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Postmasters of Concordia, MO

 
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roger.pape
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Joined: 17 Mar 2009
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Location: Liverpool, NY

PostPosted: Fri Jul 26, 2013 12:59 pm    Post subject: Postmasters of Concordia, MO Reply with quote

Everyone familiar with the history of Concordia area knows that Rev. F. Julius Biltz named the city of Concordia and became its first postmaster. But how many of the other postmasters can you name?

Buried in the records of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) are a set of microfilms entitled Record of Appointment of Postmasters, 1832-Sept. 30, 1971; Archive Publication #: M841. This collection contains a listing of all U.S. post office appointments and vacancies for that time period. The records show the date of establishment and discontinuance of post offices, changes of names of post offices, and names and appointment dates for their postmasters. The database also includes dates of Presidential appointments of postmasters and their confirmation dates by the Senate. Starting in 1870, the records contain names of post offices where discontinued post office’s mail was sent.

I’ve extracted the various pages from those volumes relating to all post offices in Lafayette Co., MO and combined them in a pdf file which can be downloaded from the following link: LafayetteCoPostoffices.pdf. The early volumes are a little difficult to read but contain a sequential listing of postmaster appointments for each post office location in the county. Starting in 1930 the records were organized by post office location and contain more detailed information.

Looking at these records, one can trace the history of the Concordia post office. Cook’s Store became a post office in 1851 with Mordecai E. Cooke as postmaster. He was succeeded by his wife Mrs. Christina Cooke on 27 Apr 1859. Then, on 17 May 1865, the post office was renamed to Concordia with Rev. F. Julius Biltz appointed as postmaster.

The following is a list of the succeeding postmaster appointments.

August Hackman – 11 Jul 187?
Emil F. Ninas – 27 Sep 1875
Fitz C. Cook – 16 Oct 1878
Henry Elling – 6 Nov 1885
William Doblie – 6 Jun 1889
Julius Vogt, Jr. – 12 Aug 1893
August E. Bruns – 19 Jun 1897
Anthony Thoreson – 23 June 1916
Henry E. Martens – 9 Nov 1921, reappointed 18 Dec 1929
Fred J. Ehlers – 19 Dec 1933
Elmer E. Sagehorn – 15 Mar 1935
Charles A. Reed – 29 Jan 1962
Marion E. Bird – 7 Nov 1967

There were a large number of post office names in Lafayette County that are probably unfamiliar to most people. Many of them were short-lived. The following is a list of these discontinued postoffices.

Air (1852-?), Atfek (1855-1963), Bagdad (1850-1857), Berlin (1857-1859), Black Water (1834-1837), Blanche (1851-1857), Borland (1894-1899), Broadland (1892-1898), Chapel Hill (1850-1904), Cocheco (1883-1884), Cool Spring (1839-1844), Cordella (1879), Demott (1879-1880), Dick (1872-1878), Elk Grove (1851-1867), Field Dale (1878), Freedom (1846-1878), Greenton (1839-1902), Harrisburg (1844-1850), Hempland (1857-1860), Hodge (1888-1963), Japan (1855-1857), Lexington Hill (1823-1831), Lisbon (1861-1869), Moss (1846-1861), Mount Hope (1833-1879), Mount Tabor (1874-1876), Napoleon City (1858-1861), Page City (1872-1901), Pea Vine (1863-1866), Petit Saw Bluff (1828-1833), Pleasant Grove (1831-1840), Pleasant Prairie (1873-1876), Renick’s Mills (1850-1863), Schoolings (1870-1872), Schwartz (1894), Simpson (1901-1903), Snibar (1847-1879), Tabo Grove (1832-1835), Tabo (1847-1899), Veazey (1892-1894), and Wagon Knob (1855-1860)

Note that the small communities of Moss and Freedom (just west of Concordia) had post offices that were both established in 1846, before Cook’s Store. There was even a post office named Pea Vine in 1863 with Joseph Davis appointed postmaster, followed shortly by Thomas Patrick. It was moved to Concordia when Concordia was designated as a postoffice in 1865.

The first postmaster listed for Alma is O. H. P Catron, appointed 15 Jan 1879, succeeded by Robt. W Neale on 28 Mar 1881. The first listed for Emma is Adolph H. Hafemeister, appointed 5 Feb 1892. [Emma history notes that the community petitioned for a post office in 1888.] He was succeeded by William C. Meyer on 5 Dec 1899. The Emma post office was closed in 1913 and relocated in Saline County in 1916 with Alfred Dierking as postmaster.

Perhaps there are other names you may recognize in these files.
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