Parker Post Masters and Mail Carriers
The Parker Post Office was opened December 21, 1888. It was opened as a 4th class office. J.W. Parker was appointed first Postmaster on December 22, 1888, but he was not commissioned and did not serve.January 1, 1914, the Parker Post Office went from a 4th class office to a 3rd class office. No records were found as to where the Post Office was when it first opened. Some people of the community believe it was in a wood frame building west of the Parker State Bank Building, (in 1988) owned by Guy Gillespie. June 1, 1925, the Post Office moved to the Parker State Bank Building. The Goodrich Post Office was discontinued November 14, 1942. So, at that time, the Goodrich Post Office was combined with the Parker Office. October 31, 1964, the Parker Post Office was moved to the Parker State Bank Building. On October 27, 1982, it was moved to the present location on the Northwest corner of Main and Center.
Transportation used to deliver the mail on the rural routes in 1925 were as follows:
R.R.1 - HORSE - LEFT THE OFFICE AT 8:00 AM. RETURNED AT 3:00 P.M.
R.R.2 - Auto - LEFT THE OFFICE AI 8:00 AM. RETURNED AT 12:00 NOON
In 1924, R.R. # 1 covered a distance of 27.5 miles, and R.R. # 2 covered 35 miles.
In 1988, the combined single route covered a distance of 115 miles.
The mail used to be delivered to Parker by the M.K.& T. Railroad. It was picked up by a mail messenger at the depot and returned to the Post Office. The mail is now delivered from Kansas City by a truck, known as Highway Contract Route.
The time for rural carriers to leave to deliver their mail has changed many times through the years. In 1952, Rural Routes 1 & 2 left the office to deliver mail at 11:00 A.M. and returned at 3:30 P.M. In 1988, the rural carrier left at 9:00 A.M. and returned at 3:00 P.M. The Goodrich route was combined with the Parker routes on November 14, 1942. In 1973, the two Parker routes were consolidated to one.
Parker Post Masters and Mail Carriers
Postmasters of the Goodrich Post Office