83 
 
 
                             POST OFFICE 
 
     Another necessity for a growing community was that of Postal 
service. The township of Omro boasted of a Post Office early in 
its existence which was located east of Beckwithtown and mentioned 
before. 
 
 
#" An old Post Office, possibly the first one in the village, was 
)cated on Jefferson Avenue in the south end of the former Putnam 
iilding. Later, it was moved to S. Webster south of the former 
)-operative Store. Afterwards the post office took up quarters 
 
 
k.    on E. Main, and remained there ror many years. The 0mro Herald 
      then occupied the vacated building on S. Webster, and it too, was 
      located there for many years, in fact, until it burned down. 
 
           When on Main Street, the Post Office was located in what was 
   .,,)known as the Challoner building, built in the early 1880s.  Pelton

      Store occupied the east part.  This entire building was razed in 
      1971 to make way for the addition to the Winnebago County Bank, 
      formerly the Farmers Bank of Omro. 
 
           In 1960 the present Post Office was erected on the corner of 
      Huron and S. Webster where the former Northwestern Hotel stood. 
      It is across the street from the New City Slall.  Each day our    
/k~L 
      nationts flag waves from both buildings; they appear to be salut- 
     . 
      ing one another. 
 
           In 1871 A. J. Whfite was Postmaster; E.D. Henry was the Post-

      master in 1880. Mr. Waite was appointed to that position in 1897. 
      Some others of the many to serve, in that capacity were Oliver W. 
)" L. Fi Babcock during McKinley's term; J.W7 Sar_-hier. 0 Ballard,
Geo.. 
    Shfea           SFrank J. Maxt foi12 years, Frank Stanley, 
    .ASae    adge Shaf er Forda                o                  Sal 
      and Sherm Barnard.  Others were MeridanPu--k-  M-derson in the 1  
      UvF) 
      Ralph  Lemke, Florian Mukurat of Berlin for a short while.   Present-

      ly Mr. Treu, formerly from Pine River post office.  S. Barnard a WJi

      veteran, and  . Lemke a \]VII Uoast Guard Veteran. 
           In this motorized age it is not easy to realize that in 1897 
      C.B* .E Wright carried mail by stage coach.  He owned the line, and

      daily drove from his headquarters at Bullis livery to a hotel iLn 
      Oshkosh and back, picking up mail and passengers enroute, both 
      going and coming back from Oshkosh.             .          " 
            . 
 
           R      ree Delivery was established out of Omro in 1903.&J1/'--

      Prior to that time rural families picked up their mail at the Post

      Office when in town. The villagers went to the Post office daily 
      for their mail.  Frank Sullivan had the rural route north and east

      of town, and George Stevens had the route west and south of Omro. 
  ,   hey were the first rural carriers.  Other early rural carriers 
  -xv were Frank and John Sheerar, Lewis Morton, Ed Bennett, Vernon R 
-oy'ing, Robert Stellmacher to name a few.    Nor na Ihrke was on the 
       ai--"ilroute between Omro and Oshkosh. (CV3.     2 L//i7 Za.)

 
     ,     For many years the rural carriers drove horse and buggy or 
     C* &atter to deliver the mail. Later, automobiles were used in summer,

     but old Dobbin still took over in winter as the side roads were not

     plowed out for auto traffic, not until many years later. 
 
 
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