Early Postal Service in Sandwich - Part 4
The 1800s - Forestdale
By Kaethe O’Keefe Maguire
Forestdale in the southern part of Sandwich, was the last to establish a post office on February 3, 1886 and over the years it was located in various homes and shops in the area. The term "Forestdale" wasn’t used until later in that century. By 1885 the the region was called Greenville. (Some may know that the restored one-room school house on Route 130 is often called the Greenville School.) The government changed the name officially to Forestdale in 1886.[1] It was then spelled Forest Dale.
100 Route 130, Forestdale (then and now) was at one time a Post Office.
Until the people’s petition was granted, a John M. Fish, an old Forestdale name, kindly went into Sandwich every day and brought the mail out to Forestdale. Where exactly he distributed this mail, I do not know. Perhaps he even went door to door!
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The first postmaster to the area was William O. Osborne and the name "Forestdale Post Office" was established in 1887.[2] This post office only originated after a local petition was circulated for a post office in that area. [3] [4] It was the local people who also asked to have Mr. Osborne as their post master. [5] Mr. Osborne ran a store in the area. [6] You will note how many women served as Post Mistress over the years.
The DeLong house, post office and shop on Route 130 in Forestdale unfortunately burned down and no longer exists.
The early Forestdale postmasters were as follows:
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William O. Osborne who owned a shop and served until 1911.
Hezekiah C. Pulsifer took over as acting postmaster on August 15, 1911 and then was made Postmaster on October 16,1911. His service ended in 1929.
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On March 16, 1929 Grace De Long, who also had a shop in her home as well as the post office, took over as Acting Post Mistress on March 16, 1929 and then was made official Post Mistress on March 20, 1929. She served a long term until Gladys Govone took over as acting Post Mistress on January 21, 1952.
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Gladys was made official Post Mistress almost a year later on December 18, 1952. She too served a long term until Elsie M. Crocker took over as “Officer in Charge” on December 15, 1971. Elsie was made Post Mistress on January 20, 1973 and only served a few years until Connie Crocker Carr became Office in Charge on July 1, 1977.
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You can hear an interview by Joan Russell Osgood with Connie on this website under oral histories called “Tell Me A Story”.. Connie did not serve along term and was replaced by Dorothy Buck as Officer in Charge on October 25, 1077.
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The tables turned again on February 27, 1978 when Nancy Zibutis was named Officer in Charge.
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For reasons unknown, Connie Carr returned as full Post Mistress on June 17, 1978 and served until November 21, 1992 when Lori A . McCormack took over as Officer in Charge on November 21, 1992. Robert A Maxim was appointed Post Master on February 20, 1993.[7]
We are not sure exactly where on Route 130 this is, but it is an early photo found in the Archives.
[1] The Barnstable Patriot, 2 February, 1886.
2 The Sandwich Album. John Nye Cullity.
3 The Barnstable Patriot, 13 March, 1883.
4 The Sandwich Observer, 2 February, 1886.
5 The Sandwich Observer, 4 June 1885.
6 Yarmouth Register, 4 November 1911.
1 United States Postal Service online, Postmasters by City, 2020.