Whitby Post Office History

At one point the Post office was located within the Sterling Company Store. Its final location until its closure in June of 1988 was a church (called historically the black church as Whitby was segregated) just off of Piney Creek. See Map of West Whitby. The Church Lot (to the far right on the map)was the final location of this Office. The picture below of the Post Office is very special to me. The cute guy in yellow in the back is me. The little blue dynamo is my brother Jon. Whitby Post Master (my grandma) Margaret Bowling and my Mom are at the front.

Whitby Post Master,Margaret Bowling, with her daughter Corinne Bowling and grandchildren Mark and Jon Combs circa 1977.


Whitby Post Office Photo 2

From Left to Right: Jon Combs grandchild to Whitby Post Master, Margaret Bowling, with my father Phil Combs and myself (Mark Combs)circa 1977.


Whitby Post Masters

To date, this is the complete listing of Whitby Post Masters. Please note that while Postal records reflect the names of the persons who held the Post Master position, they do not indicate who did all the work.

Post Master

Effective Date

W.D. Laidley placed application

Dec 26, 1918

George W Kilburn

May 9, 1919

Harry N Meade

Dec 10, 1919

Joseph E Virgin

Nov 30, 1920

Raymond M Clayton

Mar 15, 1924

Robert Lee Allen

Jan 2, 1925

 

Post Office was discontinued Aug 31, 1925 and mail was sent to Abney. July 22, 1927, another application suggests that the Post Office be called Sterling, Post Master at that time was JW Forman.

Whitby Post Office is re-established. Local train station called Whitby.

Post Master/Officer In Charge (last entry)

Effective Date

Joseph W Forman

Oct 20, 1927

Paul Q Warden

Oct 16, 1929 (Deceased May 31, 1958)

Nicholas A Thompson

October 10, 1958

Margaret E Bowling

~June 1973 (not certain of exact date)

Merilene G. Manning

Jan 23, 1982

Anna B. Bennett /Officer in Charge

Jan 19, 1984

Ann Bower /Officer in Charge

Last OIC at Whitby until Office closure

 

Post Office discontinued June 4, 1988. All mail forwarded to Coal City. That was a very sad day.

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Sample Whitby Postmarks