End of an Era as Last Train leaves from O’Leary 1989.

POST OFFICE

The history of the Post Office is analogous with the histor of the mail service serving their communities since the earliest sett ements on the Island almost two hundred years ago.

For Islanders transportation of not only mail but of all commodi- ties has always been and still remains a major problem.

In the beginning when mail was transported via ships that came and went to various Island ports and thence carried on horseback to various centres, service, at its best, was rather sporadic. Even by 1880 when the first stage coach transported passengers and mail to this area, mail was delivered only once a week in summer and once a fortnight in winter.

In these pre-railway days, districts surrounding O’Leary were served by the following postmasters at the following postal stations. These early offices were usually identified by the name of the Postmaster or by its lot number.

Postal Stations Postmasters

1870-1914 Carleton Lot 6 William Carroll

1839-1868 Cascumpec William Hardy

1871-1913 Cape Wolfe Matthew Howard

1871-1913 Knutsford Joshua Smallman

Springfield West James Maddix

1904-1913 Mt. Royal Howard Adams

1904-1918 Glenwood Archibald Ramsay

1872-1914 West Point Angus Stewart '

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