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Trout Creek: History and Heritage
HISTORY OF THE TROUT CREEK POST
OFFICE
By Lucy McDonald
The
post office building was built by Mr. J.C. Vaughan in the 1930's. Before that
the post office was in the Hardes’ store at one time. Since the original
construction the building was remodeled with running water, a bathroom, and a
furnace room at the end of the 1960’s and the front was remodeled in the late
1990’s. The building was owned by Alice Thompson at one time and sold to Faith
Stenson after she became Postmaster.
The current Postmaster, Ruth Morris, is thirteenth in a line of Postmasters from the late 1880’s. Between the goings and comings of the Postmasters two people served as Officer in Charge (title now changed to Postmaster Relief Replacement). Four of the postmasters, including the present one, are still living. Their stories about a day at the post office have changed through the years.
Alice Thompson was appointed as Postmaster in Charge in March, 1955. The next year she was appointed as Postmaster. She retired on June 30, 1975, over twenty years later. She related that Mr. Summerfield was Postmaster General at that time.
During Alice’s time as Postmaster one break-in occurred and a revolver was taken. The man had broken into other post offices also. He was found out and arrested.
The Army was stationed here at one time for practice maneuvers. The payroll came through the post office as well as monies going out to families. That kept the post office very busy.
A Typical Day at the Post office:
During the time that Alice Thompson was Postmaster (1955-1975) the day started at 7:00 a.m., with the cash drawer in place and ready. The mail came in to the Trout Creek depot on the train and then a hired person picked it up and delivered it to the post office. The DSS&A—Duluth, South Shore and Atlantic—train came throught at about 10 a.m. and 10 p.m. At the close of the day all the mail was sorted and separated for surrounding towns, only mail for cities further away was put into one sack, and all went to the train. When the train no longer ran a mail truck came from L’Anse.
Everything was done by hand, however, there were no retail products (note sheets, etc). All payments were on a cash basis, the only exception was a postal money order. The boxes had combination locks at first then they were changed to key lock mail boxes during Alice’s time as Postmaster. The Postmaster also did janitorial duties. The post office had both a rural carrier and a clerk during those years.
The hours for the post office then were: 7:00a.m. lobby open; 8:00 window open; and 5:00 p.m. close. Those were the Monday through Friday hours—on Saturday same opening and close at Noon.
Alice Thompson worked at the post office from age 55 to 67. She wanted to retire before she was 70 so she could travel with the laides on bus trips and spend more time with her family and grandchildren. (Last December, 2001, Alice celebrated her 94th birthday.)
When Alice left, Doris DeVowe became officer in charge (June '75—April '77) until James Greiser was appointed Postmaster. Doris DeVowe became officer in charge again (January '78—July '79) when James Greiser chose to continue as rural carrier.
James Grieser was appointed Postmaster in March 1977 and served until December of that year. He then went on to continue as rural carrier and has served as one to the present. He commutes about eighty miles round trip to Trout Creek from Ontonagon to serve the route. He likes to ride his motorcycle and be out-of-doors. He has been riding his motorcycle to work and then switches to his car for deliveries on the route. He has been in the Postal Service for about thirty-six years. He has been a PTF (part time flexible clerk), supervisor, Assistant Postmaster (1960's), and served in various positions in other post offices before becoming Postmaster in Trout Creek and then rural carrier.
Faith Stenson was selected and became Postmaster in Trout Creek on July 14th of 1979 and retired on December 31, 2001. She was Postmaster in Sidnaw prior to coming to Trout Creek. During her time in the post office in Trout Creek, Faith gave tours to the elementary grades (during the time that the Trout Creek school was still open). She showed the second and third grades how letters were cancelled and delivered and how the packages were weighed. Faith, along with Howard Nevala, Postmaster in L’Anse, and Gary Burke, Postmaster in Iron River, gave lectures on the Ben Franklin Stamp Collecting Club to the grade school children.
Carol Besonen served as officer in charge from the beginning of January 2002 through April 21st, 2002. She recalls that the Kenton post office was located in the general store there and when it closed the purchases were all made in the Trout Creek post office. Carol recalled also that the outside drop box and the flag pole were moved from the south side of the post office to the north side to allow for construction of the handicap ramp and parking lot.
Ruth Morris was selected and became Postmaster on April 22nd, 2000 and is still serving. She gave information on her typical day at the Trout Creek post office.
A Typical Day at the Post Office -- 2002:
Much has changed in the post office since the 1950s, 1960s and the 1970s. Ruth Morris, Postmaster, starts her day at the Trout Creek post office in 2002 at 7:30 a.m., when she opens the lobby, takes the mail from the outside box and sorts that plus the amount of mail that the truck has left earlier. She separates route and box mail, then puts the mail in the boxes. She is usually done by 8:30 a.m. when the window is opened.
There are document signature confirmations, delivery confirmations, and accountable mail (certified, registered, insured) to check when not at the window. The post office has a hand held scanner which helps. During the remainder of the day there are customers to wait on, inventory, and bookkeeping for stamps, ordering supplies, and sale of philatelics (retail products and collector items). Most paperwork is done in triplicate.
The rural carrier, James Grieser, comes and sorts the route mail then he is off to deliver.
The Postmaster is accountable for all that comes and goes through the post office. In a post office with smaller square feet the Postmaster also does janitorial duties (some things haven’t changed).
Volume of mail for a post office is measured in stacked feet. In the last year the Trout Creek Post Office had 2,559 feet of mail with 9,039 packages and catalogs (bulky mail). In these later years the post office can accept credit and debit cards and personal checks for paying postage and products—money orders, though, must be paid for in cash.
"Being Postmaster in a community means seeing a family with children come to the post office and as the children grow one sees them from child to adult to parent of their own children as they come in to get mail," Ruth said. (She was also in the Nisula post office.) At the post office window people may stop to visit with the latest, news, share family accomplishments, and/or share the latest story they have enjoyed—and of course, there’s always the weather to discuss. Also, the Postal Service may be the contact point for people seeking the way to contact other government agencies.
The day’s activities pick up again at about 3:30 p.m., when the rural carrier returns from the route. The Postmaster sorts all the mail at the end of the day and puts it in the correct mail sacks ready for the truck to pick up after closing.
The Postmaster position at one time was a politically appointed job, which could affect their employment according to which party was in office. In those times the clerk’s jobs were more secure than a Postmaster job.
The United States Postal Department became the United States Postal Service and is to this day (August 2002). They are talking reorganization at the congressional level
The United States Postal Service web site has charts and postal facts—history and development.