POST OFFICE.

Winfield.

[Looking for Location Different Years.]

According to the following item, there was a Post Office in Winfield in May 1871...

Cowley County Censor, May 13, 1871.

STRAYED OR STOLEN. From the undersigned, on Silver Creek, 12 miles east of Winfield, four ponies. DESCRIPTION GIVEN. Leave information at the Winfield Post Office, or at my house at the crossing of Winfield road on Silver Creek. C. W. SAUNDERS.

T. K. Johnston’s building almost completed. Location not given...

Cowley County Censor, July 1, 1871.

FINE WORK. Ira Kellogg has just finished plastering Mr. Johnston’s building and we have not seen a better job in the State. We don’t know which to congratulate most: Mr. J. on having so fine a house, or Mr. K. for knowing how to finish it.

In the same issue (July 1, 1871) mention is made of S. C. Smith’s two-story business house, just dedicated, and T. K. Johnston’s building dedicated soon after. Dobyns, City Restaurant, furnished ice cream for the occasions.

Reference made in next item to Johnston as Postmaster...

Winfield Messenger, July 12, 1872.

We announce to the citizens of Winfield and Cowley County that through the efforts of our Post Master his office has become a Money Order Office, and that citizens can now make remittances, without the usual delay attending “Registered letters,” or the danger of losing their funds. Mr. Johnston drew his first order this A.M.

Winfield Messenger, November 1, 1872. Front Page.

T. G. PEYTON, M. D. PHYSICIAN AND SURGEON, Winfield, Kansas.

Office at Johnston & Lockwood’s Drug Store.

Winfield Messenger, November 1, 1872.

AD: PURE DRUGS AND MEDICINES AT JOHNSTON & LOCKWOOD’S.

POST OFFICE BUILDING.

1873.

Winfield Courier, Saturday, January 18, 1873.

THE MAILS. Mails arrive from the North and East via Kansas City, Topeka, Wichita, and Augusta, at 6 o’clock p.m. daily, Sundays excepted.

From the East via Independence, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday at 6 o’clock p.m.

From Arkansas City, at 8 o’clock a.m., daily, Sundays excepted.

Mails leave for the East via Augusta, Wichita, Topeka, and Kansas City, at 8 o’clock a.m., daily, Sundays excepted.

For the East via Independence at 8 o’clock a.m., Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.

For Arkansas City, at 6 o’clock p.m., daily, Sundays excepted.

All letters must be mailed one hour before the time of departure.

Mails arriving after 9 o’clock p.m. distributed the following morning.

Office hours, from 7 o’clock a.m. to 9 o’clock p.m. Office open on Sunday from 6 o’clock p.m. to 8 o’clock p.m.

Money orders issued from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. T. K. JOHNSTON, P. M.

Winfield Courier, February 15, 1873.

Facilities for Telegraphing. Through the energy of Postmaster Johnston, our citizens can now receive and send messages without a trip to Wichita. The Telegraph Company has furnished Mr. Johnston a schedule with authority to receive and transmit dispatches from this office to Wichita. A message placed in his hands in the morning will be forwarded promptly from Wichita the same evening.

Winfield Courier, Thursday, February 20, 1873.

Money Orders. Winfield Post-office has issued at the rate of twenty-seven money orders per week. Mr. Johnston is kept on the move to transact the business of his office.

Winfield Courier, January 23, 1874.

T. K. Johnston, the Winfield Postmaster, is the only man heard of in the county thus far that publicly justifies Rev. Martin for refusing to give up his railroad pass. Stick to him, T. K., you brought him out.

Address not given...

Winfield Plow and Anvil, November 19, 1874.

POST OFFICE DRUG STORE, JOHNSTON & LOCKWOOD.

Dealers in Drugs, Medicines, and Chemicals. Patent Medicines, Toilet Soaps, Perfumery, and Toilet Articles. Pure Wines and Liquors, for medical purposes. Dye Stuffs, etc., etc.

Physicians prescriptions carefully and accurate compounded at all hours, day or night.

Post Office Building, Winfield, Kansas.

Winfield Courier, May 8, 1874.

