Record Group (RG) 28 at the National Archives are the Records of the Post Office Department. Series 1 of RG 28 are the Orders (“Journals”) of the Postmaster General from 1835-1953. On 17 October 1901, there is an entry about discontinuances of thirty-two of the following Niagara County Post Offices to begin on 15 November 1901:
| Discontinued Post Office: | Papers to: |
|---|---|
| Bergholtz | LaSalle |
| Cambria | Lockport |
| Coomer | Newfane |
| Randall Road | Wilson |
| Dysinger | Gasport |
| East Wilson | Lockport |
| Hartland | Gasport |
| Johnson Creek | Middleport |
| Leslie | Akron |
| Maple Street | Wilson |
| Mapleton Station | Lockport |
| Mayle | Lewiston |
| North Hartland | Appleton |
| Orangeport | Lockport |
| Pendleton | Lockport |
| Pendleton Center | Lockport |
| Pekin | Sanborn |
| Raymond | Lockport |
| Reynales Basin | Gasport |
| Ridge Road | Lockport |
| Royalton | Gasport |
| Saint Johnsburg | North Tonawanda |
| Shawnee | Sanborn |
| Somerset | Barker |
| South Somerset | Barker |
| South Wilson | Ransomville |
| Walmore | Sanborn |
| Warrens Corners | Lockport |
| Wendelville | Martinsville |
| West Somerset | Barker |
| Wolcottsville | Akron |
| Wright’s Corners | Lockport |
The same list of closing post offices was also put in RG 28, Entry 71 (volume 24): Daily Record of the Appointment of Postmasters and the Establishment, Discontinuance, and Name and Site Changes of Post Offices, 1899-1914.
Curious about why all of these post offices were closing, I conducted a few newspaper searches and found the answer. Niagara County was selected to be the first county in New York and the fifth county in the Nation to have free rural mail delivery established.
The news talked how this was going to be “pleasing news” to the farmers of Niagara. It was also estimated that after the free delivery service was installed, it was going to save about half of the expense that it cost to keep all of those fourth-class post offices open.
Here are some links to newspaper articles if you’d like to read more:
- Free Rural Mail Delivery – The Daily Cataract Journal – 1 August 1901
- Rural Mail Delivery – The Lockport Journal – 4 September 1901
- Abolition of Many Postoffices as Result of Rural Delivery – The Buffalo Courier – 22 September 1901
- Free Delivery Plans (continued on page 8) – The Lockport Journal – 14 October 1901
Did you have ancestors that lived in Niagara County in 1901 or prior? How do you think having their mail delivered to them at their home might have affected their daily lives? Did you have any ancestors that were postmasters or postal carriers?
Did you know that Ancestry has a collection for Appointments of Postmasters? You can find it at:
