KEARNEY COUNTY POST OFFICES 1872--1950

Source: Heroes Without Medals A Pioneer History of Kearney County
By: Roy T. BANG
Submitted by: Mary Bergsten

     The first mail service to Kearney County was provided by the Military Post Office at Fort Kearny. Moses H. SYDENHAM was the first civilian in the county to qualify for the regular appointment as a Postmaster. He assumed his duties at the fort in 1858.

1872--Lowell
Postmasters: Mrs Elizabeth GRATIGNY, 1872; George GRAY; Amy ROGERS; Henry BERKHART; Will LATTA; E. E. CARPENTER 1918-1941; Clair OSBORNE 1941-1943. Discontinued 1943.

1874-Eaton: Section 30, Eaton Township

Postmasters: Alexander D. AUSTIN (Austin home); Maggie AUSTIN (served unti11879)

1874-Keene: Section 28, Oneida Township (Walker's Ranch)
Postmasters: Charles W. GRIFFIN, 1874; William LAYTON; Peter P. SWANSON; Wallace SMITH; Orpha LEASURE; Ed KEENE. Discontinued in 1887.

1875-Minden: Section 12, Hayes Township (Fred BREDEMEIER home)
Postmasters; August BREDEMEIER, 1875; W. T. THORN, 1878 (Thorn Store); E.W. ROBERTS, 1881 (Minden House); William JAYNE, 1881; J. W. GORDON, 1882; William T. McGINNIS, 1886; William D. HART, 1890; M. W. CHAPPELL, 1893 (Thorn Building 1894); L. M. COPELAND; Robert F. PATE (MEIER Building, BINDERUP Building); I. J. THOMSEN, 1922; Emil NELSON, 1936 (New Federal Building, 1937); Ivan NEWBOLD 1951.

1875-Mirage; Section 12, Mirage Township (Jayne's Ranch)
Postmasters: E.W. FOSBURY, 1875 (Jayne- Fosbury Homes) Discontinued 1884.

1875-Osco; Section 8, Grant Township
Postmasters: E.W. WELLS, 1875; Robert CHAMBERS, 1877; N.C. JOHNSON, 1888; Agnes RAUN,1890; Lewis T. MEYER,1891.

1876--May; Section 20, May Township
Postmasters: Daniel EMEL, 1876 (Emel Home). Discontinued 1887.

1876--Fredericksburg: Section 5, Cosmo Township

Postmaster Jens L. JENSEN, 1876

1877--Park; Section 20, Liberty Township

Postmasters. Thomas Burchell 1877.(T. W. BURCHELL Home); Joseph HEFFNER, 1879 (Heffner Home).

1879-Christina: Section 26, Sherman Township  
Postmasters: L. B. COLLINS, 1879 (Collins Home) Discontinued April 1887.

1880-Blaineville: Section 26, Blaine Township 
Postmasters: M. D. BOGART, 1880 (Bogart Home); Daniel Shepherd, 1890 (Shepherd Home).

Kearney County Post Offices (continued)

1880--Harmony: Section 11, Logan Township 
Postmasters: M. C. CARPENTER, 1880 (Carpenter Home); Alex McDONALD,1882 (McDonald Home)

1880-Zyba: Section 26, Cosmo Township
Postmasters: Almon STUART, 1880 (Stuart Home) Discontinued in 1888.

1880--Newark: Established in1880
Postmasters: A.G. LINDBECK, 1880; BREWER, 1893; William MERRICK; William SCARR, about 1900; John SCOTT, 1915; Charles BRAD; E. C. MITCHELL, 1943-.

1881--Snowflake: Section 9, Grant Township
Postmasters: John BRYNE, 1881; Sarah MILLS; N.C. JOHNSON.

1884--Axtell
Postmasters: C. J. HULQUIST, 1884; John ROST, 1887; B.F. MOREHOUSE, 1888; L. G. HOAG,1889; C. L. LARSON, 1891; Mrs SCHAUFF; Noble SANFORD, 1908; Ed McCLURE, 1916; Arvid SAMUELSON, 1924; H. H. BURDEN, 1936-.

1884--Heartwell:
Postmasters: I. W. HAWS, 1884; Miles FIERO, 1890; Warren HOWARD; Mary A. PORTER; Margaret HOBAN, 1914-1943; Jack FILBIN 1943-.

1886--Folsomdale: Section 36, Sherman Township
Postmasters: W. G. COIE, 1886; Discontinued in 1889.

1887--Wilcox: Established January, 1887, Lot 12, Block 2
Postmasters: V. A. MARSTELLAR, 1887; G. D. COUTANT; L. J. WOHLGEMUTH, 1893 (Lot 21, Block 7); William LAYTON; Charles W. MORROW; Jim MORRISON; Hertha L MERSHON; Joe McGOWAN; Harry JORDAN; J. Wilbur BRAUNER, 1941-.

1887--Norman:
Postmasters: Abraham WOOD, 1887; J. A. MILLETT, 1893; Cora HAYS, 1901; Bradley SMITH,1905; Mamie SAUL, 1909; Robert SAUL, 1913; Clifton FLEMING, 1934; Pauline HARDWICK, 1948; Tom GASTON, Jr., 1951.

