MUSEUM MATTERS

Even before World War II, it was known that Dublin needed more working space and better working conditions for postal workers. Funding for a new post office was delayed by World War II and then the Korean War. With Jerome Shillingburg’s leadership during the early 1950s, and Bill Cowan’s after that, progress continued on planning and getting funding for a new post office in Dublin.

In January 1954, Bill Cowan became the Postmaster in Dublin.

A parcel of land in the 300 block of Blackjack had been purchased by the General Services Administration in the late 1950s for putting a government building there. Some had suggested that putting the post office in that government building would make sense. But the GSA stated that there was no assurance Dublin would receive a federal building any time within the next few years.

As you might suspect, the government agencies didn’t work together very well so the post office department decided on their own that the new building location would be on Patrick St.

The April 15, 1960 Dublin Progress announced that construction would begin in the next 6 months on the new post office building. Joe Henderson owned a two story house on the selected property and he stated that the house would be moved in 20 days to the rear. That two story white house is still there, one street west of Patrick St. and is now being used as an apartment complex.

Plans were made to cut a street from Patrick to Resley Drive. The Dublin Progress stated “This street will be called Pecan.” Application was also made to the Highway Department to widen Patrick Street on the west side from the post office site to McIlroy Motors.

In the December 30th edition of the Dublin Progress, Postmaster Bill Cowan announced that every effort would be made to keep the post office box numbers the same during the move to the new location.

After several delays in construction, the new $100,000 post office was built and ready to be moved into in July 1961.

The September 15, 1961 Dublin Progress stated that 300 attended the dedication of the new building on September 9, 1961. W. D. Raley, manager of the Dublin Chamber of Commerce was the master of ceremonies. Mayor C. B. Bradberry welcomed guests. The guest speaker was Marshall Formby former chair of the state highway commission while post office representative Frank Etheridge also attended.

The Dublin Boy Scouts and Camp Fire Girls handled the flag raising ceremony. John Turney presented a reading “Ode to the American Flag.” Music was provided by the Dublin High School Band with Charles Thompson conducting. The invocation was by Rev. Walter George, pastor of the First Christian Church and the benediction by Rev. Gene Chamness, pastor of the First Methodist Church.

With the completion of the new post office, the General Services Administration stated their intent in the August 4, 1961 Dublin Progress that the land at North Camden and East Blackjack would be sold and no federal building would be built. The M & M service station is in that location now.

On a different note, we have a number of Dublin High School yearbooks in our collection. I don’t see a 1963 copy of the Shamrock. If you have one you would like to donate, stop by the museum some afternoon. One of our volunteers would be glad to accept it.