One Nation, Under God

Phillips County Museum News for April 29, 2020

Greetings everyone. With a hint of joy and a hint of worry, the Phillips County Museum is now open! It has been an odd experience to view so few people on the streets of Malta. It was quite unsettling at first. But I think the view I miss the most was at the post office. That sense of community was missing.

It has always given me a comfortable feeling to see groups of one or two people standing and visiting while fetching the mail. Have you been to the post office this week and mailed a letter? Or perhaps you mailed your child!

In 1914 many items were sent through the mail – even children! The most famous example is May Pierstorff who was mailed by train to her grandparents when she was six years old. The stamps were glued to her coat! After considering the costs, May’s parents were able to send her by mail because she was under the 50 lb weight limit. (This was a considerable savings from the price of a ticket.) The practice became such a problem that the United States Post Office had to issue a directive that prohibited humans from being carried in the mail. Phillips County had many locations where you could mail a letter in the 1920s.

Stop in and check out our historic map of Phillips County and see the locations of all the old towns. The museum is open Monday- Saturday 10-5.

 

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