MULLEN STAR ROUTES AND MAIL DELIVERY

by Joellen Phillips

Entry T7 from the History of Hooker County Nebraska
with permission of the Hooker County Historical Society

For many years the mail arrived in Mullen
on the passenger trains. The February 8, 1940
edition of the Hooker County Tribune was
happy to announce for the first time in
history all four passenger trains would be
making regular daily stops for mail and
passengers at Mullen. Charley Hanson, a man
of small stature, would transport the mail
from the depot to the post office using a hand
cart that resembled a very large wheelbarrow.
When he retired in 1957, Gerald Long
obtained the contract from the railroad to
transport the mail, and he continued with
this job until the last passenger train ceased
to operate in the late 1960's. Mr. Long used
a car with a small trailer until he could afford
to buy a pickup to haul the mail. When the
passenger trains with the mail car service
were discontinued the mail was transported
via truck. For several years mail was deliv-
ered by a truck that ran from Alliance to
Omaha in addition to a truck from North
Platte, but all mail is now received from the
North Platte Sectional Center. First Wayne
Chase, and later Karl Kemp have driven the
truck from North Platte.

Pearl (Mrs. Jake) Marsh tells about one of
the north country routes. Her parents, Pete
and Dorsa Morrison bought the Ed Holland
place in about 1915 or 1916, and replaced
Holland as mail carrier on the Curlew route.
Charlie Isom would deliver mail from Mullen
to Cherry and Curlew on Monday, Wednes-
day and Fridays. On Tuesday and Thursday
one of the Morrisons would pick up the mail
at Curlew and deliver the route. They drove
a team of horses on a spring wagon, and spent
the day delivering mail. The route ran north
to the North Loup River and down the south
side of the river to the present Highway 97,
then back south to the Curlew post office.
When they reached the river they would stop
for lunch, and grain and rest the horses before
continuing the trip. Later, when the Big
Creek post office was discontinued they
crossed the river and delivered mail down the
north side of the river. In the beginning each
family's mail was rolled and tied with string
and placed in a large canvas bag, but later
each person had to furnish the bag for their
family's mail. After about 1926 or 1927, the
Morrisons carried the mail with a car, and the
route was discontinued in either 1928 or 1929.

The Hooker County Tribune of September
6, 1929 contained the following item: `Mullen
marked the beginning of a new rural route
which leaves Mullen at 9:30 going to Wells,
on north to the Howarth ranch and returning
by way of Big Creek, Curlew and Cherry post
offices and on into Mullen. Many believe this
plan will not be desirable especially in the
winter months. S.F. Keith is in charge of the
routes.'

At one time the four rural routes out of
Mullen were bid on separately, but they are
now combined and bid as two routes. Jack
Eastwood carried the northeast route, and
retired in 1951 after 13 years of mail service.
Don Sullivan took over this route and carried
it until 1958. Ed Zachry had the bid on the
northwest route in 1941, and he hired
Emmett Long to carry the mail. In 1942,
Emmett Long was the low bidder on the
northwest route and he carried the mail until
1950, then Archie Palmer carried the mail for
the next 4 years. In 1954 the northeast and
northwest routes were combined and Don
Sullivan carried both routes until 1958.
Lucien Andrews was the low bidder in 1958,
and he carried the mail for a short time and
sub-let the route to Joe Bader, who carried
the mail for a while then hired his father-in-
law, Mick Daily, to run the routes. Joe Bader
has retained the contract on the north routes
since this time, and he returned to active mail
carrying in 1963. Each of Mr. Bader's routes
are over 100 miles in length and serve 28 and
32 families.

During the 1940's Ed Zachry had the bid
on both south routes. In 1947, Ed carried the
shorter southeast route and hired Neal
Dutton to carry the southwest mail. Mr
Dutton carried this route for about 5 years,
until he became clerk in the Mullen post
office. Bus Huddle was another carrier on the
south route during the 1950's. In 1958 Roy
Bradley had the low bid on the south routes,
and he carried the mail about three years
before ill health forced his retirement. His
brother, Dale Bradley finished the contract
for Roy, and when the route came up for bid,
Dale obtained the contract. Dale Bradley
carried the mail 14 years, until his retirement
in 1974. Mildred Maire was the next success-
ful bidder on the routes, and she is still
employed as the south mail carrier. The
routes are 54 and 75 miles long and serve 18
and 23 families respectively.