Donald A. Windsor
Chenango County had 79 post offices during its first two centuries, 1798 through 1998, according to the United States Postal Service Historian. All but one, East German, were established in the 1800s. In the 1900s, 63 persisted. As of 1998, the date of the USPS report, 21 post offices were still operating. As of now, according to usps.com, 18 August 2011, 20 still operate; Otselic was discontinued. Some more may be closing soon.
Here is a list of the 79 post offices.
Post Office Established
Discontinued
Years Operating
Town
Afton 1819 - 179 Afton
Ayreshire 1854 1863 9 Afton
Bainbridge 1807 - 191 Bainbridge
Beaver Meadow 1848 1852 4 Otselic
1871 1967 96 Otselic
Bennettsville 1838 1903 65 Bainbridge
Bettsburgh 1808 1838 30 Afton
Bonney 1898 1915 17 Smyrna
Brisben 1838 1985 47 Greene
Chenango Lake 1887 1913 26 New Berlin
Cheshireville 1851 1864 13 Oxford
Church Hollow 1854 1859 5 Coventry
1889 1889 0 Coventry
Columbus 1805 1901 96 Columbus
Coventry 1815 1923 8 Coventry
Coventryville 1828 1922 94 Coventry
East Bainbridge 1837 1841 7 Bainbridge
East German 1901 1901 0 German
East Guilford 1841 1920 79 Guilford
East McDonough 1837 1910 73 McDonough
East Pharsalia 1830 - 168 Pharsalia
Genegantslet 1820 1861 41 Greene
German 1827 1912 85 German
Greene 1807 - 191 Greene
Guilford 1820 - 178 Guilford
Guilford Centre 1841 1915 74 Guilford
Haynes 1891 1911 30 Oxford
Holmesville 1872 1991 119 New Berlin
Irelands Mills 1872 1913 41 Smyrna
Kings Settlement 1834 1876 42 North Norwich
Kirk 1891 1915 24 Plymouth
Landers 1898 1901 3 Afton
Lincklaen 1827 1956 129 Lincklaen
Linchlaen Center 1877 1918 41 Lincklaen
Mariposa 1887 1940 53 Lincklaen
McDonough 1825 - 173 McDonough
Mount Upton 1815 - 183 Guilford
New Berlin 1811 - 187 New Berlin
New Berlin Center1830 1903 73 New Berlin
Nineveh Junction 1892 1954 62 Afton
North Guilford 1848 1855 7 Guilford
1862 1870 8 Guilford
North Lincklaen 1849 1872 23 Lincklaen
North Norwich 1811 - 187 North Norwich
North Pharsalia 1856 1943 87 Pharsalia
North Pitcher 1824 - 174 Pitcher
Norwich 1805 - 193 Norwich
Otselic 1813 - 185 Otselic
Otselic Center 1872 1910 38 Otselic
Oxford 1798 - 200 Oxford
Oxfordville 1833 1839 6 ?
Page Brook 1875 1905 30 Greene
Pharsalia 1812 1919 107 Pharsalia
Pitcher 1841 - 157 Pitcher
Pitcher Springs 1827 1920 93 Pitcher
Plasterville 1892 1903 11 North Norwich
Plymouth 1811 - 187 Plymouth
Preston 1821 1915 94 Preston
Read 1891 1903 12 Greene
Robinsons Mill 1833 1834 1 Guilford
Rockdale 1829 1841 12 Guilford
1849 1954 105 Guilford
Rockwells Mills 1874 1934 60 Guilford
Sherburne 1800 - 198 Sherburne
Sherburne Four 1870 1934 58 Sherburne
Smithville Flats 1823 - 175 Smithville
Smyrna 1809 - 189 Smyrna
South New Berlin 1822 - 176 New Berlin
South Otselic 1830 - 168 Otselic
South Oxford 1828 1915 87 Oxford
South Pitcher 1854 1858 4 Pitcher
South Plymouth 1848 - 150 Plymouth
Spees Spa 1834 1837 3 McDonough
Stanbro 1883 1896 13 Otselic
Tallette 1884 1905 21 Columbus
Trestle 1893 1903 10 ?Oxford?Guilford?
Tyner 1881 1901 20 Smithville
Upperville 1898 1915 17 Smyrna
West Bainbridge 1846 1903 57 Bainbridge
White Store 1822 1905 83 Norwich
Wilkins Creek 1834 1838 4 ?
Willowvale 1892 1892 0 ?
Yaleville 1863 1870 7 Guilford
Our oldest post office is Oxford (200 years), with Sherburne second (198 years), and Norwich third (193 years). The Town with the most post offices is Guilford with 9. Next with 5 each are: Afton and Otselic. With 4 each are: Bainbridge, Greene, and Pitcher.
Of the 79 post offices, 4 were discontinued and later reestablished; therefore there were 83 durations. The median duration from establishment to discontinuance is the 42nd value when the 83 durations are ranked. The median is 58 years. That is, the typical post office operated for a little over a half-century, the equivalent of 2 generations.
Most of the 79 post offices, 51 (65%), were established prior to 1850.
The Earlville post office is not listed here, because it was originally in Madison County, as per the 1863 Atlas.
I do not know where these post offices were: Oxfordville, Trestle, Wilkins Creek, and Willowvale.
I want to thank Bob Bliven for giving me his packet of post office history. A complete list of the postmasters for each of the above post offices is a major part of this packet. The packet will be given to the Chenango County Historian's Office.
For my other comments on post offices, see these articles and the references they cite.
The Cheshireville Hotel. Souvenirs of Yesteryear Volume 1, page 31.
Where do you live? Souvenirs of Yesteryear Volume 3, pages 74-76.
The oldest post office in Chenango County. Souvenirs of Yesteryear Volume 4, pages 31-32.
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