Post Offices of New Solum Township

Llewellyn Post Office, New Solum Township
Postmaster Per Hagen at Llewellyn Post Office

At one time New Solum Township had four legal post offices. Travel across the sloughs was always difficult, espe­cially in the spring, summer and early fall so having post offices on ridges or high ground made travel easier to deliver the mail from main towns and also more convenient for the settlers to go and pick it up.

The half dozen sand ridges run in a north-south direction in New Solum Township so that was the pattern of travel, communication and even socializing in the earliest pioneer days.

Hellem Post Office was in the Rasmus Nelson home in Sec­tion 9 during the 1880's. Later it was moved to the Claus Rasmussen home in Section 17.

Stone Post Office was located in the farm home of Ole Hall in Section 13 where he also had a general store. Mail was brought here twice a week from Warren in the 1890's.

Llewellen Post Office was on the farm in Section 3 of Per P. Hagen where he also had a general store. He was postmaster until 1909 when the post office was discontinued and improved roads made it possible for mail routes to develop.

Strip Post Office was in the Enoch and Tina (Mellem) Nel­son home in Section 3 of Strip before the wheat line branch of the Soo Line tracks were layed. They also had a general store in their home. Mrs. Pauline Mellem delivered mail with a pony and a two wheel cart. She delivered mail from the Strip post office to people living north.

After the railroad came through in 1905, the mail was dropped off the train in a mail bag each day. Axel Larson, the first postmaster of Rosewood. Larson was a bachelor and had the post office in part of his feed mill which was located on the north side of the tracks, east side of the road. As the businesses became less in Rosewood through the years, the post office became a part of some general store there.

The last post mistress was Mrs. Tom Stolaas who served from 1947 to 1954. In 1954 when she and her husband sold the general store, the post office was discontinued and a mail route from Thief River Falls served New Solum. The address was Star Route, Thief River Falls.

Have you posted a letter lately?

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