Barry County, Michigan
Post Offices
| Delton - 49046 Adelbert E. Monroe (known as Dell Monroe) bought the corner lot, built a store and was named the first Postmaster on May 22, 1877. Dellstown was the name sent in by Mrs. Thursa Bush, but the name came back as Delton and thus it was renamed.
The Post Office was on M-43 until the building was demolished. It was in the 1940's that the Post Office was raised from third to second class. In October of 1958 the Post Office was moved into a new building on Orchard Street. the ribbon was cut by one of the former Postmaster's of Delton... Gladys E. Gaskill. | |
| POSTMASTER | DATE OF APPOINTMENT |
| Adelbert E. Monroe | May 22, 1877 |
| James R. Bush | December 10, 1879 |
| James F. Norwood | May 18, 1889 |
| John F. Williams | November 18, 1893 |
| Henry Arbour | October 20, 1897 |
| Franklin G. Adams | April 17 1902 |
| Fred G. Green | August 5, 1908 |
| Roy B. Gaskill | September 26, 1914 |
| Gladys E. Gaskill | March 1, 1923 |
| George W. Leonard | September 17, 1940 |
| Roger Williams (Acting) | November 30, 1957 |
| Edwin G. Kniss | March 18, 1961 |
| Dowling - 49050 With John Baker as the Postmaster, Baltimore was given a Post Office on May 30, 1850. The name was changed to Dowling on March 16, 1880. the village was built on the land owned by John Stall and Baltimore Township was formally christened as early as 1842 by the foremost settlers within its boundaries, who thus perpetuated the memory of their former home.
From April 22, 1872 to October 1, 1963, according to an older man in the community, the Post Office was housed in two stores and a house. Three terms were held by Royal G. Rice as Postmaster of Dowling. In all he served thirty years in the role of Postmaster of Dowling. Presumably, he owned the store which housed the post office and rented it out to the Postmasters who replaced him from time to time. Mr. and Mrs. Howard VanDelic are presently operating that store. The office was housed in the home of Edward Cassidy during his tenure. During his seven years as postmaster the office had two horse and buggy routes. In 1917 the Post Office was moved back to the store where the Dowling Library now stands. Sometime before 1924 the store building was moved to the west, close to the highway (now M-37), it was also moved to the front part of the store, and remained there until 1963 when it moved to its present location. | |
| POSTMASTERS | APPOINTMENT DATE |
| John Baker | May 30, 1850 |
| Milo L. Williams | January 11, 1859 |
| William Sheldon | February 21, 1859 |
| Solomon Burtch | February 20, 1860 |
| Darwin McOmber | December 22, 1862 |
| Thurman C. Brown | September 19, 1864 |
| Emeline D. Bryant | January 15, 1866 |
| John C. Lampman | February 14, 1871 |
| John R. Riley | March 15, 1872 |
| Royal G. Rice | April 22, 1872 |
| Nathaniel F. Clemence | November 6, 1885 |
| George T. Wilson | June 15, 1887 |
| Royal G. Rice | April 16, 1889 |
| Andrew J. Woodmansee | November 11, 1893 |
| Royal G. Rice | October 7, 1897 |
| Edward Cassidy | May 31, 1910 |
| William Clemence | February 6, 1917 |
| Eva J. Colles | July 16, 1919 |
| Carrie Mason | March 13, 1923 |
| Myra Wright | May 6, 1924 |
| Mae F. Hammond | September 14, 1962 |
| Richard Ashley | October 30, 1971 |
| A. Earl Fryklind | September 30, 1972 |
| FREEPORT - 49325 Two brothers, Michael S. and Samuel Roush who owned the land named it for their former home of Freeport, Ohio. A station on the Lowell and Hastings Railroad gave way to the post office on January 2, 1878 with Samuel Roush as postmaster. | |
| POSTMASTERS | APPOINTMENT DATES |
| John Yager | June 25, 1885 |
| Addison M. Herrington | April 20, 1889 |
| Henry C. Peckham | October 19, 1893 |
| John H. Kenyon | November 10, 1897 |
| Elmer E. Green | February 4, 1915 |
| Lloyd B. Brayton | August 28, 1920 |
| Victor H. Sisson | February 15, 1922 |
| Glenn H. Perkins | December 18, 1930 |
| Herman Rensch | September 19 1933 |
| Pearl Lightfoot | February 24, 1936 |
| Bernice J. Clossen | April 1, 1942 |
| James R. Swinson | August 19, 1972 |
| HASTINGS - 49058 Previous to the spring of 1839 the few people living in Hastings and near there depended on getting their mail at Gull Prairie about forty miles distant, but the dependence was of that uncertain character which followed upon the infrequency and irregularity of communication.
In March of 1839, application was made for the creation of a post office at Hastings. The application was answered favorably by the issuance to Willard Hays a Postmaster's commission.
Although letter postage in those days was 25-cents, the business at the Hastings office was so limited that during the first three months of his term Postmaster Hays receipts were less than one dollar. The first mail that touched Hastings passed by way of Coldwater, and over the route - the mail was first carried by Daniel McClellan on horseback once a week. Later, when the stage route was opened between Battle Creek and Grand Rapids in 1846, Hastings, being a station on the route, received a daily delivery. After the resignation of Mr. Hays, Henry S. Jennings became Postmaster.
Early settlers of the Barry County area also served as Postmasters at Hastings. Among them Herman L. Knappen, Nathan Barlow, Jr., R. J. Grant, J. w. Stebbins, Dr. John Roberts and John M. Nevins. | |
| POSTMASTERS | APPOINTMENT DATE |
| Willard Hays | March 14, 1839 |
| Henry S. Jennings | May 17, 1844 |
| Henry A. Goodyear | June 25, 1844 |
| William G. Hoyt | April 4, 1849 |
| John Roberts | June 18, 1851 |
| Herman L. Knappen | July 6, 1853 |
| Nathan Barlow, Jr. | September 28, 1854 |
| Robert J. Grant | March 25, 1861 |
| John W. Stebbins | October 5, 1866 |
| John Roberts | March 26, 1867 |
| John M. Nevins | February 26, 1875 |
| William H. Powers | February 24, 1883 |
| John H. Dennis | March 1887 |
| Philo H. Sheldon | February 9, 1891 |
| William E. Powers | March 14, 1895 |
| William R. Cook | March 3, 1899 |
| John G. Ketchum | June 4, 1907 |
| John J. Dawson | January 13, 1914 |
| William L. Shulters | August 31, 1922 |
| William J. Fields | November 30, 1933 (Acting) |
| William J. Fields | May 15, 1934 |
| Lorenzo F. Maus | February 16, 1937 (Acting) |
| Lorenzo F. Maus | August 19, 1937 |
| Roy G. Hubbard | June 13, 1944 |
| Glenn Kahler | December 31, 1952 (Acting) |
| Charles H. Hinman | April 15, 1953 (Acting) |
| Charles H. Hinman | May 31, 1957 |
| Stanley L. Thompson | April 30, 1968 (Acting) |
| Glenn Kahler | March 28, 1969 |
| Stanley L. Thompson | September 1, 1969 |
| Stanley L. Thompson | October 31, 1971 |
| HICKORY CORNER - 49060 The Post Office at Hickory Corners was established on July 11, 1844, three years before the first adhesive stamps were placed on sale. In those pre-Civil War days, the mail was brought in from Augusta once or twice a week either by foot or horseback. The first Postmaster was Salmon C. Hall, who served for one year. There have been a total of 26 Postmasters in the 123 years since its establishment.
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