Historical Post Offices

Idaho maps at Digital Commonwealth/Massachusetts Collections Online, includes 1891, 1895, 1897 & 1903 mail routes


ALPINE 1891-1907 
established Oct 2, 1902, Mildred L. Witherson
discontinued April 30, 1907, mail to Indian Valley
at or near site of Mesa 

BEAR 1892-1963 
established June 12, 1892, Frank Smith
Amy Smith, September 10, 1897
Ada R. Smith, April 4, 1900
Maranda E. Carroll, February 27, 1905
William T. Robertson, October 8, 1907
Jessie A. Robertson, March 5, 1915
Mrs. Mary McGahey, December 5, 1936
Sidney F. Brown, December 16, 1938
Ruth I. Vandenburg, Jan 31, 1946
Mrs. Ruth I. Wilmarth (wed), August 13, 1946
Mrs. Marvis Inez McGahey, March 27, 1953
nee Warner
discontinued, March 29, 1963, mail to Council
31 miles NW of Council
10 miles NE Homestead, Oregon
NW Sec 35, T20N, R3W

BEAR RURAL STATION, Branch of Council
established April 1, 1963, Mrs. Beth Percelia Warner
nee Kampeter, Mrs. Clarence Warner
discontinued December 7, 1974

BLACK LAKE 1903-1907 
established September 18, 1908, Robert B. Barbour
John A. Nelson, February 19, 1907
discontinued October 31, 1907, mail to Iron Springs

COUNCIL 1896-Date was COUNCIL VALLEY (county seat) 
established November 19, 1878, as Council Valley
renamed Council April 29, 1896, Miss Effie E. Gray (failed to qualify)
Miss Emma Morrison, July 29, 1896 (failed to qualify)
James C. Lee, September 5, 1896, rescinded
Phil S. Hendulite, September 8, 1899
Henry M. Jorgens, July 22, 1902
Irving J. Conway, February 11, 1907
Pearl Mitchell, May 5, 1910
Marguerite Mitchell, December 14, 1914
William F. Winsler, March 3, 1925
George W. Prout, October 10, 1923
46 miles NE of Weiser, 21 miles NE of Cambridge
27 miles SW of New Meadows
corner common to Secs. 10, 11, 14 & 15, T16N, R1W

COUNCIL VALLEY 1878-1896 renamed COUNCIL 
established November 19, 1878, Robert P. White
Mrs. Martha J. Kesler, January 29, 1887
Annie Peton, November 25, 1891
William Percifield, May 29, 1893
Mrs. Effie E. Gray, March 2, 1894
re-named Council April 29, 1896.

CUPRUM 1897-1965 
established December 1, 1897, Edward P. Hall
John A. Denny, November 16, 1898
Fred S. Curtis, January 23, 1901
Ferdinand Douglas, February 1, 1902
Joseph R. Sears, June 17, 1904
William H. Outhwait, January 8, 1927
Samuel J. Stephens, December 29, 1927
Maude M. Darland, December 9, 1929
discontinued February 26, 1965, mail to Council
40 miles NW of Council
NW Sec. 10, T20N, R3W

DALE 1888-1907, 1908-1910 
established March 23, 1888, Clark Harrington
Hattie Elliott, January 5, 1899
Frederick C. Wilkie, October 21, 1904
Charles W. Sutton, March 4, 1906
closed March 15, 1905, mail to Council
re-opened George T. Russell, April 30, 1908
discontinued August 15, 1910
at mine about 25 miles NW of Council
NW Sec. 8, T17N R3W

DECORAH 1901-1903 
established January 10, 1901, Curtis A. Stoops
discontinued August 30, 1903, mail to Landore

EVERGREEN 1905-1906 renamed STARKEY 
established November 27, 1905, Richard S. Starkey
renamed Starkey February 5, 1906

FALLS 1890-1897 
established May 5, 1890, Mrs. Minnie R. Gould
Mrs. Nancy C. Clay, August 2, 1894
discontinued July 15, 1897, mail to Meadows
about 18-20 miles N. of New Meadows
Section 33, T21N, R1E

