RURAL CHERRY COUNTY AREA POST OFFICES

by Joellen Phillips

Entry T8 from the History of Hooker County Nebraska
with permission of the Hooker County Historical Society

Camp Meeting Wells Post Office

With the larger rural population, several
small post offices were established to serve
the area patrons, and save them the trip to
town for their mail. These offices were
sometimes combined with a small country
store in a rancher's home, and often moved
from one location to another as the postmast-
ers changed. When the population dwindled,
the offices were closed and the patrons were
delivered mail via a rural route. Very little
information concerning these small offices is
available. The names and dates were gath-
ered from Perkey's Nebr. Place Names by
Elton A. Pekey; the Nebraska State Gazetter
& Business Directory 1913 supplied mileage
to locations and the names of the 1913
postmasters; and other information was
gathered from the Hooker County Tribune
and conversation with early settlers.

Arlena was 10 miles northeast of Mullen in
T25 R31 and S18. It was established May 13,
1909 and discontinued March 31, 1910. Loy
James was the only postmaster.

Banner was 25 miles northeast of Mullen
and 25 miles northwest of Seneca, and
received twice weekly mail stage from Brown-
lee. The office was established June 20, 1903
and discontinued December 31, 1915. The
office was in T27 R30 and S18 at the Henry
Murphy ranch. Alice Murphy was postmast-
er.

Big Creek was 30 miles north of Mullen,
and Clair (Terry) Carpenter thought when it
was established April 1, 1908, it was located
about one mile west of the present Big Creek
Ranch in T28 R32 and S20. Simeon Mickey
was the first postmaster, and other postmast-
ers were Richard Richardson and Robert
Polen. Later the office moved to T28 R32 and
S18 and Mary (Mrs. Sam) Carpenter was
postmaster when the office discontinued
March 31, 1925.

The information on Capwell was furnished
by Merle Yaryan, as his mother was post-
master there. The Farmers Store was built in
1913 by lsaac and Laura Palmer in T28 R35
and S24, and the post office opened in 1915.
John Delinger was the first mail carrier from
Mullen to deliver the mail. The post office
closed in the early 1920's, but Mrs. Palmer
continued to operate her store for many
years.

Cherry was 14 miles north of Mullen in T26
R32 and S21. This office was established
August 20, 1907 and discontinued November
30, 1940. There was also a small store at
Cherry, and Rush F. Osborn was postmaster,
to be succeeded by his wife, Virginia. Mail
was received tri-weekly by stage from Mul-
len. A few years after the office was estab-
lished J.H.Welton, publisher of the Hooker
County Tribune, established a land office
here, where he conducted business every
Monday. This saved a trip to the county seat
at Valentine for those who wanted to file or
prove up on a homestead. J.H. Welton and
A.G. Humphrey, who was a typist, and
occasionally Walter Garrett, who would fill in
for Mr. Humphrey, would drive out with a
livery team. There was a caustic article in the
Hooker County Tribune concerning the
closing of this office, under the heading
`Nothing Wrong with the Postoffice Except
Old Age'. Apparently there had been a law
passed requiring the retirement of postmast-
ers at age 70, and the office was forced to
close.

Curlew was 16 miles north of Mullen in T26
R32 and S6. This office was established April
8, 1902 and discontinued October 1, 1929.
Postmasters included Milborn Carr, John
Gorsuch, Robert Boyer and in 1911 Thomas
W. Carr was appointed postmaster. Stuart
Dutton held the first contract to carry mail
to Curlew, and he also had a general store
here. The stage with mail ran tri-weekly to
Mullen and the fare was 75 cents. The community
also listed two physicians in 1913: Alex H.
Miller and Rolling G. Roth.

Ethel was located about two miles south of
the falls on the North Loup River, and was
probably in T28 R34 and S13. The office was
established February, 1913, and the first
postmaster may have been John Luenstra.
The announcement made in the Hooker
County Tribune on May 7, 1920 tells that J.P.
Wingender was appointed postmaster to
replace L.E. Endicott who had tendered his
resignation some time ago on account of
having decided to locate elsewhere and since
that time has sold his ranch to Carl Polen.
The compensation of the office was $185. The
office was discontinued January 1, 1921.

Erick was 8 miles northwest of Mullen in
T25 R33 and S17, and was named for the
postmaster, Erick P. Erickson. Established
April 14, 1908, this office was discontinued
July 31, 1923. The stage with mail ran tri-
weekly to Mullen.

Prentice was 23 miles northwest of Mullen
and was established September 10, 1906.
Named in honor of the postmaster, Benjamin
F. Prentice, this office was located in T26 R34
and S9. The Hooker County Tribune dated
August 12, 1927 states `too much work and
too little pay has been the cause of the
discontinuing of the Prentice post office over
in Cherry County. Mr. Prentice has decided
to box up and send in the fixtures of the office
this week. We understand however, the
Prentice route will be extended in a circular
way so as to give people in that part of the
country the benefit of the rural delivery plan
as far north as where the old Ethel postoffice,
also abandoned, served them a few years ago.'
The Hooker County Tribune of August 27,
1942 carried the following item `Mrs. Ben
Prentice received word last week that her
brother-in-law, Austin Banks had passed
away at his home in Long Beach, Calif. He
established the first mail route from Prentice
to Mullen and carried the mail.'

Rita Park was 21 miles northwest of
Mullen in T26 R33 S19. The office was
established November 3, 1908 at the Albert
L. Stewart ranch, and Mr. Stewart was the
first postmaster. The stage with mail ran tri-
weekly to Mullen with the fare 75 cents. His
daughter Helen (Mrs. S.T. Simonson) later
became postmaster, and the office was
discontinued March 15, 1916. After disconti-
nuing, the mail came from Erick until that
office closed, then the mail came out of
Mullen.

Wells was 20 miles northeast of Mullen in
T27 R31 S11, and was established July 22,
1909. One of the earlier postmasters was
Noah B. Hovey, followed by James Anders
and John Wickham. John Andrews was
postmaster when the office closed in late
1920.