The development of United States postal service (Part 2) in the new town of Watonga is explained in the July 1, 1917 issue of the Watonga Republican. This issue was to celebrate the “new” post office. This would have been over 20 years before the present 1938 post office at Noble and First Street. As described in part 1, the Fergusons were very involved in the postal service.
Ellen Shaw found a copy of this issue on the third floor of the Ferguson. She recounts that in April 1892, John Dillon came from Kingfisher to Watonga, a town of tents, with his commission. Mr. Dillon had secured a lot near the Keller Funeral Home and had a building ready for the post office. The mailboxes and other equipment were very simple and made by a local carpenter. Mr. Ferguson served as Mr. Dillon’s assistant in exchange for rent for two months.
There were no lock boxes where patrons could get their own mail, only rows of pigeonholes, covered on the outside by screen wire, on each side of the general delivery window, in order that the patron could see whether the box contained mail. But that must be handed through the window. There was a large registered mail business, but no money order service for another three years.
The contract for carrying the mail was awarded to G.M. Woodworth, owner of the local livery stable. Kingfisher was the nearest railroad point, and the mail from Watonga was brought daily from that place by stagecoach. In order to make the round trip in one day, extra teams of horses were kept at Omega, the half-way station, and the horses changed on the way to and from Kingfisher. Passengers, express and merchandise were also carried by the coach.
It was usually dark before the mail arrived at the Watonga Post Office, and almost every citizen of the town was on hand to greet this, the only communication with the outside world.
The stagecoach and mail line continued until the railroad arrived in 1901 and took over the contract.
Mrs. Ferguson was serving as postmaster in 1901 until she resigned to be the first Lady of the Territory of Oklahoma. The Fergusons moved to Guthrie by early 1902. I wonder if they used this same train to move to Guthrie?