Post Office names

The local residents asking for Post Office service would suggest a name. The PO would then check and see if there might be any conflicts.

The name could not be a duplicate of one already existing in the State. The Carson & Colorado originally called its terminus on Owens Lake "Hawley" -- apparently after an investor in the mines at Cerro Gordo, the mining camp above the lake. When a post office was requested for the location the PO rejected the name of Hawley because there already was such a name in California. So a request was sent in asking for the name Keeler -- after the name of the manager of the local ore mill. This was accepted and the post office still operates. The conflicting post office named Hawley was gone in a couple of years.

Nor would the PO allow the same name in both California and Colorado. The reason for this was to avoid misdirecting mail to the wrong State. At one time an often used abbreviation for California was "Cal." And for Colorado it was "Col." If the "a" or the "o" was not distinctly formed the mail might go to the wrong State -- so no duplication of names between California and Colorado.

My mother mother grew up in a small farming town in Iowa that was named "Climbing Hill." She told that the reason for that name was that the community (or was it the residence of the person offering to be Post Master) was located at the top of a hill. So you would have to climb the hill to get your mail.

Brian Norden



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/09/2016 10:15PM by Brian Norden.