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In the early 1800’s mail was, in all probability, delayed in getting to its destination, however, because of the isolation of rural communities and lack of transportation it was not a matter of prime concern. Records indicate that nearby Post Offices had been opened in BayView, Hope River, Cavendish and Campbellton, before the first one was opened in Stanley Bridge in 1872.

Mail sorted out of Charlottetown in 1840 was carried by the Western Stage Carriage which left Charlottetown every Tuesday morning at 10 A.M. This was the route carrying the Inland Mail. This delivery route followed the Crapaud/Tryon area. The Courier for this service was thought to be Thomas Crabb. The closest place to Stanley Bridge for mail drop-off was in

Traveller’s Rest.

The established rate for sending a letter weighing 'A ounce was “one rate” and for 1 ounce it was “two rates”. A rate was equal to “2 d.” or two pence.

By 1870, the mail out of Charlottetown was delivered Westward on Monday and Thursday with the Courier leaving Charlottetown at 8 A.M. Evidently a different route was followed than the first one, as mail was delivered to the Mail Office of Duncan McIntyre, Campbellton.

When the Postal Service began in Stanley Bridge in 1872, mail deliveries were “Tri—weekly”. This soon became a daily service as mails were sent from Charlottetown by CN Rail, and dropped off at each station for pick—up by rural mail Couriers who carried it to the established

Postal outlets.

Today, eyebrows might be raised if the ‘mailman’ was expected to carry messages or plan for the delivery of some of the ‘mail’ items which arrived at the Rail Station. One particular class of ‘mail’ was that of day-old chicks, ducks and geese. One of the shipping Companies was Dillon & Spillett; another was S.R. Pendleton, Kensington The mailman would no doubt be delivering the message but as far as the Courier was concerned, it was the responsibility of the owner to go to the Rail Station to claim the goods. Other large items often shipped by ‘mail’ were purchases from the Eaton’s or Simpson’s catalogues. If they were too cumbersome for the mailman, then the owner went to the station. Some ‘grand items’ listed in the early cata- logues included enough lumber to build a house, as well as small machines and coal or wood-

burning cookstoves. Barn equipment was also popular. The following were Post Office agents In Stanley Bridge:

to 1874 - Robert Brown 1934 to 1942 - Mrs. J. Ethel Hiltz 1874 to 1884 . Alex. McMillan 1942 to 1950 - Mrs. Lenora Bell Hiscott 1885 to 1893 . EH. McMillan 1950 to 1952 - Wendall MacKay (OAS WWII) AJ. McLeod - Asst, Post Master 1952 to 1955 - William O. Myers James Hayter . Asst. Post Master p 1955 Mrs. Dorothy Hope Myers (Acting) 1893 to 1897 . Austin McNeill 1955 to 1957 - Earl Walter Carr (OAS WWII) 1897 to 1934 . John McLeod 1957 to 1969 — Kenneth Roy MaCKay (OAS WWII)

The Stanley Bridge Post Office closed permanently on August 7, 1969. Postal services were now directed to the Post Office at Breadalbane, where Mrs. Phyllis Snowie was the Post Mistress. No doubt the age of the auto helped to hasten the demise of local postal services. The mail route had reverted to the route used over one hundred years ago. Mail in the 1880’s had to come to Breadalbane Railway Station and now, in the 1980’s, was again being handled from the same village but in more modern buildings. Courier by motorized trucks and not by Courier by

horse drawn wagons is today’s mode of travel.

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