drugstore was in front - the Post Office in the back. This building was also burned and for two years (1907 and 1908) the Post Office was located in Robert’s house.

Robert served until D.D. Campbell was appointed in 1911. The Post Office was then moved to a building on the north side of the street near the railway station.

In 1915 rural mail couriers began delivering mail to boxes.

Charles Dennis, the next postmaster, carried on in the front of the Alfred Adams building until 1927 when his successor, Alvin Webb, was appointed. Alvin used the same building until 1947 when water damage resulting from a fire in an overhead apartment forced him to vacate. This time Alvin took up temporary quarters in Dr. Palmer’s dental office.

In 1947 a building was hauled from Mt. Pleasant Airport to a lot behind Matheson’s Drugstore. The Post Office remained in this building until 1956 when the new federal building was constnicted.

1W0 years later Alvin retired and was replaced by Lloyd Matthews with his full-time assistant Ian Strang.

Many changes took place during Lloyd’s tenure. Because of increased workload, Ursula Cornish was hired part time in 1961 - full-time in 1969. On April 9, 1964, the train made its last mail deliv- ery; highway service from Tignish to Summerside was established. Prior to this, Lewis Bernard dispatched the mail to and from the morning and evening train. Three times a week mail came on the afternoon freight. Since the above date, mail has been delivered by truck or van. In 1969 Howlan Post Office was closed. Mail for Howlan has since been delivered through the O’Leary R.R. #3.

In 1976 the Federal Post Office building was renovated. A new wing was added which provided much needed work space; the wick- et was changed to the open space concept; extra locked boxes and up-to-date letter sorting equipment as well as automatic letter stam- per were added.

In 1978 Heber Bryan retired after thirty-two years of service as mail courier on the Howlan route.

In 1980 Lloyd Matthews retired after twenty-two years of service as Postmaster and was succeeded by Ian Strang, the present incum- bent. (1989) Ursula Cornish was appointed assistant postmaster; Doreen Matheson and Pauline Getson, part-time clerks.

In the fall of 1981 the postal system was made a Crown Corporation by the Federal Government and renamed Canada Post; as a result, the O'Leary Office was upgraded from Grade Four to Grade Five. The price of stamps rose from seventeen to thirty cents

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