The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
La Harpe Post Office
by Deb Olson, The Quill
In 1836, citizens made application to the Post Office Department in Washington D. C. to establish a post office in La Harpe. Louis Chaffin served as the first postmaster. From the 1930's through 1973 the post office was locted in the corner building on Main and 1st street.
In 1973 the post office moved into the Hoffmeister supermarket building on the opposite corner, until completion of the new post office in 1977. At that time the new building was located just east of the former site and was leased from S. Vorhies of Dallas City.
The La Harpe Post Office serves approximately 900 families in the city and surrounding rural areas.
There are 568 lock boxes for mail delivery in the building.
According to the U. S. Post Office web site (webpmt.usps.gov) the following Postmasters have served La Harpe.
Louis R. Chaffin, appointed 06/11/1836
David Gochenour, appointed 1/21/1846
Henry Coulson, appointed 2/2/1853
Henry H. Bliss, appointed 11/26/1856
Epaphroditus C. Coulson, appointed 10/10/1859
Henry H. Bliss, appointed 12/22/1860
William E. Coquillette, appointed 8/25/1865
Ephraim Z. Hills, appointed 6/16/1871
John Warren, appointed 5/13/1873
Edgar L. Warren, appointed 12/22/1876
Selah W. King, appointed 9/11/1882
Joseph R. Booth, appointed 9/29/1884
James C. Coulson, appointed 3/24/1886
Miss Mary Figley, appointed 6/14/1889
Judd Hartzell, appointed 8/1/1896
William O Butler, appointed 12/10/1900
Isaac F. Landis, appointed 8/4/1909
Jinks V. Sperry, appointed 8/1/1913
Susan Gilman, appointed 6/10/1922
Charles H. Ingraham, appointed Acting Postmaster 5/7/1927
Roy C. Hallowell, appointed 2/2/1928
Roy J Bowen, Acting Postmaster appointed 6/30/1954 appointed Postmaster 7/13/1965
Donald C. Stevens, appointed Acting Postmaster 10/28/1960
Donald W. Freeman, appointed Acting Postmaster 7/28/1961
William F. Knobbs appointed Acting Postmaster 1/8/1965, appointed Postmaster 3/30/1965
Carolyn S. Trout, appointed Officer-In-Charge 9/28/1992
Debra K. Michael, appointed Officer-In-Charge 3/3/1993, appointed Postmaster 3/20/1993
Carolyn S. Trout, appointed Officer-In-Charge 9/11/1996, appointed Postmaster 1/4/1997
Tammi I. May, appointed Officer-In-Charge 5/26/2011
Charles L. Schade, appointed Postmaster 6/30/2012
Cynthia Link, appointed Officer-In-Charge 1/2/2015
Rhonda L. Hitchcock, appointed Officer-In-Charge 2/19/2015, appointed Postmaster 4/18/2015
Cynthia Link, appointed Officer-In-Charge 9/18/2015
Wil Rochford, appointed Officer-in-Charge 2/22/2016
Currently, the La Harpe Post Office is open:
Monday-Friday from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and from 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday hours are 9 a.m. to 10:15 a.m.
The post office is closed Sunday and Holidays. Postal customers may access the lobby area to check post office boxes and mail letters 24 hours a day.
Current employees, in addition to Officer-in-Charge Wil Rochford include Tammi May, clerk, and Randy Hensley and Don Collins, rural carriers.