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Mail in Fenwick
{Compiled by “S”}
The first post office opened on April 1, 1853, the same day as Fenwick received its name. The first post master was Leonard Haney. The mail was brought into Fenwick and outgoing mails dispatched by courier on horseback, who made the journey from Port Robinson to Canboro, on one day and returned the next day.
The first rural route for Fenwick began August 1, 1912 with Mr. M.Shriner as the contractor.
Mr. Allan Rice took over
the Royal mail route, an extension of T.H.&B railway through Fenwick to Welland. He carried all of the freight, mail, box and Christmas orders for years.
In the 1920s the mailman drove a horse and buggy. When the mail train arrived the mail was taken to the Fenwick post office and stamped. The mail was sorted by the mailmen on the rural routes. The villagers picked up their mail at the post office. The mail was delivered six days a week. The big event was the arrival of the Eaton’s catalogue.
In the 1930s stamps were 2 cents each. Frank Tunnacliffe was postmaster. The postoffice was a small shop and Frank lived upstairs. He picked up bags of incoming mail at the T.H.&B. station on Church St., from Monday to Saturday. The mail arrived 6am, 10am,3pm, and 6pm. They locked the first class mail, tied bags of second class mail and local mail. Mail was given to the route carriers who sorted their own mail and put it in cardboard boxes to be delivered. By this time automobiles were a popular delivery vehicle
Many people would place money in their mail boxes to receive stamps
A new post office was built in 1954.
Postmasters at Fenwick:
Rev Leonard Haney {1853-1858}
Jacob Brackbill {1858-1862}
J. Hume Taylor {1862-1865}
James W. Taylor {1865-1874}
A.O. Stringer {1874-1880}
Barney Hare {1880-1881}
F.W. Hutt 1881-1888}
J.M. Edsall {1888-1891}
W.H. Swayze {1891-1897}
W. H. Fry {1897-1923}
Frank J.Tunnacliffe {1924-1949}
Miss Margaret Keenan {1949-1975}
Mr. Arnott {1975-1991}