Curry County Post Offices


Mail service of a sort reached into the most remote sections of Curry County. Many of the posted offices have been discontinued. (From "A Century of Coos and Curry" by Emil R. Peterson and Alfred Powers, 1952)

 

Name Est Disc Postmaster
Bennett 1883 1884 John R. Miller
Bagnell 1894 1895 Ary Bennett
Blain 1891 1891 Eliza Woodruff
Chetco * 1863 1910 Augustus F. Miller, 1863; Henry Simons, 1869; Robert Moore, 1870; Thomas Van Pelt, 1871; Jeanette Cooley, 1873; Miller Cooley, 1875; Henry M. Cooley, 1886; Fredrick G. Blake, 1888; Fredrick H. Blake, 1889; Ida Cooley, 1905; James A Cooley, 1906
Corbin 1901 1910 Richard D. Jones, 1901; Charles R. Wilson, 1901; Samuel R. Dartt, 1902; Dietrich Quellen, 1905
Cumtux 1895 1895 Henry P. Moore
Ellensburg **      
Eckley ***      
Elkridge 1902 1903 James R. Hall
Esoms 1899 1899 Geo. W. Bilings
Fern 1888 1888 John Sedwich
Gray 1884 1887 Loftin Gray
Hare 1898 1913 Joseph Hare, 1898; Frank H. Strain, 1908; George Heebler, 1911
Illahe 1895 1943 Elijah H. Price, 1895; James R. Hall, 1898; Ellen Fry, 1902; E.R. russell, 1905; Eliza H. Price, 1908; Lewis Hostetler, 1914; Rose Meservey, 1914; Bessie Billings, 1915; George W. Meservey, 1918
Lakeport 1910 1915 Emil Berg, 1910; richard Walker, 1911; Helen M. Walker, 1913
Moore 1902 1902 Charles M. Neil
Newcastle **** 1879 1916 Joseph Haines, 1897; George Martin, 1908; Charles W. Haines, 1908; Hugh C. Hamilton, 1911; Charles H. Bramley, 1915
Pistol River 1927 1930 Richard E. Guthridge
Quosaton 1895 1895 George W. Meservey
Ragic 1898 1900 John H. McElhaney, 1898; Elvin R. Miller, 1900
Sandstone 1890 1891 Annie J. Blacklock
Seaforth 1890 1892 Robert McKenzie
Triangle 1914 1916 Elinor Lehnherr
Winchuck 1917 1918 Beulah McKeiser

 

* Chetco business transferred to Harbor post office nearby.
** Name changed to Gold Beach in 1890.
*** First established as Newcastle.
**** Changed to Tell Tale and then to Eckley in 1883.

The nature of early-day mail carrying in souther Curry County as been described ty H.T. Stewart:

Charles Dewey was mail carrier. He mad a round trip once a week between Port Orford and Crescent City. The trail followed ridges over the highest mountains and crossed all streams without bridges. There were ferries at Rogue and Checo rivers, but otherwise it was ford or swim the many swift streams that came tumbling into Pacific along the route. Horses that were trained to swim carried their riders and the mail with surprising safeth. The mail pouch was held aloft and kept dry during winter storms when streams were high and swimming necessary, but after one such experience the carriers rode the rest of the day soaked from the waist down.