THE WAUPACA COUNTY POST

January 17, 1991

 

WHEN THEN WAS NOW

By Wayne A. Guyant

 

 

            Up to at least 1946, Charles A. Hansen had spent more time serving the Waupaca public than any other resident of the city.

            Charles A. (Charley) Hansen was born in Waupaca, April 14, 1876, a son of Morten and Karen Jorgenson Hansen.  Morten and Karen came to America from Denmark in 1873.

            Charles A. Hansen was united in marriage to Eva Johnson of Saxeville, Waushara County, Wis., in July 1910.  To them three children were born, one daughter, Cleo, and two sons, Everett and Lowell.

            Charley Hansen started work in the Waupaca Post Office at the age of 1_.  He had to stand on a dry goods box to look over the postal counter. Wagers were $5 a week, but later were increased to $30 a month.  Included in his duties were cleaning and filling the old kerosene lamps that were used to illuminate the post office, and to keep a supply of wood to feed the hungry round oak stove that was used to heat the building.

            Charley’s long employment with the Waupaca Post Office started back in 1891, when there was still some mail and passengers arriving by stagecoach.  These were the days of no free rural delivery, and no city deliveries.

            The building in which he started, in 1891, was located on the corner of Sessions and North Main Streets, which is now the location of Stu’s Interior Decorators, 121 N. Main.  According to two past postmasters’ research, the first post office was located in Edward L. Browne’s law office on the corner of Jefferson and East Union Streets.  In 1989 this was the law office of Franzoi and Franzoi.  The next post office was located at 106 East Union Street, now the Shambeau and Lyons Realty Office.

            The 1889 Waupaca County plat book shows a map of the original plat of the City of Waupaca, and it shows that there was a post office located adjacent to the alley on the west, on Lot 10, Bock “O”.  The third site was at he present location of Stu’s Interior Decorators, where Charley Hansen started his long employment with the Waupaca Post Office back in 1891.  Mr. Hansen was named assistant postmaster here under the U.S. Civil Service Board of Examiners.  As part of his duties in that capacity he gave examinations for postal positions throughout Waupaca County.

            The fourth location was 212 S. Main Street, in the building now occupied by the Culligan Water Company.  When James W. Carew was postmaster he started the proceeding which resulted in the erection of the new post office on the corner of South Main and Badger Streets.  The new post office was dedicated August 30, 1939.  This is the fifth location.

            About 1921 an Act of Congress created for postal employees the privilege of sick leave pay, but Mr. Hansen never availed himself of this privilege until about 1941.  In 55 years one can acquire a considerable amount of knowledge about the postal rules and regulations.  Mr. Hansen received a letter from Joseph A. Connor, regional director, expressing appreciation for his fine record.

            One patron that Mr. Hansen recalled at the post office was Dana Dewey, who was one of the early pioneers to Waupaca.  Dana Dewey was always first to pay his taxes, the first to pay his box rent and was first every morning to pick up his mail.

            Charley Hansen served as assistant postmaster under seven postmasters before retiring in 1946.  He took the oath of office under Evan Coolidge on June 16, 1891, and served under the following postmasters:  Henry C. Mumbrue, A. M. Penney, S. P. Godfrey, Mrs. Charlotte Ware, Walter J. Nelson an James W. Carew.

            Charley Hansen retired April 30, 1946.  There was a pleasant coincidence:  on the same day his son, Lowell G. Hansen received his honorable discharge from the armed forces at Camp McCoy.

            Mr. Hansen passed away at his home on Granite Street on February 10, 1956, and was laid to rest in the Waupaca Lakeside Memorial Park.