Culver Post Office History 1930 - 1939  

1930 - February 5 - George W. Overmyer, Clyde L. Shively and Steffen N. Rector named as three highest eligibles for appointment as postmaster. A. J. Hickey, congressman, will select one name, send it to the President, who will in turn forward it to the Senate. The Senate will hand it to the committee on post offices and this body will give its approval, then the Senate will do the same and the order will be signed by President Hoover.

The 1922 plat map shows the properties owned by Mary Walker & Cyrus town of Jefferson St. & Maggie McLane on Ohio st. The 1930 census data provides the names of the two people who resided on the two parcels of property at that time which became only 115 W. Jefferson: 115 - William W. Baker - 1930 residence 117 - Walker's Boarding House - ? - 1930 of the Walker boarding house is known: Mary L. Walker, proprietor 1930. It is said that this house was moved to another part of town.

1930 - Apr.2 - April 2, 1030 Clyde Shively takes up his new duties as Postmaster, Tuesday morning. Service to patrons will be his chief concern. Anything that is for the good of the patrons of the office will receive his immediate attention.

1930 - 1934 - Clyde L. Shivley - served as postmaster under President Hoover.

1930 - Aug 13 - Post Office Force Takes Pistol Target Practice

The Culver post office force believes in peace, but it also likes the idea of being prepared, so the members have been holding session on the pistol range, practicing with .45 pistols so that if any bandits visit the office a warm reception will result.

1930 - Aug. - Route 1 Extended

Culver TO HAVE NEW $70,000 POSTOFFICE Postmaster Clyde L. Shively at Culver received the following telegram from Congressman Andrew J. Hickey this morning. Washington, D.C., March 2, 1931. Have authorized and recommendation for $70,000 for federal building at Culver . A. J. Hickey. This puts Culver definitely in the list of Indiana cities to receive new post office buildings under the big appropriations for new buildings in many parts of the nation. - [The News-Sentinel, Monday, March 2, 1931; 4 mar 1931 Culver citizen

1931 - December 23, — "Wayside Notes by A.B.H." - Mrs. Sadye M. Mclntire of the Culver post office force is possibly the only town or city woman letter carrier in the United States. There are women rural carriers, but not women who trudge through street after street carrying a weighted mail sack in all kinds of weather

1932 - June 1 — Hopes for a new post office building have been revived by a bill that has just been introduced into congress. The local post office has been hit by the economy drive in Washington. The three rural routes have been reduced to two, parcel post delivery has been discontinued and so has the afternoon mail delivery.

30 November 1932 - Culver Citzen - Clarence Behmer will ritire from the Culver Post office Dec. 1, after 30 years of service here. Whe Mr. Behmer began work in 1902, the post offices was located in a small shack on the site of the K of P building, but later it was moved to the bank building, where it remained except for a few months while the bank was being remodled. Now the post offices has the finest quarters and equiopment of any town this size in the state... Mr. Behmer has served under six postmasters, men of both political parties. They are in order: D. B. W. S. Wiseman, D. E. E. Parker, John Osborn, Sam Lenon, G. W. Overmyer and C. L. Shivley.

1933 - James E. Marshall becomes a subsitute village mail carrier, advanced to auxillary clerk and then was promoted to clerk on 1 December 1939

1933 - June 28 - George Warner has been awarded the contract to haul mail from the depot to the Culver Post Office.

1934 - 21 february - Culver Citizen - the following have made applications for appointment as Culver postmaster: Raymond C. Davis, Clark Bogardus, Fletcher T. Strang, Harry Menser, Glenn Snapp, John F. Drnek, Leo f Langenbahn, Bert Alumbaugh, Carroll G. Doxzen, Mrs. Elise I. Long, Arthur Simpson, Marion E. Jones, Mrs. Elise C. McKesson, Tallman G. Louden and Mrs. Olive Bogardus.

1934 - 1957 - Fletcher Strang postmaster

1934 - Jul 25 - 14 Bids Opened on Post Office Location

1934 - Aug 16 Site Selected

Culver 's new $62,000 post office will be located on the southeast corner of Jefferson and Ohio streets, which is known as the Mary Walker corner, the government announced yesterday. Fourteen sites had been offered to the postal department. - The News-Sentinel, Thursday, August 16, 1934

1934 - Sep. 19 - House Being Moved from New Post Office Location

The Moran house was moved from the site of the new post office in preparation for clearing the area.

The building had been bought by Arthur DIllion, who is moving it to his famr west of town on State Raod 10 whew he is also building a barn and silo. Mrs Robert Miller has purchased the Goodman house of Ben Oberlin and plans to move it to her lot on College Avenue.

A delay is being experienced in securing a deed for part of the land in the new post office site, so that it will at least five weeks before bids will be advertised.

1934- Nov. 7 - Bids for the new post office building at Culver are being advertised.

1935 - Jan 16 - More Red Tape Unfolded For Post Office SIte

Condemnation, by the federal court, of property for the government last week placed the newpost office building for Culver one step nearer.

The move is a legal step to deliver the property to the government.

The property involved is at the corner of Jefferson and Ohio Streets

It is probable that the contract for the building will new be awarded with a week to ten days.

