An old family friend came back

[bffulgham]

My Dad carried the rural mail route from St. Vrain, NM from about 1961 to 1984. The little post office started when the St. Vrain town-site came to be in 1909. The PO closed about 2 years ago....very shortly after we celibrated it's 100th birthday. Dad would sort and "case" his mail every morning before heading out on the route. Here's the "casing station" he used:
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When the PO closed, I talked to everyone who would listen to see if there was any way in the world I could beg, buy, or steal the case. I was basically told, "No way in hell".

My phone rang Friday afternoon. The caller was a guy I knew from many years ago in school (Jim). He now works for the Post Office. He asked if he had the story straight that my Dad was the "mail man from St. Vrain" for a lot of years....... so, to shorten a long story, I was asked if I still wanted the case. Of course, my answer was "YES"! We finished our conversation and hung up. A few minutes later, the phone rings again. Jim says "Hang on a sec" and hands the phone off to Doug. Doug says, "I've got to be in Amarillo Sunday. Can I drop the case off at your house on the way?".
Grit, grime, stains, and all. It's now mine. After a heavy-duty scrubbing and cleaning, it will be moved into my office in the house.

Physical dimensions:
70" wide
26" deep
64" tall
The wood is all white oak. Some quarter-sawn, some flat sawn. The back panel on the upper case appears to be some sort of fiber board with oak veneer on the inside of the cubbies. The dividers appear to be oak.

I'm going in enjoy having this around

[derekdarling]

Lovely piece, and a great story to go with it. If it is not too personal, is your Dad still around to surprise with it?

Derek

[fjimp]

Congratulations I love hear stories like this one. Several years ago I was visiting with the postmaster of a small town post office in central Virginia. They were hauling off outdated sorting stations that were being replaced. I voiced the question whether prior users might want them. He shook his head saying that would be nearly impossible to happen. Jim

[bffulgham]

Lovely piece, and a great story to go with it. If it is not too personal, is your Dad still around to surprise with it?

Derek

Derek,
Unfortunately, Dad passed in 1996. He is probably grinning and shaking his head wondering what in the world I'm going to do with it:rolleyes:

I do have a plan..... It will just exactly fit between the closet door and the north wall in my home 'office'. I've been needing a new shelving unit for my file server, network gear, scanner, printer, and all the miscellaneous junk that goes along with the job. Right after I get 75 years of grit, grime, and gunk cleaned off of it.

I'm going to try to figure out what finish was used on it. My guess is that it is shellac. A little denatured alcohol on a rag and a rub in an inconspicuous spot will tell.

[pennview]

Nice story. I'll bet that piece brings lots of smiles over the coming years. And, it's good to have such friends that remember your want it.

[derekdarling]

Derek,
Unfortunately, Dad passed in 1996.

Sorry to hear that. On the up side, every time you use it, your Dad will come to mind. Some advice, write that story down on a piece of parchment, and shellac it to the underside of the piece. That way, the story will always be around.

Derek

[swampgator]

What a neat piece of furniture and riveting story. As previously suggested, write down the story and put it on the bottom for posterior.
Are the uprights slid in dadoes? What's the thickness of the shelves and the upright dividers? Sorry, just curious if you wish to divulge.

Love that piece and the story. What a great contribution to a museum!

[bffulgham]

Sorry to hear that. On the up side, every time you use it, your Dad will come to mind. Some advice, write that story down on a piece of parchment, and shellac it to the underside of the piece. That way, the story will always be around.

Derek

Good idea.....thanks for the suggestion!

[bffulgham]

What a neat piece of furniture and riveting story. As previously suggested, write down the story and put it on the bottom for posterior.
Are the uprights slid in dadoes? What's the thickness of the shelves and the upright dividers? Sorry, just curious if you wish to divulge.

Love that piece and the story. What a great contribution to a museum!

Will get some real measurements in a day or so.....
Yes, the dividers sit in a dado both top and bottom, and the dividers are not glued in place. The shelves dividing the cubbies are about 1/2" thick. The verticle dividers about 1/4".

[bffulgham]

What a neat piece of furniture and riveting story. As previously suggested, write down the story and put it on the bottom for posterior.
Are the uprights slid in dadoes? What's the thickness of the shelves and the upright dividers? Sorry, just curious if you wish to divulge.

Love that piece and the story. What a great contribution to a museum!

I gave the thing a good scrubbing with Murphy's Oil Soap today, then grabbed the measuring stick.....Here's a few of the details for those that are interested.

The carcase outside frame is all 1" oak.
The table top is 1" oak.
The cubby-hole dividers are 7/32"
The shelves dividing the cubbies are 1/2" EXCEPT the very bottom and top, and they are 3/4"

The next step is to clear out all the computer junk in my office and get my step-son to help me move it in place....that will be a trick in itself, as it will have to be stood on end to be able to negotiate the hallway and make the corner going into the 'office'