5/5/2023 0 Comments Tide graph van geldern coveMary Frances White and her husband, William, who also operated the nearby Wauna Lodge. It was housed in the general store built on the Key Peninsula side of the Purdy Spit in 1905 by Mrs. Originally the “Springfield P.O.,” established in 1890, the office was later moved and renamed the Wauna P.O. The Vaughn post office relocated to Key Center in 2001. By 1954, the Vaughn post office was promoted to third class, a distinction based on the amount of money earned at post offices around the county. Low tides often prevented the steamers from reaching the dock, so the young Nellie Van Slyke assisted her postmaster father Alfred by rowing out past the sand spit through strong currents to carry mail to and from the boats. Vaughn mail was transported by horseback to and from the Elgin post office (originally Minter), but later steamers traveled from Tacoma to Vaughn several times each week. The early Vaughn postmasters were storekeepers using space within their stores on Vaughn Bay for postal business starting in 1888. Mail service was absorbed by Lakebay, a mere 2 miles south on Mayo Cove. 6, 1901, by a sworn anarchist, coupled with complaints about the Home postmistress (who was accused of distributing lewd publications), led to the permanent closure of the Home post office by April 1902. The political climate following the assassination of President McKinley Sept. The Home Colony, as it was first known, was considered a radical socialist settlement sowing seeds of discontent with numerous publications on the politics of the day, labor struggles, women’s rights, religious commentary, sexual matters and birth control. Most attributed its abrupt closure to the activities of the Home colonists. There are various accounts of the short-lived Home post office. The only caveat was that the post office retain its Lakebay name. Mail was carried by horse and buggy over a distance of 26 miles.īy 1958, the Lakebay post office was moved to Home, just northwest of the Home Bridge on Von Geldern Cove to provide greater accessibility and more space. In April 1909, the Lakebay RFD (Rural Free Delivery) service was established. The name was later shortened to “Lakebay.” By 1894, mail arrived by steamer from Tacoma. post office on the Key Peninsula in 1882. Originally operating out of Henry Tiedman’s home 100 yards south of the Lakebay dock, “Lake Bay, Wash.” became the first official U.S. Postal sorting and storing were first done on boats, in private homes and inside general stores as each settlement sought to establish postal service. To understand addresses on the Key Peninsula requires a look into the history of its settlement by men equipped with surveyor rods and chains. Finally, far-flung Longbranch, with no post office at all, proudly retains both its historic name and ZIP code of 98351. The vast majority of Wauna residents have a Gig Harbor address despite the existence of the Wauna post office, 98395. ![]() The Vaughn post office, 98394, is located in Key Center, virtually surrounded by businesses with mailing addresses of Lakebay 98349. The Lakebay post office, 98349, is located in the unincorporated town of Home. Physical addresses and postal confusion have been troublesome on the Key Peninsula for years. Albert Sorenson, the first rural route carrier to Lakebay, in 1909.
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