Preperations to clear the site of its present buildings is under way.

The Moran house has been moved and the Walker house is off its foundation ready to start its trip to College Avenus, leaving only the Goodman house to be moved.

1935 - Feb 6 - Moving House

The Goodman house has been moved from the corner of Ohio and Jefferson Streest to College avenue.

This is the last house to be moved from the site of the proposed post office and clears the land so that actual construction work can start any time.
1934 - Oct 10 - Building Bungalow On College Avenue A six room bunglalow is bing built on COllege Avenue by Mr. and Mrs. RObert Miller. The fondaiton is competed and work hasstarted on the framwork under the direction of Archie Blanchard.

The Goodman home which the Millers recently purchased, is to be moved from the site of the new post office to the rear of the lot on College Avenus.

From the paper work submitted for the historic commerical district [Culver Commercial Historic District (added 1996 - Building - #95001530)]cames a description of the post office building:

U.S. Post Office, southeast corner Jefferson and Ohio Streets, Colonial Revival, 1935.

The post office is a one-story, brick building with a hip roof and rectang ular plan. The entry is in the center bay of the five-bay principal (north) facade. Original doors have been replaced with aluminum and glass doors, but the classical door surround remains. This consists of pilasters on each side of the opening, which support a frieze and pediment. Windows are wood, with m ulti-light, double hung sash. Window sills are stone. There are stone keystones in the brick lintels above the openings, and decorative stone panels above. At the front corners of the building are brick quoins. The interior of the building has a high degree of integrity. The principal decorative feature is a mural entitled, “Arrival of the Mail in Culver .” It was painted in 1938 by Jessie H ull Mayer, an Indianapolis artist, as part of the Public Works of Art Project.

The present post office was constructed in 1935. It was built by James I. Barnes Company of Culver at a cost of $37,466.45. and yet another says that Easterday Construction Company built the post office and that they have a collection of all the construction site documentation including photographs; at the time Russell L. Easterday was the manager of the Culver branch office for the James I. Barnes Company

1935 - March 13 - The order of Washington, D.C., to commence construction of Culver 's new $29,840 post office was received Monday by Russell Easterday. local manager of the James I. Barnes construction

Post master Strang Breaks Gorund for Cuver's New Post Office Building. Postmaster Fletcher Strang digs the first shovel full of dirt for the new post office building under the critical eye of contractor RUssell Easterdya, while foreman Clark Bogardus and workmen await the end of the eremony to start the excavation work. The ground breaking tool palce Wednesday, March 13 1935

1935 - Sep. 18 When the cornerstone for the new post office was laid it is located on the east end of the building. One more step in the completion of the post office was taken Tuesday afternoon when the cornerstone was laid by the Grand Lodge of Masons of Indiana under auspices of the local lodge. A good sized crowd was present to witness the impressive ceremony. - Citizen.

	A view from the South looking North of construction during the foundation phase of the project; the house on the right upper hand corner sits at the corner of Ohio and Washington street.
An angle view from Ohio Street showing the the brick shell of the building.

1935 - Sep 25 - Marble Work Being DOne at Postoffice

The interior of the new postoffice is beginning to take on a finished appearance with the marble and tile work being done Tile floors have been laid in the toilers and now the workmen are placing marble in the lobby

Tennesse marble is being used in two colors. The thresholds, floor borner and base are in coral rouge, while t he die and cap are in roseal.

1935 - Nov 6 - An invitation has been isdued to the public by Postmaster Fletcher Strang to visit the new post office building on Nov. 9, He urges all citizens to inspect it on that date as they will not be allowed in the work room after Saturday.

1935 dec 4 - Culver 's beautiful new post office building was officially opened for business Monday morning after the post office employees had spent a busy weekend moving f om the former location in The State Exchange Bank Building.

1937 - May 26 – Star mail routes established to replace discontinued trains. The 1937 Sanborn Fire Maps shows the Post Office at its present location on the corner of Jeffeson and Ohio Streets.

Arrival of the Mail in Culver " by Jesse Hall (Mrs. Henrick Martin) Mayer Contract was issued 25 May 1937 and had to be completed in 270 calendar days she was first contacted 30 Dec. 1936 about doing it. it was on oil canvas and was paid $500.

The mural is found in A Simple and Vital Design, The Story of the Indiana Post Office Murals by Thomas C. Carlisle Photography by Darryl Jones (1995, Indiana Historical Society)pgs. 30-31:

1935/1936 - Merrill J "Jack" Scruggs joins the post office as mail carrier for the north half of the town.

1938 - New civil Service bill for postmasters went into effect.

1939 Sep 13 - Arthur Hatten Boosted to Assistiant Postmaster - Through the recomendation of Postmaster Fletcher T. Stang, Arthur F. Hatten has been promoted to the office of assistant postmaster, effective Octover 1, 1939. This office was discontinued Dec 31, 1932

1939 - Dec 7 - James Marshall has been advanced to clerk at the post office, a vacancy caused when Arthur Hatten became assistant postmaster. Jack Scruggs has been recommended as substitute village carrier and Donovan Rockhill as temporary substitute village carrier.



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