WE HAVE ENLARGED AND refitted the building formerly occupied by Mr. Green as a drug store, two doors north of the post office, and have removed our stock of goods from the old log store to the above mentioned building where we will be pleased to wait on our old customers and as many new ones as may be pleased to call on us. We have just received a new and fresh stock of dry goods which we will sell very cheap for cash. Remember the place: two doors north of the post office. McMILLEN & SHIELDS.

Reference made to New Post Office...

Winfield Courier, May 27, 1875.

Maj. John M. Crowell, special agent of the Post Office Department, and one of the ablest and most energetic officers of the Government, is in town. He expresses himself highly pleased with the appearance of things in our new Post Office.

Manning & Walton, real estate firm, next north of post office: no address given...

Winfield Courier, November 18, 1875.

The advertising columns of the COURIER show a new real estate firm in Winfield. MANNING & WALTON will do a real estate business in the office next north of the post office.

Winfield Courier, December 16, 1875.

The new patent rotary-self-adjusting-perpendicular-initial-drum, general-delivery-letter-distributor of Postmaster Kelly’s is quite an improvement on the old way of delivering the mail. People that can’t read don’t like it though.

[Note: It appears from the old newspapers that James Kelly became the official postmaster at Winfield on January 1, 1876. D. A. Millington became the Postmaster on February 1, 1879.]

1876.

Still do not have an address given for post office...

Winfield Courier, May 11, 1876.

Mr. Kelly has extended the wings of the post office box-delivery to a right angle which makes it more convenient for the public. He has also filled one side of the room with stationery.

Winfield Courier, September 14, 1876.

The Express Office has been removed to the COURIER editorial rooms. It is now adjoining the post office, which will be of great convenience to the public.

1877.

Winfield Courier, December 20, 1877.

The Winfield post office mailed five hundred letters Monday morning. How is that for a fourth-class office?

Winfield Courier, December 20, 1877.

McCommon & Harter have just received a complete stock of paints, oils, and varnishes; also school books and new goods for the holidays. They will be found at the corner drug store, opposite the post office.

1878.

Kelly re-appointed as Postmaster...

Winfield Courier, January 24, 1878.

It is reported that James Kelly has been appointed and confirmed postmaster at this place.

The following item indicates that James Kelly received an annual salary of $1,200 for handling the Winfield Post Office effective January 1, 1878...

Winfield Courier, January 24, 1878.

The following presidential post offices in Kansas were reviewed and the salary fixed as follows on the 1st instant: Burlington, $1,100; Clay Center, $1,000; Coffeyville, $1,100; Girard, $1,200; Hiawatha, $1,200; Osage City, $1,100; Rosedale, $1,100; Winfield, $1,200. The salary of the Emporia office was increased from $1,900 to $2,000.

Winfield Courier, February 14, 1878.

THE “Old Log Store” will move out and away from its present location on Main street some time in March next. It was the second building erected on the town site of Winfield, and it will be eight years in that month since its foundation logs were laid. Much of the history of Cowley County has been moulded beneath its roof. It has served the purposes of church, schoolhouse, court house, ball room, printing office, store, post office, and political headquarters during these years.

Winfield Courier, March 21, 1878.

The old log store has gone to a more northeastern site. Robert Hudson put his log wheels under it last Saturday and it had to budge, heavy as it was. In 1870 this building was about all there was of Winfield. It has done service as store, church, political headquarters, law office, post office, schoolhouse, printing office, and almost everything else, but it had to give place to a more pretentious building. It looks lonesome around the old site.

Alexander at “stone office,” opposite Post Office on Ninth Avenue...

Winfield Courier, April 11, 1878.

J. M. ALEXANDER, ATTORNEY AT LAW.

Has money to loan on real estate, and will buy claims, notes, mortgages, etc. At stone office, opposite post office, on Ninth avenue, Winfield, Kansas.

Boyer & Wallis, east side of Main Street, opposite Post Office...

Winfield Courier, April 18, 1878.

Boyer & Wallis, Gent’s Clothing, East side of Main Street, Opposite Post Office.

Winfield Courier, May 16, 1878.

Since the new dispensation at the post office (which deprives the postmaster of box rent and compels him to promptly remit to the department the amount of all such rents) a person who is behind on his rent is liable to find that his box has a new owner. Box rent, if nothing else, should be paid in advance.

