Post Office

The old Post Office was on Portsmouth Ave. It was located directly next to the town hall (seen on the left of this picture). The mail would arrive by way of train two times a day at the Depot Road Train Station. In the day of this photo, people would pick up their mail because rural delivery was not available. The first official Post Office was opened in Stratham on May 30, 1822 and the first postmaster was Jebulon Wiggin.

Important history of the Town's Post Office is documented in a speech given by Mr. J. Fred Emery, during the presentation of a picture of the first Postmaster, Mr. Jebulon Wiggin. (Speech reprinted from History of Stratham, by Charles M. Nelson)

Mr. Moderator:
I arise to a point of personal privilege that I may address this meeting in presenting to the town an Historical Souvenir, one which connects the Stratham of the long ago with the Stratham of today. Thank you, Mr. Moderator.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I would also ask of your indulgence that I may bring to you certain data concerning an arm of the Federal Government that has served the town of Stratham for a period of 127 years, our Post Office. However, before the post office came to town, let us briefly review the formation of our town government.

On April 10, 1716, 233 years backward along the avenue of time, there were gathered in the Chase Hall which was then an annex to the residence in which I now reside, the citizens of the town. They were assembled for a two-fold purpose; the organization of a town government, and to elect its officials for the year ensuing, and also to pass any legislation that would be for the benefit of the inhabitants thereof. Their first objective, however, was to form a town government for which they dug deep to place its foundation stones upon the bed rock of the firm and unfailing belief in the "Fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of men," and upon this foundation they built a great Town Democracy which has come down from generation to generation to us, a priceless heritage.

The Stratham of Today

For 106 years after this meeting Stratham was without a post office, how they received communication with the outside world is a matter of conjecture. However, in the early 1820s, the citizens of Stratham petitioned the Post Office Department at Washington for the establishment of a Post Office, so May 30, 1822, a Post Office was opened and Jebulon Wiggin was commissioned its first Postmaster by James Monroe, 5th President of the United States.

For two years after the first establishment, the mail was brought from Portsmouth by horseback or sulky. In 1824, the Post Office Department entered into a contract with a Stage Coach Company to deliver the mail from Portsmouth to Greenland, Stratham, Exeter, Epping, Nottingham, Deerfield, Epsom, Chichester to Concord and from there to Charlestown, a distance of 107 miles with delivery once a week. When Postmaster Wiggin received the mail, he carefully arranged it on the clean linen of Mrs. Wiggin's bed and the patrons at the post office had the privilege of looking over the mail matter taking what belonged to them. There were no stamps in those days, the people paid in cash and the Postmaster marked the letter paid and started it on its destination. Many of our day think that the slogan "Cash and Carry" originated with the chain stores, while others believe that Jebulon Wiggin and the Postmasters of his day and generation were responsible for the courage of these words.

The mail continued to be brought by Stage Coach until the completion of the Portsmouth & Concord railroad in the early 1850s, when it was left at Stratham Depot which continued for nearly 100 years and as it now comes to Rockingham Junction. The first carrier from Stratham Depot was Addison Wiggin. Numerous persons have been carriers from the first to the present Mr. Pickard, all with the same determination that the "Mail Must Go Through."

...

Now as the great Civil War was drawing to a close, Stratham, which prior to the war had been strongly Democratic, became as strong Republican and a controversy arose between the Republicans of the North and South side of the town, who should be appointed postmaster, but it remained for Henry Staples to solve the situation. Now Henry had a brother Joseph who a few years back had moved from Eliot, Maine, to Stratham. So Henry visited his brother Joseph, and thus addressed him "Brother Joseph, if you could consistently and conscientiously do so, I believe it would be for your individual advantage to become a Republican" and Brother Joseph, after due consideration, did become a Republican and was appointed Stratham's 2nd Postmaster on March 23, 1864 by Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States and served faithfully for 23 years. He was for many years Town Clerk and Treasurer and served the people of Stratham with zeal and fidelity. At his death in February 1887, I think I can truthfully say that he had not one enemy, for the town grieved at his passing. ...

Mr. Staples was succeeded by his daughter, Mrs. Ella K. Staples who conducted the office upon the same high level as did her predecessor. However, she resigned after a service of two years and Albert C. Lane was appointed on January 26, 1889. On the following June, the 26th, the people of the town were greatly surprised to learn that the Post Office, over night, had been moved to the store of George H. Odell and Mr. Odell named Postmaster. At first this was thought to be a grocers dual, but later the real cause became known in the person of one Kitty Redington, who for some years was a summer boarder, coming from Washington, D. C. Kitty was well acquainted with the powers that be, and Kitty gently purring around these persons, caused them to scratch out Mr. Lane's appointment. Mr. Odell somewhat improved the office by giving the patrons of the office a glass front letter box. Mr. Odell served until July 1893. The administration at this time had changed as Grover Cleveland, a Democrat, became President, and Edgar R. Smith, being of that faith, was appointed Postmaster on July 22, 1893. For a time, however, the Post Office remained in Mr. Odell's store, later to be moved across the street into the Old Taylor House near the site where the Wiggin Memorial Library now stands. During Mr. Smith's administration, a sub Post Office was established at Stratham Depot, called Riverside, with Andrew J. Edmunds as Postmaster on February 3, 1894 and continued for nine years when it was discontinued on January 17, 1903. In Mr. Smith's term as Postmaster was also established (through the efforts of the late Hon. Richard M. Scammon) the rural delivery on December 15, 1900, with Marshal S. Chase as its first carrier resigning on February 1, 1901, when Harry T. Smith was appointed and served until September 1, 1902, when Leslie A. Cook was appointed and served for a period of 31 years until the route was discontinued on October 31, 1933, then to become a part of a route from Greenland Post Office with Richard D. Moody the first carrier. ... In January, 1903, Mr. Smith, after a service of ten years, resigned and on January 20, 1903, Albert C. Lane was commissioned Postmaster for the second time. ...

Mr. Lane resigned in August 1937. ...

On August 5, 1937, Mr. Frank W. Tuck became Postmaster and has served as such for the past 11 years with the same degree of efficiency as his predecessors. With Jebulon Wiggin serving 42 years, Joseph S. Staples 23 years and Albert C. Lane 35 years, and others of lesser periods, the average tenure of office of these seven Postmasters has been about eighteen years. ...

Through the thoughtfulness and generosity of one of Stratham's most respected and elderly citizens, Mr. Fred W. Severance, whose desire it is to present to the town the portrait of his Maternal Grandfather, the late Jebulon Wiggin, Stratham's first Postmaster, to be hung upon the wall of the Wiggin Memorial Library and to forever be in custody of the Trustees of said Library, it is now my pleasant duty to do so in behalf of Mr. Severance, and I trust that you Ladies and Gentlemen will accept unanimously this Historical Souvenir, connecting as it does, the Stratham of today. And as it hangs upon the wall of the Library may it face the opposite side of the street where Jebulon Wiggin, in his life time, kept the little Country Grocery Store and opened Stratham's first Post Office on May 30, 1822, beside the King's Highway.

Mr. Frank Tuck resigned from the position of Postmaster in 1937 after more than 27 years. Since then Mr. Charles Peabody followed by Mr. Jim Rolston have been Postmaster. Mr. Rolston was followed by Mr. Patrick White.

The most recent change for the Post Office came as it switched from its location across from the Fire Station next to the Country Store. It is now located in a brand new facility just down the street on Route 108. The new building was constructed and started service in December of 1997.