported from that
section II a railroad were built
through It, and so the Nvdaway Val.
ley railroad, running from Bigelo~ TO
villisca, Iowa, was projected by the
Kansas City, st. Joseph n Council
Bluffs railroad company, then under
the management Of j. +. Barnard
II vas In December, 1915, that +. +.
Weller had a twelve carload ship.
ment OF hogs, driven and hauled from
Wing Valley TO Bigelow, and from
there shipped to st. Joseph.
About the year ls6s, G. j. storm
was appointed by his neighbors as
the postmaster at Wing Valley. lie
carried the mail from Graham twice
a week In a pillow slip, and the mail
boxes were IN the cupboard near his
"eye opener" In lsGo his fame he.
came known In Washington, u. c.,
and his appointment was made 10y
Alexander Randall, then Postmaster
General, as postmaster OF Whig Val.
ley.
In 1870, the Bennett brothers built
the first store In Wing Valley. and
they were made deputy pos,masters,
and In 1874, 4. +. Weller rented the
building vacated by the Bennett
brothers. and commenced selling
goods, and VAS depu,ized 10y Judge
Storm to assist him In handling the
Valley mail, and In lsIj. Mr. Weller
became the postmaster, by appoint.
ment from Marshall Jewell, Of Con.
necticut. then Postmaster General,
under President Grant.
Had the NodaNay Valley railroad
never been built, II Is likely that
Wing Valley would today be the me.
tropolis OF that section-but II was
built, and Maitland came into exis
tence, and named In honor OF a then
prominent English general, who was
a stakeholder In the old original {.
Is. Il q. railroad.
The town was named, a depot es.
tablished. and the town lots were
sold. The next needed and important
thing TO do Was TO have a postmas'
ter, 80 In the early part OF ISL, an
order Was issued from the post office
department, transferring the Wing
Valley postonlce TO Maitland. T.. =
Weller, then postmaster at whip
Valley, proceeded TO obey the man
dates Of the higher.up authorities
and mounted his store building ant
the mail boxes on wheels, and pro
ceeded overland TO the town Of Malt
land. the future great OF that section
lie sold goods and delivered mai
while the building was being moved
TO Its new locai Ion, the patrons dri
wing along, and climbing ladder Il
get into the building and receive
their mall,
IL was thus that the Maitland post
or,Ice came into existence, and II Ina
ever been we'll conducted, well man
aged poStol,l,e, and has been II
charge Of capable, representative cit
liens.
Arriving In Maitland, the stor'
building and postofll:s was relieved
of It's wheels, and lowered To mothc
earth, on the ground We believe
now where Is located the residence o
u. A. Gelvln. Mr., Weller, was there
fore Maitland's first postmaster, am
he continued until a change Of al
ministr ration, the Gartield.Arthur al
ministration, When Joseph IIattiel,
took charge Of the oi,lce, by appoint
ment from Timothy Howe, then Pos,
master General, Mr., Hatfield con
tinued until 1898, when Dan =. Levi
was named under the Grover Cleve
land administration. Field Sprin
succeeded Mr., Lewis, and on his r.
tirement, Henry j. Order took charg
OF the office. lie was succeeded b
o. NJ. Gilmer, who few weeks age
asked TO be relieved al once.
On Tuesday OF last week, Marc
-, the name Of Lafayette Dawso
was sent TO the senate, and his 81
pointment confirmed, and as SION a
the necessary red tape" routine
completed, Mr.. Dawson will begi
his duties.
Thus, with the appointment Of NJ
Dawson, Maitland has had six pos
masters since the creation OF I'll
Office In 1881; and they have all bee
good ones.
In 1884, Maitland became a none
I