January 30, 1961 New Post Office Opened

 “Postal service began Monday morning at Interlaken’s new post office on S. Main St.,” so begins the clipping pasted into Dewitt’s Diary for this date.

The snippet was the opening two paragraphs from an article in the February 2, 1960, Interlaken Review.

Ground for the new post office was broken in July 1960. Among those present for the event were Mayor D. P. Norton, Postmaster John Kellogg, Covert Town Clerk J.C. Wiggins, retired postal route carrier Joe Dickerson, Interlaken Review editor Duane Waid, Wheeler National Bank President Myron Bassette and Robert Rudy, owner and contractor for the project. (Interlaken Review, July 28,1960.)

Earlier that year the former Bergen home, most recently occupied by the Pell family, was torn down to make space for the building. The residence had survived the fire of 1880 which took out the buildings to the north.

The Bergen home circa 1900. To the left is the Robinson hotel.
Interlaken Historical Society photo #1179

The new post office replaced the one in use since 1908 in the former Case building. Shown below, the four rural route carriers with their vehicles, lined up outside the post office in 1934.

Interlaken Historical Society photo # 1155
Today the building on the right is gone, and the Case block is home to
Alarmtech and Gunblack

The new post office was dedicated on April 9, 1961, with a program at the school and open house at the Post Office.

From the 2001 American Legion Auxillary Birthday Calendar,
Interlaken Historical Society collection

Temporary repairs being made to the front of the
Post Office after an overnight motor vehicle accident.
Photo from the author's collection.

To see the articles on the new Post Office, click here

Dewitt’s Diary: Monday January 30, 1961

Temperature 6, clear southwest wind.

Another cold day. Snow blowing on the crust. We drove to Lodi this morning. I went to town this afternoon.

Temperature 12 more clouds, west wind.

The new post office is operating today.