1887--Keene: Section 1, Oneida Township
Postmasters: Henry BIHLER, 1887; C. H. WOODRUFF; J. H. ROSS; Olof PEARSON; Robert CHANNER; C.O. DANIELSON; Arvid PETERSON, 1922-1933; Henry FRIEMANN, 1933-1944; Kenneth MUSSELL 1944; Discontinued 1945.

RURAL ROUTES

     Rural mail routes were established out of the Minden Post Office on October 1, 1901. Each of the four routes was about twenty-four miles in length. The first carriers were: D.C. (Doc) AYRES, Wilbur STEVENS, Hank SLUSSER, and J. E. JONES. Mail boxes could be purchased at the post office. Each had a lock and the carrier was provided with a master key so he could open the boxes for collection and delivery of mail. A fifth route was added in 1924, in 1927 the number of routes was reduced to four. Improved roads and the use of motor vehicles made it possible to consolidate to three routes in 1932.

     The first rural carriers were succeeded by: Charles SLUSSER, Ben AYRES, 1911; Bert WINTERS; Oscar WARP; George BROWN; Howard TARKINGTON, 1919-1945; Kenneth O. DAVIS,1920; Roy T. BANG, 1924; Paul MUSGRAVE, 1945.

Kearney Co. Rural Routes (continued)

     Two rural routes emanated from the Axtell Post Office in 1902. The first rural carriers were: George ROST, and John A. JOHNSON. In 1906 a third route was carried by Henry NELSON. Other carriers were: Alfred PETERSON, 1909-1945; Walt BLAKEMAN; Oscar PETERSON; Omer ANDERSON; and Mrs. Norma ANDERSON.

     Two rural routes were established out of the Wilcox Post Office in October, 1903. Carriers were Stewart CARSKADDON and Floyd WEST. A third route was begun in 1918, carried by Ora MARSTELLAR until 1931 when routes were consolidated. Other carriers were: Ivan McCULLOUGH; Ferdinand HULQUIST.

     In October, 1903, W. L. BALL was appointed carrier on a rural route established out of the Heartwell Post Office (1903-1914). Other carriers were: Chris MUNK, 1914-1936; Riley ROUSE,1936-1939; Paul PECHMANN, 1939-1945; Lislie TODD, 1945.

     The Norman route was established in 1903, first served by George HOLYCROFT , who is said to have delivered the route the greater part of the time on a bicycle. Other carriers were: Dan PORTER; Harry JORDAN; Robert SAUL; Thomas GASTON, 1920-1946; Tom GASTON, Jr. 1946-1949; Clifton FLEMING 1949-

KEY TO COMPOSITE MAP OF KEARNEY COUNTY. NEBRASKA

POST OFFICES (Marked with flag.)

  1. Fort Kearny, 1848 (The first in NE Territory)

The railroad indicated from Fort Kearny northeastward (the Denver City line) of the Burlington was never built. 

  2. Blaineville, 1880 (Blaine Township)   
  3. Blaineville, 1890 (Blaine Township) 
  4. Harmony, 1880 (Logan Township) 
  5. Harmony, 1882 (Logan Township)
  6. Heffner Home (Liberty Township)
  7. Thomas Burchell Home, 1877 (Liberty Township)
  8. Eaton, 1874 (Eaton Township)
  9. May, 1874 (May Township)
10. Jayne's Ranch, 1875 (Mirage Township)
11. Keene (Oneida Township)
12. Walker's Ranch, 1874 (Oneida Township)
13. Christina, 1879 (Sherman Township)
14. Folsomdale, 1886 (Sherman Township)
15. Fredericksburg, 1876 (Cosmo Township) ; ti
16. Zyba, 1880 (Cosmo Township)
17. Osco, 1875 (Grant Township)
18. Osco, 1877 (Grant Township)
19. Osco, 1890 (Grant Township)
      Snowflake, Section 9, Grant Township, 1881

COUNTRY CHURCHES (Marked square with cross)
BURIAL GROUNDS (Marked with a cross)

1. Saint Paul's Evangelical Lutheran (Lowell Township) 
2. Burial Ground in Blaine Township 
3. White Hill (Logan Township)
4. Liberty Baptist (Liberty Township)
5. Eaton Presbyterian (Eaton Township)
6. May Presbyterian (May Township)
7. Bethany Lutheran (Mirage Township)
8. Salem Methodist (Mirage Township)
9. Evangelical Mission, Keene
10. West Mission House (Sherman Township)
11. Garden Plain (Sherman Township)
12. Fredericksburg Lutheran (Cosmo Township)
13. East Mission House (Cosmo Township)
14. Osco Baptist (Cosmo Township)
      Daneville, north line, Section 26, Lincoln Township

FIRST SETTLERS (Marked with number in hollow square.)

Allen Public School Alumni List

Submitted by Pat Nygren

Specifics of addresses omitted

Allen Public School Alumni List (continued)

Allen Public School Alumni List (continued)