POSTMASTERS OF CLEGHORN
In
the spring of 1890, application was made for a post office. J. M.
Mills received the appointment of postmaster of the village of
Cleghorn. Mr. Mills moved a small building near the side track
and began his duties as postmaster. Soon afterward he placed a
small stock of merchandise in it and gained distinction as Cleghorn’s
first merchant.
The Cherokee Times of April 11, 1890 reported about
this as follows: “Mr. J. M. Mills of Cleghorn is building an addition
to his house, making a store room in front. We understand that
Knox and Nicholson of Cherokee, will put in a stock of groceries.”
The
records of the U.S. postal service indicate that the first man
appointed postmaster of Cleghorn was A. Cleghorn 15 February 1890, but
that he declined to serve.
The postmasters of Cleghorn in the
order that they served, with appointment dates are as follows.
(Permission to publish this granted by Iowa Postal History Society as
furnished by the postmaster appointment division of the U.S. Post
office Dept.)
| Adams Cleghorn | 15 Feb 1890 (declined appointment) | | John M. Mills | 26 Feb 1890 | | Matthew Bush | 9 Feb 1894 | | George S. Smith | 2 Jan 1897 | | Charles W. Stevens | 15 Nov 1899 | | James E. Stram | 27 Feb 1901 | | Elijah A. Allen | 6 Oct 1905 | | Chauncey S. Fulton | 17 Jul 1914 | | Omar H. Brooks | 29 Mar 1918 | | Mrs. Rose M. Brooks | 23 Jan 1939 | | Mrs. Lilas B. Goodrich | 30 Jun 1956 | | Francis D. Smith | 6 Sept 1957 |
One
interesting sidelight on the Cleghorn Post office was that while Matt
Bush was postmaster in 1894, he had the post office in his implement
shop office. Apparently, the post office was moved to the hotel
after this, for when Elijah A. Allen bought out Patton and Sons
implement business he moved the post office to his implement
office. The hotel burned in 1910. Allen was the postmaster
from 1905-1910.
Source:
Cherokee County Historical Society Newsletter, Vol 13, No. 1, Jan 1978. (
Their source: The Cleghorn Recorder, Issue No. 1, May 28, 1896)
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