The Post Office at Schumm

Schumm: a hamlet in the south central part of the township, with post office set up by 1886.

That is the description of the little village east of Willshire in a book of Ohio towns and townships that were established before 1900. [1]

Schumm, named after the German family who settled the area in 1838, was once a place where passengers could board and depart at the Cloverleaf Railroad Station, later the Nickel Plate. Where a sawmill and elevator once operated. And where a U.S. post office was once located.

The railroad station, sawmill, elevator, and post office are all gone now. A few homes still remain in the town, near the large brick Lutheran church with its active congregation.

The post office at Schumm was located in the second house south of the railroad track on the east side of Schumm Road. The post office was in the front part of the home.

 

Schumm Post Office, c1930.

Schumm Post Office, c1930.

Last week I wrote about the mail cart that was discovered under my grandparents’ summer kitchen a couple years ago. The cart had settled into the soil and remained buried under the frame structure for many decades. I can only speculate where it came from, but I believe it likely was once used to carry the mail from the train station to the Schumm Post Office.

The post office at Schumm was established in 1881 and Martin J. Schumm was appointed as its first postmaster on 31 December 1881. Henry Schumm, George F. Schumm, and Henry M. Schumm were the next three postmasters, serving during the years 1885-1903. [2]

Schumm's first two postmasters, Jartin J. Schumm (1881), Henry Schumm (1885). [2]

Schumm’s first two postmasters, Martin J. Schumm (1881), Henry Schumm (1885). [2]

The list of Schumm postmasters and their appointment dates, 1881-1940 [2] :
Martin J. Schumm (31 December 1881)
Henry Schumm (29 April 1885)
George F. Schumm (30 June 1885)
Henry M. Schumm (4 August 1886)
Herbert I. Hileman (18 June 1904)
Wm O. Tickle (27 February 1905)
Elias F. Sheets (21 December 1905)
Logan Wolfe (29 March 1906)
Wm A Colter (23 September 1908)
Gustave J. Schumm (13 November 1912)
George Weinman (14 September 1916)
Mrs. Pearl A. Debolt (26 November 1928)
Matie M. Stevens (31 October 1929)
Mrs. Cleta A. Johns (1 December 1930)
George Weinman (23 November 1931)

The Schumm Post Office closed January 1940 when George Weinman retired. The mail was then sent to Willshire.

Schumm Post Office Discontinued January 31
The Willshire post office has received official notice from the post office department at Washington that the post office at Schumm will be discontinued at the close of business Jan. 31, 1940. All mail intended for the patrons of the Schumm post office will be handled out of the Willshire post office, beginning Feb.1, 1940, and in such manner as directed from the department at Washington.

The post office at Schumm has been in active operation since 1881, and with its discontinuance another land-mark in the life of the community will have passed into oblivion. At present there are 14 families and two businesses concerns receiving mail through that post office.

The present postmaster, Geo. Weinman, has served for 19 years and will be retired Jan. 31. It is a fourth class office and owing to the fact that no one could be secured to act as postmaster it will have to be closed. [3]

However, the Schumm Post Office was re-opened a few months later, after a petition to reopen it was signed by the residents of the community. Emanuel H. Schumm was appointed postmaster 16 April of that same year.

1938 Schumm postmark.

1938 Schumm postmark.

Schumm Post Office Is Re-Established
The post office at Schumm has been re-established, and Emanuel Schumm has been commissioned as postmaster as of May 1, 1940.

The Schumm post office was discontinued Jan. 31, 1940, but as no rural route delivery was immediately put into operation, the patrons of that post office circulated a petition to have the office re-instated, and through the intervention of Senator A.V. Donahey their petition was recognized and the post office ordered re-opened.

The office would not have been discontinued had the patrons of the office been able to develop a suitable person to take on the duties of postmaster. [4]

Emanuel Schumm was the postmaster for 13 years when the post office was again discontinued, this time for good. The Schumm Post Office was closed forever on 31 January 1953 and the mail was once again sent to Willshire.

Discontinuance Of Schumm Post Office Slated For 31st
Postmaster John E. Reichard has been given official notice that the post office at Schumm will be discontinued January 31 of this year and that after discontinuance, all mail for that office will be received, delivered and accounted for by the Willshire office.

It has been proposed by the Bureau of Post Office Operations that rural route one out of Willshire be extended .5 of a mile so as to afford patrons of the discontinued office convenient mail facilities, and it is presumed this action will be taken by the department. [5]

Did the little mail delivery cart come from the Schumm Post Office? I like to think so.

 

[1] Julie Minot Overton, Kay Ballentyne Hudson & Sunda Anderson Peters, editors, Ohio Towns and Townships to 1900, A Location Guide, (The Ohio Genealogical Society, Penobscot Press : 2000), 356.

[2] U.S., Appointments of U.S. Postmasters, 1832-1971, Vol 38, c1873-91, p. 478-9; and U.S., Appointments of US Postmasters, 1832-1971, Vol 79, c1891-1930, p. 575-77; digital images by subscription Ancestry.com, (www.ancestry.com : accessed 17 September 2014), from NARA microfilm publication M841, roll 101.

[3] The Willshire Herald, Willshire, Ohio, 25 January 1940, p. 1.

[4] The Willshire Herald, Willshire, Ohio, 9 May 1940, p.1.

[5] The Willshire Herald, Willshire, Ohio, 15 January 1953, p.1.

 

4 comments

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    • Deb Jones on September 19, 2014 at 1:23 pm
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    This is very interesting. George Weinman was my great-grandfather (my Mom’s grandfather.) She grew up across the road from the post office and tells stories about going over to get the mail and buy candy bars. I think George Weinman had a small store along with the post office. I believe Mom said he also had a huckster wagon.

    1. I figured there was some connection to your family when I saw the name Weinman. Thanks for the additional information. How interesting!

    • Tom Reichard on September 20, 2014 at 10:17 am
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    George Weinman (wife Mary) was also my great-grandfather. Being a little older than Deb (Caffee) Jones, I can remember walking across the road to see George and his son Edward to get some candy at the small store. They lived in the rear of the house. I also remember my grandpa Carl Weinman (also George and Mary’s son) going with us to get some Mail Pouch chewing tobacco. I also remember the brass spit-toon in the store for those that needed to spit out their tobacco. This would have been the late 1950’s.
    I also remember the Farmer’s Grain elevator and the Nickel Plate railroad running thru Schumm. Grandpa used to take us kids over there for candy and pop. I remember reaching into the water of the pop cooler to get a Dad’s root beer. Grandpa also would get Mail Pouch chewing tobacco here as well. Grandma was not always happy about the chewing tobacco…..

    1. Great memories and great information. It is interesting that their home and store and the post office were all in the same house. Thanks for writing!

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