Page:History of Goodhue County, Minnesota.djvu/375

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HISTOKY OF GOODHUE COUNTY 311 Western Railway, about six miles south of Kenyon. One rural route starts therefrom. Francis J. White is the postmaster. Stanton. — This post-office, located on the Chicago Great West- ern Railway, dates from early in the sixties, previous to the build- ing of the railway having received and dispatched mail by stage. One rural route is connected with the office. Henry W. Nelson is the present postmaster. Vasa. — This post-office also dates from the fifties. It is today the only post-office in Goodhue county not located on a railroad^ receiving its mail from the Welch station on the Chicago Great Western Railway. The office serves the hamlet Vasa and a limited territory around there. N. B. Ofelt is the present postmaster. Wanamingo. — The post-office at Wanamingo is among the old- est in the county. It was established in the fifties, with James Brown as postmaster. Martin Halvorson served as postmaster there for nearly thirty years, and after him his son, Henry M. Halvorson, served eleven years. Herman 0. Naeseth is the pres- ent postmaster. The mail supply of the office for more than forty years was by stage ; at present the supply and dispatch is by rail- way service. Welch. — This office is located on the Northfield branch of the Milwaukee road, about twelve miles west of Red Wing. Samuel Nelson is the postmaster. Zumbrota. — The post-office at Zumbrota was established late in the fifties, with Thomas P. Kellett as postmaster and an author- ization of one mail a week each way by stage from Red Wing. This service subsequently increased to three times a week and still later to a daily service, continued until 1878, when the build- ing of a railroad into the village from Rochester enabled the es- tablishment of a railroad supply. For nearly twenty years, or until 1875, the office remained in the general store of Mr. Kellett, under his charge. Henry Blanchard was then appointed postmaster and the office removed to his shoe store. Some home-made fixtures, very crude in a way, were installed, but they did very good service. At that time post- offices had been established at Minneola, Roscoe, Wanamingo and Hader, and as the population was not large the mail was very light at all the points. Mr. Blanchard retained the office until 1887, when C. B. An- derson was appointed. He installed new fixtures and moved into quarters by himself. In 1891 Ira D. Warren succeeded to the office. During his term it became third class. In 1895 Mr. An- derson was again appointed postmaster. During this term the office again dropped to the fourth class. In US99 B. C. Grover was appointed postmaster and held the office until 1908. During