The Cactus Post Office, established in Hayes County, did not last long

I am certain there are other things I could be doing but then again, it is beautiful outside and my front porch beckons! Front porch sitting is back in vogue! Plop a comfy chair down, and I don’t mean your leftover couch no matter how comfy it is, and watch the world go by. A world, I might add, that is awakening like tulips in the spring right now with the partial openings going on. There are more cars than one passing my house but there are also a lot of walkers, bikers, and skate boarders going by. Several children appear to be riding new bikes or maybe bikes that finally came out of the garage. It reminds me of how my friends and I got around before we had drivers licenses, and after too. We walked, or then again, maybe we sauntered and went the long way to the ballpark so we could see who was out and about. Going to Cibola ballpark was just a six-block jaunt for me and you can feel certain that my parents NEVER gave me a ride up there or to anywhere else in the town of McCook.

Sometimes one of my columns catches the interest of a researcher. Strangely, the ones on old post offices in different counties seem to draw more comments so today I am going to cover Hayes county forgotten places mixed in with some that still exist!

Hayes county, named after President Rutherford B. Hayes, was formed by legislative enactment on February 19, 1877. President Hayes had just taken office that year. Hayes Center won the right to be the county seat in an election January 10, 1885. The other two competing towns, LaForest and Estelle, are now only historic locations.

Cactus post office was established in 1890 and discontinued in 1895. The obvious reason behind its’ name, the cactus growing in the region. Carrico, established in 1896 and discontinued 18 years later is assumed to be named after an early settler. Catherine, originally in Chase county moved to Hayes county in 1891 and back to Chase county in 1896. Eddy, originated in 1888 and discontinued in 1912, was managed by the first postmaster, Harvey Harman. Elmer, whose first postmaster was Andrew McCutchen, lasted 8 years, 1887 to 1895.

Estelle, 1881-1891, was one of the locations vying for the county seat. Galena, probably named for the natural lead sulfide, Galen, which was mined in Galena, Kansas and Galena, Illinois was a post office for 30 years, closing in 1916. Hamlet whose peak population was 361 in 1950, was originally known as Hudson but was changed to Hamlet in 1904 because another post office in Nebraska already held the name Hudson. The Hayes County Hudson/Hamlet post office was established in 1890. Highland, named for its’ high elevation, was opened in 1888 and closed in 1903. Hope, established in 1888 made it two more years past Highland, closing in 1905.

La Forest, the original county seat, and a contender for county seat in the 1885 election, was established in 1884. Upon losing the election, the buildings were moved to Hayes Center. La Forest carried the name of the first postmaster, La Forest Dyer. Lucille, whose first postmaster was Alfred Plunkett, was open from 1890 to 1904. Marengo, possibly named after various other states’ towns, was one of the longest running post offices having been opened in 1891 and closed in 1935. McNaughton, 1881-1883, has no recorded origin for the name. Morris, again a short- lived post office, ran from 1898 to 1903. Norris, named after Senator Norris, was another post office that moved between counties, only this time between Hayes and Frontier. Established in Hayes county in 1904, it was moved to Frontier county in 1907, back to Hayes county in 1927, and closed in 1928.

Named such during a drought, Rain post office was opened in 1894 and discontinued 25 years later in 1919. Its’ first postmaster, C. B. French, was a minister of the Church of Christ, and suggested the name as a reminder to the patron of the devastating drought. Robert was open for business for 29 years, closing the doors in 1930. Strickland, a long running post office, 1897 to 1926, remains a mystery as to the origin of the name. Sullivan, possibly named after the first postmaster, Patrick Sullivan, was open for only two years, 1891-1893. Thornburg was another post office that traveled between counties, opening in 1881, moved to Frontier county in 1888 and back to Hayes county in 1924. The name was after the precinct it was located in. Finally, White, 1904-1939, was a small hamlet named after an early homesteader, Arthur White.

This information, as well as much more, is available for free on the SWNGS website, www.swngs.org.