FRUITVALE 1909-Date was LINCOLN 
established as Lincoln, January 25, 1909, Andy H. Carroll
renamed Fruitvale April 23, 1909
Elbert E. Cook, December 19, 1910
Oscar A. Selman, January 27, 1912
May M. Robertson, February 9, 1913
Oliver Robertson, December 14, 1917
Charles E. Cox, December 20, 1920
Everett Ryals, April 6, 1925
Ray Sailor, March 22, 1930
7 miles N of Council, 26 miles SW New Meadows
SW SE Section 10, T17N R1W

GOODRICH 1901-1906 
1912-1957 was MILLIGAN 
established January 4, 1901, Elmer V. Milligan
Frank M. Brown, March 25, 1904
Jessie W. Crowell, February 1, 1905
Mrs. Dora Kiser, September 1, 1905
closed November 30, 1906, mail to Cambridge
re-established September 10, 1910 as Milligan, Miford Hoffer
re-named Goodrich January 23, 1912, Thomas Book
Ashton Roby, November 20, 1913
Hazel Denney, January 8, 1918
Effie Ogilvie, January 10, 1919
Elizabeth Hopper, February 19, 1921
William A. Schmid, June 14, 1923
discontinued June 28, 1957, mail to Council
on UPRy. 15 m. SW of Council
SE Sec. 10, T15N, R2W

HELENA 1890-1914 
established September 29, 1890, Mose Fuchs
Jessie H. Gilliland, December 4, 1891 (declined)
discontinued Mary 13, 1892, mail to Dale
(rescinded August 28, 1902)
Hattie Alers, June 1, 1898
Closed August 31, 1902, mail to Landore (rescinded)
Ferdinand Alers, September 19, 1902
discontinued February 28, 1914, mail to Landore
about 5 miles NE of Cuprum, 16 miles NE of Homestead, Oregon
SW Section 21, T21N, R3W

INDIAN VALLEY 1873-Date
established February 26, 1873, John G. Curtis
William Monday, December 28, 1875
William C. McCullough, November 9, 1876
John V. Williamson, January 7, 1879
Isaac Spoor, September 8, 1879
Albert McDowell, December 28, 1881
Bernard Snow, May 20, 1883
Winfield S. Ryearson, July 10, 1886
Anna E. Wilkerson, October 14, 1891
Mrs. Matilda Sims, October 12, 1892
Matilda Fox, June 25, 1898
Edna L. Anderson, March 7, 1905
Walter E. Henke, April 13, 1908
Ivey Anderson, October 31, 1918
4 m. S. of Mesa; 15 m. E. of Cambridge
SW Sec. 11, T14N, R1W

IRON SPRINGS 1903-1908 
established September 10, 1903, Henry B. Macey
John J. Bye, February 17, 1905
William R. Evans, September 30, 1905
Charles Cadman, June 22, 1906
James D. Thorn, February 9, 1907
William McMillin, December 26, 1907
discontinued April 30, 1908, mail to Bear
SW of Pollock, NE of Cuprum
SW Sec. 10, T22N, R1W

KRAMER 1907-1909 
established June 7, 1907, Mary E. Davis
closed November 30, 1909
re-established January 15, 1910, Mrs. Katie Allen
rescinded May 21, 1910

LANDORE 1901-1920 
established February 13, 1901, Mary A. Stronse
Emma L. Brown, April 13, 1903
John L. Thompson, March 22, 1916
discontinued June 30, 1920, mail to Cuprum
4 m. NE of Cuprum
NW Sec. 31, T21N R2W

LINCOLN 1909-1909 renamed FRUITVALE 
established January 25, 1909, Andy H. Carroll
renamed Fruitvale April 23, 1909

