Post Offices in York County

Benjamin Franklin was appointed postmaster at Philadelphia in 1737. Under his skillful management that city became the centre of the whole postal system of the American colonies. In 1753 he was made postmaster general. At this date he established a postal route through Reading and Lancaster to York. In 1774 when the Revolutionary sentiment was gathering force Franklin was relieved from the position of postmaster general by the British government. During the Revolutionary period a postal system was established under authority of Continental Congress. When Congress met in York, post riders brought the mail here from different sections of the country on horseback. It was one of the chief post towns of the country during that eventful period. Under the present postal system which went into effect in 1790 the first office established was at York. February 16, 1790, Andrew Johnston, a former lieutenant of the Revolutionary war, was made first postmaster. In early days the columns of the York papers frequently contained long lists of advertised letters belonging to persons living fifteen, twenty or thirty miles away from York. In January, 1795 an office was established at Hanover, and Henry Welsh appointed postmaster. An office was established at Marsh Creek, Gettysburg, about 1800. In November, 1815, Jacob Kirk became the first postmaster at Lewisberry, and John Kirk the same year at Peach Bottom.

On October 2, 1819, proposals were received for carrying mails by relay of stages from Lancaster through York, Abbottstown, New Oxford and Gettysburg to Chambersburg, seventy-seven miles every day; from York to McCall’s Bridge once a week; from York through York Haven and New Market to Harrisburg, three times a week; from Belle Air, MD., through Lower Chanceford, York, Dover, Rossville, Lewisberry, Lisburn, Dillsburg and Carlisle, fifty-nine miles once a week. In December 1815, a postal route was established by authority of the Post Office Department, between York and Carlisle. The mail was conveyed once a week. New offices were established along the route of Dover, Rossville, Lewisberry, Dillsburg and Lisburn. The postmasters appointed for these places were charged to be economical or their offices would be discontinued.

The following is a list of post offices and postmasters in York County in 1832.

The following is a list of post offices in York County during the year 1906, as furnished by the department at Washington.

No branch in the Postal Service, so far as it affects York County, has made greater progress than the Rural Free Delivery. This is due to the energy of Ex-Congressman Robert J. Lewis and the present Congressman, Daniel F. Lafean. Mr. Lewis’s first efforts to establish the service in York County was met with determined opposition owing to the misapprehension on the part of his rural residents, --it having been represented to them that not only would their taxes be increased but a special tax would be levied for the maintenance of every box.

This, and other opposition, did not discourage Mr. Lewis in his efforts and he finally succeeded in having the first route in York County established from Glen Rock on October 1, 1901. This route was followed shortly thereafter by two from Wrightsville, one from Laurel, and so on until routes were established in different sections of the county. These routes had hardly been started when the people, who did not receive the service, seeing the increased advantages their neighbors were enjoying, sent petitions for the establishment of routes all over the county. He then succeeded in having an order issued granting a service throughout York County. Before this work was completed, however, Mr. Lewis retired and Mr. Lafean was elected. The latter took up the work where the former left off. That Mr. Lafean did this work well is evidenced by the fact that every public road in York County is now covered by the Ninety-four routes starting from every section of the county, thus affording the rural residents the best possible mail service.

The establishment of these routes, in addition to the increased mail facilities afforded the patrons, has been the means of bringing into York County annually over $65,000, which is received in the way of salary by the ninety-four carriers.

The improved facilities of the United States postal service during the present century are striking in comparisons to those afforded our ancestors who lived in York County, a century or more ago. In those days the cost of sending letters depended upon the distance, and ranged from five to fifty cents. It cost twenty-five cents in 1830 to send a letter from New York to Detroit, Michigan. The person receiving the letter had to pay the postage. The first stamp used by the United States government made the uniform postage on a letter five cents. This was decreased to three cents and finally to two cents, the present charge for letter postage throughout the United States.

History of York County, Pennsylvania

Prowell Vol 1 1907