The Eland Post Office
by
Ellen Lyons
The United States Post Office is the only Federal institution in Eland ... The Post office was established soon after the railroad came to this northern settlement, William Hagen, a. Civil War Veteran, was the first postmaster. Through administration changes the office was located, alternately. in the Fuller and Franklin Stores.
Mr. Hagen's daughter, Edith Lamont, was one of the early teachers in the first school, who went on to teach in larger cities and became supervising teacher in Langlade County. Mr. Hagen's grave in Forest Cemetery, Birnamwood, is decorated each Memorial Day by. the American Legion Past 341. Eland's only other Civil War Veteran, Charles Engel, is also buried in the same cemetery. He was a Union Soldier, who joined the Army, soon after coming from Germany. Through a regret able mistake his record was not complete and he was denied a pension. For some reason his name was not properly listed or because of a German pronunciation misspelled. He served for the duration and was a good American Citizen until his death.
After Mr. Hagen's retirement, Henry Fuller became Postmaster. Frank Fuller and J. F. Franklin held office in their stores. Sometimes the question of serving a cash customer or handing someone his mail arose. The stores handled everything from Calico to Kerosene, lamp wicks to stove polish and sometimes the mail had a faint odor of something besides ink.
Leona (Joerns) Bohlman, who was a small child when the Post Office was in Fuller's Store remembers her apprehension in passing a long line of Indians and their wives in long red calico dresses lined up on the sidewalk in front of the store. To the Indians every activity of the White Race was worth watching.
In 1954 Henry Wolfinger erected a new Post Office building without groceries or general merchandise.
Fred Stelter became Postmaster after which Werner Wolfinger was appointed to that office and served until 1971. On April 1, of that year, he retired and Earl Peterson was appointed Postmaster.
Rural Route One was established in 1922. C. E, Brown was the first carrier on the route serving about 160 box holders covering the northwestern part of the area. Mr. Brown served until 1938 and was succeeded by Fred Stelter, who retired in 1960. James Ringstad took over the ,sixty-five mile course that year and is still delivering United States Mail on the route.
Clarence Meverden of Route One, Birnamwood, was appointed substitute mail carrier when the route was established in 1922. He began his duties on his wedding day, November 15, 1922, an anniversary that he never forgot. After the ceremony and while he was still receiving the congratulations of the wedding guests the festivities were interrupted by a call from the Eland Postmaster. Charles Brown had taken that unfortunate time to become ill and the bridegroom of less than an hour had to reluctantly depart in a Model T to deliver mail over twenty-two miles of ruts and gravel. The unhappy bride groom was overtaken by the shades of night before he returned to his bride. In the years that followed Mr. and Mrs. Meverden produced one of the largest families in the local area, eighteen in number. All but two are still living. Mr. Meverden died January 6, 1971. Mrs. Meverden died when the youngest child was an infant and Mr. Meverden raised the family, sent them to school and church and made a home for them until they had homes of their own. There were no delinquent sons or daughters in the Meverden family a credit to their father, their school and church.
John VanderKooy is substitute mail carrier now on Route One, Eland.
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