Winfield Courier, May 23, 1878.

Postal Decisions.

Among recent decisions made by the Post Office Department, are the following.

1. The transportation of flour in the mails is prohibited.

2. No package containing glass, liquids, needles, or anything of a nature to inflict damages, can be sent through the mails.

3. No mail matter whatever, while in the custody of the Postmaster, is subject to any process of garnishment.

4. A telegram from a person requesting that a registered letter be forwarded to another cannot be complied with.

5. Postal clerks refusing or neglecting, by May 15th, to put on the uniform prescribed by the department, will be suspended from duty.

Winfield Courier, August 22, 1878.

Robert Hudson, the “prime mover” of buildings, has removed the old post office building to parts unknown.

Winfield Courier, September 12, 1878.

Our postmaster, Mr. James Kelley, has succeeded in obtaining a Sunday mail for this place for which he is entitled to credit. It will be a great convenience to our citizens, not only for the daily mails for seven days in the week, but for the convenience of travel, as a four-horse Concord coach will be run each way between here and Wichita every day in the week.

G. W. Hunt, Ninth Avenue, three doors east of post office...

Winfield Courier, September 26, 1878.

G. W. Hunt, Merchant Tailor, Ninth Avenue. Three doors east of post office.

Puzzling entry! Post Office on wheels will move into the corner building of Manning’s Block, where the wheels will be removed. An extensive book and fancy goods establishment will occupy the front part of the room...???

Winfield Courier, September 26, 1878.

Our post office on wheels will soon move into the corner building of Manning’s Block, where the wheels will be taken from under and broken up. An extensive book and fancy goods establishment will occupy the front part of the room.

Goldsmith to occupy corner of “Manning’s new block” with books, stationery, etc. The post office will occupy the rear end of the room???...

Winfield Courier, October 3, 1878.

Henry Goldsmith, from Clinton, Missouri, will, about the 10th inst., occupy the corner of Manning’s new block with a full stock of books, stationery, tobacco, cigars, and gent’s furnishing goods; also news depot. The post office will occupy the rear end of the room.

Goldsmith now in corner building formerly occupied by New York Store...

Winfield Courier, October 17, 1878.

Mr. Henry Goldsmith has just opened a stock of stationery, candles, cigars, etc., in the corner building formerly occupied by the New York store.

Walter’s City Restaurant, etc., opens in Manning’s Block (rear of Post Office)...

Winfield Courier, October 24, 1878.

WALTERS’ CITY RESTAURANT, CONFECTIONERY, AND OYSTER SALOON,

opens in Manning’s Block (rear of post office), Thursday, October 24, with a new house clean and neat in all its apartments. We hope to merit a share of the public patronage.

Day Boarders Solicited.

Post Office went west and located in Manning’s corner building???...

Winfield Courier, October 31, 1878.

Last week, Wednesday night, the post office took Greeley’s advice and went west and located in Manning’s corner building. The wheels have been taken from under it, and it looks as if it had made a permanent settlement.

Winfield Courier, October 31, 1878.

Fine Michigan Apples, Lemons, cocoanuts, Dates, and other fruit at Goldsmith’s, Post Office Building.

(From the 1880 Winfield Directory)...

GOLDSMITH, HENRY, books, stationery, and news, in Post Office, Main, n. w. cor 9^th av.

I. L. Millington, brother of D. A. Millington, Courier, and John Buell took old post office building and turned it into a feed store according to next article...

Winfield Courier, November 14, 1878.

I. L. Millington, a brother of ours, and John Buell have fitted up the building lately occupied by the post office for a feed store and will soon be ready to buy corn, oats, and other produce from the farmers.

E. E. Bacon moves into the post office building...

Winfield Courier, December 5, 1878.

E. E. Bacon. This gentleman is one of the most skillful mechanics and neatest workmen in the state. We have particularly noticed his work in the jewelry line and our judgment coincides with the general verdict that it cannot be beat. Since he has moved into the post office building, he is crowded with work but he gets time to put in neat inventions of his own which add much to the value of his work. He keeps a good stock of time keepers and jewelry.

1881.

D. A. Millington Postmaster.