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The West Medford post office.

In a new building of brick at 431 High street is now housed the West Medford post office, a station of the Boston Postal District, in charge of Superintendent Frank B. Hamill. The building, erected by private enterprise under government supervision, is leased for a term of ten years, and is most admirably adapted to the needs of the postal service. Twenty-six men and several motor trucks are required to attend the daily routine. The building is of colonial design and its purpose need not be mistaken, as on the front entrance is ‘West Medford,’ on the second-story entablature ‘United States Post Office,’ and above all the staff from which the stars and stripes daily fly. Its frontage is fifty-two feet, its depth ninety-two feet, and it occupies a lot beside Whitmore brook, hitherto vacant from time immemorial. In 1872 the Congregational parish thought of building there, but its architect deemed the site unsuitable.

One of the clerical force, Warren E. Wescott, has given an excellent account of this post office from its institution in November, 1852 (elaborating that of Mr. Farnum in Register, Vol. XVI, p. 38):—

The office occupied a space about ten feet square in the back part of the store, the entrance being from the Harvard avenue door. The residents mailed their letters through a slot in the front door. The slot, though plugged, can still be seen. Mr. Baldwin held office until May 3, 1859.

Franklin Patch was appointed to succeed Mr. Baldwin and held [p. 76] office until September 25, 1866. Mr. Patch was a carpenter engaged in business in Boston. He had the office transferred to his house at 44 Allston street. The house is still standing and in good condition.

It was during this period that the postmastership was not a particularly coveted position. An early resident well remembers that for quite a while the mail was taken to the depot on a wheelbarrow in a small mailing case for delivery.

Up to this period there is no record as to how the mails were received, but the following information was obtained from Joseph E. Ober, who is probably the oldest resident in West Medford. Mr. Ober lived in Arlington and conducted a milk business. In driving through West Medford on his morning rounds he met the mail carrier quite often. The mail was transported from Boston in an old-fashioned carriage, the pouch for West Medford being thrown off at the door about six o'clock in the morning.

Probably no superintendent has worked under a greater handicap for lack of space and equipment than Mr. Hamill. The office space was far too small and most of the equipment obsolete. In spite of this handicap, three additional carriers and one clerk have been added to the force since Mr. Hamill took office, because of the steady growth of the district. From the very beginning of his appointment, Mr. Hamill has advocated better postal facilities, and has left no stone unturned to bring about the present results.

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