The Evergreen Courant - Evergreen, AL - May 4, 1972

 

Letter from Estle Homer Brooks, Kensington, MD

 

“Recently, a sign was presented to James E. (Jim) Kelley of Rt. 1, to commemorate the former post office in front of his home on Route 1, of which his father, the late John H. Kelley, was post master from 1887 to 1909. The sign read “Former Site, Bowles Post Office, Postmasters: John H. Kelley, Feb. 7, 1887-Jan. 7, 1909; William E. Cook, Jan. 7, 1909-Mar. 21, 1911.”

 

These records shown from documents issued to E. Homer Brooks of Kensington, MD., shows that Mr. Cook applied to the Post Office in Washington, D.C. to have the Post Office moved ‘1 mile south of original place’ but records from National Archives and Records does not show if the Post Office was actually moved to Mr. Cook’s place—his smaller store operated north of his old home place on Route 1.

 

Archive records shows location Township 7N, Range 11N of the principal meridian; Section 17, SE of NW quarter; proposed location: Township 7S; Range 11S of the principal median; Section 20, SE of NW quarter—this later proposal was Mr. Cook’s—to move it to his place.

 

The proposed name of the post office, as indicated in the documents, had the name “Kelley” listed and struck out and inserted “Bowles” as the name to be used. Also, records show a post office at Abbot, seven miles north of Bowles, Postmaster A.C. Mixon. Shown near Bowles also were other post offices of China; Owassa and Gravella, AL

 

The proposed route from Evergreen to Skinnerton and listed as “Star Route No. 24472”. Apparently, Abbot was about mid-distance from Bowles to Skinnerton. At the time established, a Mr. C.A. Stearns was Post Master at Evergreen. The routes were later changed from the Star Route to Route A and later to present Route 1. At the time the post office was in the making, the proposed number of citizens to accommodate was listed as 50. In Mr. Cook’s application and appointment, he proposed that it could serve 250 to 300 people.

 

Bowles post office could come alive again in the near future and serve as many as 4,000 to 5,000 people within a radius of approximately five to seven miles. From evidence of the number of registered voters as certified in the Courant of April 13, 1972, shows within reach of and in a radius of a few miles there are listed about 1100 registered voters, which counting other members of families, not of voting age, the population for reestablishing Bowles Post Office could easily reach about 5,000 people serving them for any post office as money orders, bonds, packages, registered and other usual mail, with a special pick-up from the Evergreen Post Office once a day plus service as usual by the rural mail carrier.

 

When established, Bowles was served by horse and buggy out of Evergreen and as I remember, relay stations were at Bowles, Skinnerton, and the late Rev. Edward B. Brooks residence, then living near the Jim Brooks Old Mill 11 miles NW of Evergreen in Conecuh County. Mr. Dunk Herbert was the carrier then, and later his brother, B.A. Herbert (both retired).

 

When an emergency arose, when the regular carrier was unable to make the trip, a substitute, the late Otto Shell, carried the mail on horse back.

 

There was also presented to James Kelley with the above sign, regarding the old Post Office, a new sign for “Bowles Assembly of God Church” and also one presented to James Cook, a new sign “Mt. Zion United Methodist Church”, both to be erected in front of the two churches. The late Rev. Edward B. Brooks family, who moved from the old Water Mill site, resided just above the Bowles Assembly of God Church from fall of 1911 to 1926, and the family attended both Bowles and Mt. Zion churches.

 

*Sources of information: Local folklore or legend; Bowles & Lyeffion Communities; Industrial & Social Branch, Civil Archives Division, NARA Service, Washington, D.C; Archived materials in the Evergreen-Conecuh County Public Library — personal papers of E.Homer Brooks; Photo collection of Bowles Post Office; newspapers on microfilm.

 

Submitted by Sherry Johnston