Postmastering in Rosewood

One of the duties of the postmaster was to meet the Soo line train morning and night to dispatch the outgoing mail and to pick up the local mail; even though the train schedule was irregular. The post office was in the local store. The owner needed to meet the train even when there were customers.

Perhaps the train would stop in the morning if there was freight to unload. In the evening, the train could come any time from 7:00 p.m. and midnight. The train would slow up so the postmaster could throw the outgoing mail bag into the mail car, while the mail clerk on the train would throw out the incoming mail bag.

Later, the postmaster met the train in the morning for incoming/outgoing mail. In the evening, there was only out going mail. This was dispatched by a mail crane, which the Postal Depart­ment installed beside the railroad track. The mail bag was hung on the crane and a steel arm from the mail car would catch the mail bag without stopping the train. A lighted lantern was hung to help the train men spot the mail bag in the dark.

There were about thirty-five mail boxes at the store/post office, plus some general delivery. The patrons paid 10 cents a month. mail was handed out the mail through a small window. Later, mailboxes with locks or combinations where installed; patrons could access their own boxes. These boxes cost 25 cents a month.

Wages were a percentage of the stamp cancellations and about 5 cents for each money order, plus the rental of the mail boxes.

People might come by every day for their mail. While at the store/post office they might buy groceries. Some would stay around and visit with other customers. Some of the men would argue politics or tell of some long-ago events, each trying to out do each other with tall tales. The section crew from the railroad would stop in after work to shake dice for a soda. Children would stop on their way home from school. Later, after electricity came to Rosewood, a favorite treat of the children were ice cream bars. Many of the young people would come to the store in the evening just to pass the time.

Old Trunks likes to think about how my grandparents and their children were part of this era and how grandfather may have told his private story about setting his hair on fire to get rid of the head lice. Daddy may have told about walking home from Thief River Falls and hearing a woman scream in the dark winter night only to learn a lynx made the same sound.

The store/post office was a social hub. Imagine the stories the owners of the store heard. He could have blogged about it, don't you think?

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