Tidbit in time Charlie M. Whitman Rural Mail Carrier

Charlie M. Whitman was a rural mail carrier in Hot Spring County for 47 years and 3 months before his retirement December 1965.

On July 27, 1918, Charlie took a Civil Service examination at Malvern, qualified

and began as a carrier on Route 1 out of Magnet Cove on October 1, 1918. Between 1918 and 1925 he carried the mail over a 19-mile route 3 times a week and served about 80 families. He used 3 horses and several buggies in making this route through the years.

After the route was increased to 24 miles, Whitman began driving a Model T. Ford in July of 1925 – one of the few in the area. In November of 1935 the route was moved to the Lonsdale Post Office. Daily service was begun on the Lonsdale route and continued after it was changed to Route 5 out of Malvern in 1940 where it was extended to a little more than 72 miles.

Whitman drove about 600,000 accident free miles and wore out 18 cars. He was awarded a 25-year safety award by the National Safety Council. In all the 47 years and 3 months he missed only one day due to weather. That was in December 1963 due to an ice and snow storm. Even though he saw many changes in his territory, he served some of the same households for most or all of those 47 years and 3 months.

He held memberships in the state, district and National Rural Letter Carrier’s Associations where he served in various official capacities as did his wife, Grace in the auxiliary to the Rural Letter Carrier’s Association.

He was a member of the Rockport Masonic Lodge #58 and the Malvern Chapter

R. A. M., also a member of the First United Methodist Church.

Charlie was born Sept. 2, 1899 at Magnet Cove, his parents were William jasper and

Harriet Bachman Whitman. Charlie was married to Grace Lawrence on June 14, 1925. Mr. Whitman died May 30, 1979 and is buried in Shadowlawn Cemetery.

This Tidbit in Time shared by the Hot Spring County Historical Society

The Heritage, Vol.13, p. 35+

This Heritage, along with others, can be purchased from the HSC Historical Society