Post Offices
In the 1850's many areas in Southwestern Dane County and the Driftless Area of Wisconsin got a local post office. These post offices were another element in the rural communities. When horses were the mode of transportation, trips needed to accomplish more than one task. Often the post offices would be in a store, cheese factory, or private home. In several cases the newly appointed postmaster would give the name to these locations, many of which are still in use today.
The locations were easily and often changed since little equipment was needed. So when a new postmaster was appointed, the post office usually would move to their home or business.
As the population grew and roads improved the Federal Post Office developed a Rural Free Delivery system. By around 1900, our area was served by the RFD system and many of these small post offices closed.
View our Archive's holdings Finding Guide.
The locations were easily and often changed since little equipment was needed. So when a new postmaster was appointed, the post office usually would move to their home or business.
As the population grew and roads improved the Federal Post Office developed a Rural Free Delivery system. By around 1900, our area was served by the RFD system and many of these small post offices closed.
View our Archive's holdings Finding Guide.
Rural Mail Carriers - Mount Horeb (MHAHS Image PC.951)
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(MHAHS Image 8x10.597)
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Post Office Mount Horeb (MHAHS Image 8x10.667)
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Local Post Offices: Click the post office names below for more information including photos, maps, descriptions, etc.
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Blue Mounds Township/Village
Blue Mounds Post Office Blue Mound Post Office East Blue Mounds Post Office Grit Post Office West Blue Mound Post Office Cross Plains Township
Pine Bluff Post Office Mount Horeb Village
Mount Horeb Post Office |
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Interactive Map:
Details: Click an icon on the map for specific site information. To return to map, either click on the map or the ← in upper left corner. Zoom: Use the + - icons in the lower left corner or your mouse wheel. Move Map: Click and hold any open space on the map then move your mouse. Legend: Click the icon in the upper left corner to open the menu. Click the arrow by "All Items" for site lists and links. To close, either click the icon in the upper left corner again or click on the map. Full Screen: Click icon at upper right corner. |
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Wisconsin "Blue Book" report on post offices from 1853 to 1935. CLICK FOR FULL IMAGE
Links and References:
Rural Free Delivery, Mary Clark
Unincorporated Hamlets of Dane County, Wisconsin
Dane County Historical Society- maps, articles
Mt. Horeb Area Historical Society- images, oral history, publications:
Mount Horeb - Presettlement to 1986. Mt. Horeb Area Historical Society, 1986
History of the Township of Primrose. Mary Hanna Zumbrunnen, 1990
The Historic Perry Norwegian Settlement. The Perry Historical Center, Daleyville. 1954
The History of the Town of Mount Vernon, 1846-1996. Walter Brink, Tim White, Karen White, Jennifer Goebler, Kathy Sies, Brian Bigler. 1996
The Town of Vermont – "The Early Years" 1846 – 1890. Marian Swoboda
Town of Vermont History - Town of Vermont. August 1977
Town of Springdale, Dane County, Wisconsin: 1848-1998
University of Wisconsin Digital Collection - Madison Public Library - online resources: plat maps
University of Wisconsin Digital Collection - Wisconsin Legislative Manual or "Blue Books"
Wisconsin State Historical Society- maps, articles
Wisconsin Post Office Handbook, revised edition No. 3, Frank Moertl. 1999
Legislative Manual Wisconsin 1868
Rural Free Delivery, Mary Clark
Unincorporated Hamlets of Dane County, Wisconsin
Dane County Historical Society- maps, articles
Mt. Horeb Area Historical Society- images, oral history, publications:
Mount Horeb - Presettlement to 1986. Mt. Horeb Area Historical Society, 1986
History of the Township of Primrose. Mary Hanna Zumbrunnen, 1990
The Historic Perry Norwegian Settlement. The Perry Historical Center, Daleyville. 1954
The History of the Town of Mount Vernon, 1846-1996. Walter Brink, Tim White, Karen White, Jennifer Goebler, Kathy Sies, Brian Bigler. 1996
The Town of Vermont – "The Early Years" 1846 – 1890. Marian Swoboda
Town of Vermont History - Town of Vermont. August 1977
Town of Springdale, Dane County, Wisconsin: 1848-1998
University of Wisconsin Digital Collection - Madison Public Library - online resources: plat maps
University of Wisconsin Digital Collection - Wisconsin Legislative Manual or "Blue Books"
Wisconsin State Historical Society- maps, articles
Wisconsin Post Office Handbook, revised edition No. 3, Frank Moertl. 1999
Legislative Manual Wisconsin 1868