Donald A. Windsor
This blog posting continues the one on 19 August 2011 on the Post Offices in Chenango County. It draws upon the same information packet obtained from the United State Postal Service Historian in 1998.
Here is a list of the number of postmasters for each of the 79 post offices.
Post Office Established
Discontinued
Years Operating
Town
Postmasters
Afton 28 1819 - 179 Afton
Ayreshire 1 1854 1863 9 Afton
Bainbridge 32 1807 - 191 Bainbridge
Beaver Meadow 2 1848 1852 4 Otselic
16 (18) 1871 1967 96 Otselic
Bennettsville 11 1838 1903 65 Bainbridge
Bettsburgh 3 1808 1838 30 Afton
Bonney 1 1898 1915 17 Smyrna
Brisben 24 1838 1985 47 Greene
Chenango Lake 3 1887 1913 26 New Berlin
Cheshireville 1 1851 1864 13 Oxford
Church Hollow 2 1854 1859 5 Coventry
1 (3) 1889 1889 0 Coventry
Columbus 19 1805 1901 96 Columbus
Coventry 21 1815 1923 8 Coventry
Coventryville 18 1828 1922 94 Coventry
East Bainbridge 2 1837 1841 7 Bainbridge
East German 9 1901 1901 0 German
East Guilford 13 1841 1920 79 Guilford
East McDonough 9 1837 1910 73 McDonough
East Pharsalia 23 1830 - 168 Pharsalia
Genegantslet 4 1820 1861 41 Greene
German 26 1827 1912 85 German
Greene 33 1807 - 191 Greene
Guilford 23 1820 - 178 Guilford
Guilford Centre 16 1841 1915 74 Guilford
Haynes 4 1891 1911 30 Oxford
Holmesville 17 1872 1991 119 New Berlin
Irelands Mills 3 1872 1913 41 Smyrna
Kings Settlement 10 1834 1876 42 North Norwich
Kirk 1 1891 1915 24 Plymouth
Landers 1 1898 1901 3 Afton
Lincklaen 24 1827 1956 129 Lincklaen
Linchlaen Center 10 1877 1918 41 Lincklaen
Mariposa 7 1887 1940 53 Lincklaen
McDonough 20 1825 - 173 McDonough
Mount Upton 34 1815 - 183 Guilford
New Berlin 32 1811 - 187 New Berlin
New Berlin Center 6 1830 1903 73 New Berlin
Nineveh Junction 15 1892 1954 62 Afton
North Guilford 3 1848 1855 7 Guilford
1 (4) 1862 1870 8 Guilford
North Lincklaen 6 1849 1872 23 Lincklaen
North Norwich 38 1811 - 187 North Norwich
North Pharsalia 10 1856 1943 87 Pharsalia
North Pitcher 31 1824 - 174 Pitcher
Norwich 35 1805 - 193 Norwich
Otselic 25 1813 - 185 Otselic
Otselic Center 6 1872 1910 38 Otselic
Oxford 22 1798 - 200 Oxford
Oxfordville 1 1833 1839 6 ?
Page Brook 8 1875 1905 30 Greene
Pharsalia 15 1812 1919 107 Pharsalia
Pitcher 29 1841 - 157 Pitcher
Pitcher Springs 18 1827 1920 93 Pitcher
Plasterville 2 1892 1903 11 North Norwich
Plymouth 32 1811 - 187 Plymouth
Preston 19 1821 1915 94 Preston
Read 3 1891 1903 12 Greene
Robinsons Mill 1 1833 1834 1 Guilford
Rockdale 2 1829 1841 12 Guilford
11 (13) 1849 1954 105 Guilford
Rockwells Mills 5 1874 1934 60 Guilford
Sherburne 39 1800 - 198 Sherburne
Sherburne Four 5 1870 1934 58 Sherburne
Smithville Flats 32 1823 - 175 Smithville
Smyrna 26 1809 - 189 Smyrna
South New Berlin 25 1822 - 176 New Berlin
South Otselic 21 1830 - 168 Otselic
South Oxford 14 1828 1915 87 Oxford
South Pitcher 2 1854 1858 4 Pitcher
South Plymout 14 1848 - 150 Plymouth
Spees Spa 2 1834 1837 3 McDonough
Stanbro 2 1883 1896 13 Otselic
Tallette 2 1884 1905 21 Columbus
Trestle 2 1893 1903 10 ?Oxford?Guilford?
Tyner 2 1881 1901 20 Smithville
Upperville 3 1898 1915 17 Smyrna
West Bainbridge 8 1846 1903 57 Bainbridge
White Store 14 1822 1905 83 Norwich
Wilkins Creek 1 1834 1838 4 ?
Willowvale 1 1892 1892 0 ?
Yaleville 1 1863 1870 7 Guilford
Our 79 post offices had a total of 1064 postmasters, for an average of 13.5 postmasters each. However, this distribution is skewed, so the correct parameter is the median. The typical (median) post office had 10 postmasters.
The top three were: Sherburne with 39 postmasters, North Norwich with 38, and Norwich with 35. Ten post offices had only 1 postmaster each; 8 had 2 postmasters each, and 6 had 3 each.
Post offices that operated the longest had the greatest oppotunities to have more postmasters. However, some postmasters held on to their positions longer than others. For example, Oxford operated for 200 years, but it had just 22 postmasters.
The complete list naming every person who held the position of postmaster for every post office will be given to the Chenango County Historian's Office.
I hope that other historians will use this information to write more detailed studies, such as finding the exact locations of the post offices and will present complete lists of the postmasters' names plus some biographical coverage.
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