MEADOWS 1883-1966 
established September 7, 1883, Calvin R. White
Jonathan McMahan, December 4, 1896, did not serve
William J. Warr, October 27, 1897
Thomas E. Martin, August 3, 1910
Carroll M. Lucas, June 1, 1911
Celestine M. Killoran, October 1, 1913, declined
William F. Allfather, April 9, 1914
James W. Adamson, September 14, 196
Faith E. Adamson, January 20, 1919
George E. Rigson, August 1, 1919
Mrs. Sierra N. Rigson, June 23, 1927
Mrs. Claire J. Hurd, January 10, 1928
discontinued December 30, 1966, mail to New Meadows
11 miles NW of McCall
NW NE Section 29, T19N, R2E


MESA 1912-1985 was MIDDLE FORK 
established as Middle Fork, June 6, 1908, Charles Barbour
renamed Mesa, March 26, 1912, Edward E. Hart
Isaac S. Carter, November 5, 1914, declined
Judah P. Gray, April 9, 1915
Charles P. Seymour, September 8, 1919
Maud N. Seymour, January 20, 1921
Enderse J. Van Hoesen, September 12, 1921
(see Alpine)
10 miles S. of Council
NE NW Section 15, T15N, R1W

MIDDLE FORK 1908-1912 renamed MESA 
established June 6, 1908, Charles Barbour
renamed Mesa March 26, 1912
may have used one-word-name - Middlefork

MILLIGAN 1910-1912 renamed GOODRICH 
established as Goodrich, January 4, 1901
discontinued November 30, 1906, Mail to Cambridge
re-opened September 10, 1910 as Milligan, Milford Hoffer
name Goodrich restored January 23, 1912

NEW MEADOWS 1911-Date
established June 22, 1911, Clay A. Walker
James M. Hart, August 2, 1911
George S. Mitchell, June 8, 1914
(end of record)

ROSE 1885-1887 
established November 12, 1885, Palmer W. Higgins
discontinued September 12, 1887, mail to Indian Valley

STARKEY 1906-1943 was EVERGREEN 
established as Evergreen November 27, 1905, Richard S. Starkey
renamed Starkey February 5, 1906
Hannah L. Ketcham, February 12, 1916
William M. Brown, March 6, 1928
Winifred B. Lindsay, February 1, 1930
discontinued March 31, 1943, mail to Fruitvale
3 miles N. of Fruitvale
SW Section 34, T18N, R1W

TAMARACK 1911-1959 
established May 2, 1911, 1911, Stephen F. Richardson
Leroy V. Fury, December 6, 1913 (declined)
James O. Nord, January 20, 1915
Nettie M. Karr, June 2, 1919
Oscar U. Karr, September 27, 1921
Nicholas F. Hungiker, November 1, 1921
Thomas J. Dolan, July 9, 1928
discontinued May 31, 1959, mail to New Meadows
8 m. W. of New Meadows
19 m. NE of Council
center Section 30, T19N, R1E

Tamarack Rural Station of New Meadows
established June 1, 1959
discontinued August 31, 1967

WILDHORSE 1907-1952 
established February 26, 1907, Guest L. McCall
Adois McCall, January 31, 1908
Mary B. Fanning, September 23, 1911
Aliena McCall, December 12, 1914
Arthur Campbell, October 20, 1917
James Ballard, January 6, 1927
William J. Hunsaker, May 31, 1928
Eloise McClements, July 1, 1936
Henry J. Schmidt, September 1, 1942
Kathryn E. Rogers, January 1, 1944
Louise F. Rogers, August 20, 1946
George Pl Schoonover, January 26, 1952
discontinued August 31, 1952, mail to Council
34 m. NW of Council
center of Section 34, T18N, R4W

Sources:

History of Post Offices in Idaho. U.S. Post Office; Gem County Historical Society and Museum collection, 501 E 1st Street, Emmett ID 83617. Also available at Idaho State Archives, 2205 Old Penitentiary Rd., Boise, Idaho.

Mark Metkin, Idaho post offices, writes: "The names and dates were transcribed from the postmaster appointment records that were maintained by Post Office Department until the 1930's. The records were handwritten and are not always easy to decipher, so errors are possible."



American History and Genealogy Project

Webspace for this site is generously provided by Genealogy Village and Access Genealogy