NORWOOD HISTORICAL SOCIETY
[HOME] [SOCIETY] [PEOPLE] [COMPANIES] [BUILDINGS] [STREETS]
[TRANSPORTATION] [BOOKS] [CLIPPINGS] [DATES] [GOVERNMENT] [ODDS & ENDS]

Norwood's Post Offices

The history of the post offices in Norwood, from the earliest Sharpsburg Post Office to the current Norwood Post Office.

  • Madisonville P.O. — pre-1868
    According to census records, at least part of the area (probably, what was to become East Norwood and perhaps part of South Norwood) was supported by the Madisonsville Post Office. (Also, Pleasant Ridge may have handled some "Norwood" mail.)
    The USGS (US. Dept. of the Interior/ U.S. Geological Survey) web site gives the dates as:
    • April 1, 1813 - Madison Post Office established
    • August 25, 1828 - name changed to Madisonville P.O.
    • July 15, 1898 - discontinued, mail send to Cincinnati P.O.
    Source citation was The Post Offices of Ohio, 1979, John S. Gallagher and Alan H. Patera
  • Sharpsburg Post Office — 1867-1870
    The Sharpsnurg community's first post office was located between Harris Avenue and the new Marietta & Cincinnati Railroad tracks, east of the Montgomery Pike bridge. It was at the southern edge of the J. G. Langdon Subdivision of Sharpsburg, which was platted in 1867 or 1868. William M. Langdon was the postmaster until 1892. The post office was named Sharpsburg P.O. for a short time until it was renamed the Norwood P.O. in 1870. The previous year the Norwood Heights Subdivision was platted and soon afterwards a push was made to have the post office and the surrounding area renamed Norwood. (Another town named Sharpsburg in Athens county may have been another reason the post office would have wanted a name change.)

    The USGS (US. Dept. of the Interior/ U.S. Geological Survey) web site gives the following dates:
    • March 19, 1867 - Sharpsburgh Post Office established
    • May 9, 1870 - name changed to Norwood Post Office
    • August 10, 1892 - Authorities notified Norwood that as soon as the streets were named and houses were properly number, free delivery would be instituted.
    • Sept. 15, 1892 - discontinued with mail sent to Cincinnati P.O.
    The source citation was U.S. Postal Guide, various edition dates.
  • Ivanhoe Post Office — 1883-1892?
    William R. Locke, grocer, was appointed postmaster of Ivanhoe in 1889. Later, it was combined with the Norwood Post Office. At the time of his appointment, Mr. Locke ran a grocery store at Montgomery and Waverly. He delivered the mail to his customers, which helped his business.

