Early Rural Mailbox

Not to many years ago Crittenden County had many rural post offices and they meant a lot to the community.  All gone now but Crayne and Dycusburg and they are only open on a half-time basis.  Dycusburg in the morning, and Crayne in the afternoon.  These too will eventually fade away into our forgotten passages of time.

The late R. F. Wheeler of Marion, helped establish one of the first mail routes in Crittenden County from which some of the star routes grew.

This box was first located at the intersection of the Shady Grove and Porter Mill Rd.   On the left side of the metal box was a "penny case" on which a penny could be left when mailing a letter.

The letter was left in the "letter hook" inside the box.  The mail carrier would then stamp the letter and it was then on its way at a cost of only one penny.

This invention must have been a very modern convenience for the rural folks who weren't able to get to a community post office when they were in a hurry to mail a letter.  (This wonderful old piece of long ago history is on display at the Crittenden County Historical Museum.)

A letter that was post marked at the Shady Grove Post Office in 1947.

I love to see these old postmarks of long ago telling of the post office that they went through.