Country Focus: Local Post Offices as Information Hubs
My regular job is working at the Post Office in Fingal. I used to work at the bank next door so I am familiar with the area and people. I grew up eight miles north of Fingal in Cuba Township so I have known most of the folks my entire life and am related to quite a few of them.
On the farm, we had a great mail man or rural carrier as they are called now. No matter the weather, Bob was punctual. The mail arrived between noon and 12:30 pm and he would have to pet our dog. I saw the mail as our lifeline to the outside world during the summer since we usually only went to town once a week for church. Granted we had a radio and television set, but getting the Fargo Forum and Times-Record newspapers felt different since you can feel and read the paper. Speaking of radio, KOVC was on every morning in the house year around. Once we heard the noon news to find out who died, the local news and the weather forecast then we were in the know. In the winter, we listened and prayed for a snow day from school. In the summer, we listened for the contests, whether it was for free concert tickets, gift certificates, or items on The Wheeler Dealer. One summer morning, KOVC asked a Fleet Wholesale trivia question where the winner received a $25 gift certificate. I think the question was what year did Fleet Wholesale open? The first few people were off by a couple of years. A-ha! I figured it out! I quickly called the radio station to tell my answer and I was right! When Bob, the mailman, delivered our mail that day, he wrote on the Fargo Forum, “Way to go!” Thanks, Bob!
The Post Office is an important part of any community. I’m not just saying that because I work at one now. There have been times when I received telephone calls from out of town people asking questions about the community. I have also been one of the first people to welcome a new resident to town. I guess the post office can be the local hub of information in a small community. Plus, being a “local gal” and a familiar face to many makes my job that much more enjoyable.