    The USGS (US. Dept. of the Interior/ U.S. Geological Survey) web site gives the dates as October 9, 1883-September 15, 1892. The source was The Post Offices of Ohio, 1979, John S. Gallagher and Alan H. Patera,
  • Norwood Post Office Abolished - September 15, 1892
    The Norwood post office was discontinued by the Washington postal headquarters from September 15, 1892. This required the mail to be delivered ny letter-carriers, as requested by a number of influential citizens to Congressman Bellamy Store. The people no longer wanted to pick up their mail at the post office. The change would require three additional letter-carriers, who would distribute the mail from Station D in Walnut Hills. The plan was for two of the carriers to be on foot and one carrier to be horseback. Also, the current Norwood Postmaster would be let go.
  • Norwood and Idlewild Stations — 1894
    In the 1894 book Norwood, Her Homes and Her People, it was stated that Norwood had two stations within the corporate limits.
    • J. L. Vine was the clerk at the Norwood Station (at Hopkins Ave R.R. station), and
    • Leo Dressel was the clerk at the Idlewild Station.
    • Three carriers, one mounted and two on foot, made one delivery and two collections every day.
  • Name Change — October 1, 1895
    An order from the U.S. Post Office Department changed the designation of stations and substation in all large cities from names to letters and number on this date. Carrier stations were given letters and substations were identified by numbers. The Norwood Station at the Hopkins Avenue Railroad Station was renamed Station H. There were 11 carrier stations in the Cincinnati district. There were 7 substations, the closest being No. 3 (the old Idlewild station) on Montgomery Road in Evanston.
  • Main Station and Routes — 1896
    • Station H at Hopkins Avenue Depot, cor. Main and Ashland; Theo. Cook, Clerk in Charge of Routes:
      • 216 - Idlewild and Ivanhoe
      • 217 - South Norwood
      • 218 - East Norwood and Norwood Heights
      • 219 - Elsmere and Evanston
      • 220 - West and part of Central Norwood
      • 221 - part of Central Norwood and Norwood Heights
  • Movement to change name of Station H to Norwood Station - 1898
    In April, 1898, believing that Norwood would be annexed by Cincinnati, V. E. Elton started a movement to have the post office's Station H in South Norwood changed in name to Norwood Station. Although the South Norwood Improvement Association arranged with other organizations to present a petition to Cincinnati Postmaster Brown, the Station H name apparently was not changed for several years.
  • Norwood Branch Stations — 1903
    With talk of moving the Norwood post office out of the Hopkins Avenue Station, Mayor Mills announced that there were plans to build a larger Hopkins Avenue Station building, but those plans depended upon the post office remaining there. He said it should remain the home of the Norwood post office until Norwood had its on U.S. Government building. Obviously, none of this happened.
    • Station H of Cincinnati system at Hopkins Avenue Station, corner of Ashland, Lafayette and Hopkins Avenues; William H. Davis was the clerk in charge
    • Station 14 at 4721 Montgomery Road delivered twice a day; John L. Vine was the clerk in charge.
    • Mail arrived by train at 6:15, 8:16 and 10:15 in the morning and 2:16 and 5:17 in the afternoon. The mail train left for downtown at 9:08 am, 1:14, 5:53 and 7:10 pm. Sunday's mail was collected at 3:30 pm.
  • Norwood Branch — 1909
    The Norwood Branch (Station H.) of the Cincinnati Post Office was located at the First National Bank Building. Eli B. Brown (Burwood Avenue resident) was the Superintendent. Also, there was a Sub-Station No. 14 at 4101 Montgomery Road.
  • Norwood Branch — 1911
    The Norwood Branch of the Cincinnati Post Office was located at the First National Bank Building. Eli B. Brown (Floral Avenue resident) was the Superintendent.
  • Norwood Branch to have a new building — December 2, 1913
    Washington gave approval for Postmaster Monfort to close pending negotiations with the First National bank of Norwood for the erection of a one-story annex to the building at Washington Avenue and Montgomery Road. The government will take a ten-year lease.
  • Norwood Branch — 1915
    The Norwood Branch of the Cincinnati Post Office was located on the north side of Washington Avenue, just east of Montgomery Road (between National Fruit Store and the Eagle's building?) Eli B. Brown (Floral Avenue resident) was the Superintendent. Station 22 was located at Bromley's drug store, 2370 Norwood Avenue, at the Forest Avenue intersection (probably the north west corner)
  • Norwood Branch — 1917-18
    Eli B. Brown (Washington Avenue resident) was the Superintendent of the Norwood Branch.
    • Cincinnati P.O., Norwood Branch - north side of Washington Ave., east of Montgomery Road
    • Station 6 - 4408 Carter Avenue
    • Station 14 - southwest corner Montgomery and Waverly
    • Station 22 - 2370 Norwood Avenu
  • Norwood Branch — 1928-29
    Robert P. Burk (Feldman Avenue resident) was the Superintendent of the Norwood Branch.
    • Cincinnati P.O., Norwood Branch - 4729 Smith Road
    • Station 14 - southwest corner Montgomery and Waverly
    • Station 17 - 4024 Forest Avenue (grocery store)
    • Station 25 - southeast corner Carthage & Cathedral
  • Norwood Branch — 1930-31
    Robert P. Burk (Feldman Avenue resident) was the Superintendent of the Norwood Branch.
    • Cincinnati P.O., Norwood Branch - 4721 Smith Road
    • Station 14 - southwest corner Montgomery and Waverly
    • Station 17 - 4024 Forest Avenue (grocery store)
    • Station 25 - southeast corner Carthage & Cathedral
  • Norwood Branch — 1932-33 Robert P. Burk (Cincinnati resident) was the Superintendent of the Norwood Branch.
    • Cincinnati P.O., Norwood Branch - 4721 Smith Road (bet. Elm & Montgomery)
    • Station 14 - 4030 Montgomery Road
    • Station 17 - 4024 Forest Avenue (grocery store)
    • Station 25 - northwest corner Warren & Worth
  • Norwood Branch — 1934-35
    Robert P. Burk (Carthage Avenue resident) was the Superintendent of the Norwood Branch.
    • Cincinnati P.O., Norwood Branch - 4721 Smith Road (bet. Elm & Montgomery)
  • Norwood Branch — 1937-38
    Ferd. W. Kylius (Cincinnati resident) was the Superintendent of the Norwood Branch.
    • Cincinnati P.O., Norwood Branch - 4721 Smith Road (bet. Elm & Montgomery)

[HOME] [SOCIETY] [PEOPLE] [COMPANIES] [BUILDINGS] [STREETS]
[TRANSPORTATION] [BOOKS] [CLIPPINGS] [DATES] [GOVERNMENT] [ODDS & ENDS]