Rare Gold Rush landmark in Auburn threatened by = slowdown in business, Web use

Sub= scriber=20 Services

=20

Weather=20 Forecast

Sponsored By:
Icon=20 Hearth & Home

News=20

Local=20

Sports=20

National Sports

National

State

Education=20

Business=20

Election=20 08

Obituaries

Crime=20 Logs

Living=20

Home=20 & Garden

People=20

Health=20 & Fitness

Faith=20

Food=20 & Wine

Movies=20 & Music

Milestones=20

Auburn's=20 Icons

Motoring=20

Arts=20 & Entertainment

Columnists=20

Inside=20 the fishbowl

Opi= nion=20

Editorials=20

Letters=20 to the Editor

Submit a Letter

Staff=20 Blogs

Our=20 Photos

Our=20 Videos

Sp= ecial=20 Sections

Things=20 to do

FAQ=20

How To = Videos

Contact=20 us

Editorial=20 Staff

Subscriber=20 Services

Online=20 Advertising

Rack=20 Locations

Submit a News Tip

Submit an Announcement

8/21/08 | 509=20 views |

Rare Gold Rush landmark in = Auburn=20 threatened by slowdown in business, Web use

Half of ornate post boxes = sitting empty at=20 Old Town's Station A

By Gus Thomson, Journal Staff = Writer

Gus=20 Thomson /Auburn Journal

Auburn's Joyce = Wood makes=20 a transaction at the Old Town post office. = Station=20 A has been serving Auburn from the same = location=20 since the Gold Rush era.=20

An Old Town institution is in need of more Auburn = support.=20

Eleven years ago, Auburn residents mounted a = successful=20 drive to keep now-155-year-old Station A post office = in Old=20 Town open.

Linda Robinson, a member of the Old Town Business=20 Association, said that support is now on the wane. =

Business at the post office =E2=80=93 one of the = last remaining=20 vestiges of the Gold Rush era =E2=80=93 is down, she = said.

People can help out by doing everything from buying = stamps=20 there to sending packages, Robinson said.

One of the important sources of revenue for the = post office=20 in the past has been post box rentals. The boxes are = behind=20 ornately decorated brass and glass doors. But only = about half=20 of the 219 boxes are now being rented, postal clerk = Bob Harvey=20 said Thursday.

The Old Town Business Association pays the rent on = Station=20 A as part of an agreement with the U.S. Postal Service = to keep=20 the post office open. Contractor Jackie Esry has = provided=20 staffing there since then.

=E2=80=9CPostal service use is waning because of = factors like the=20 Internet but we don=E2=80=99t want this to go = away,=E2=80=9D Robinson said.=20

Esry said that there is no immediate threat that = the post=20 office will close but that support from the community = because=20 of a drop in business is needed to ensure it continues = to=20 operate.

Open Monday to Saturday, Station A provides most = postal=20 services. It was established July 21, 1853 =E2=80=93 = 155 years ago=20 Thursday.

It=E2=80=99s become known as the oldest post office = west of the=20 Mississippi to be continually in operation from one = location.=20

Asked about the other side of the wide river, = Harvey said=20 he=E2=80=99s certain that a fellow named Benjamin = Franklin was=20 responsible for establishing one there.

Locals rallied around the post office when it was=20 threatened with closure because of low sales volume 11 = years=20 ago.

The interest is still there to preserve it, said = Auburn=20 resident Joyce Wood.

=E2=80=9CI use this post office a lot and it would = be very sad if=20 we lost one of hour historical landmarks,=E2=80=9D = Wood said.

The Journal=E2=80=99s Gus Thomson can be reached at = gust@goldcountrymedia.com.

Keywords

stat= ion=20 a, gold= =20 rush, po= st=20 office, save,= =20 thr= eatened,=20 gu= s=20 thomson, pos= t=20 boxes, linda=20 robinson,

Not registered? Click=20 here

Post a comment

You must be logged in to = post a=20 comment. click=20 here to log in.=20 =

Sign=20 me up! Learn=20 more Log = in=20

PLACERopolis=20

Close=20

=20

Sign=20 up!

Learn=20 more about Placeropolis

Pix=20
Blogs= =20
Vids=20
Sto= ries=20
Users= =20

Chi-Chi=20 the Harley Girl	Mini=20 me!
Can we=20 please have a cookie?	Pool=20 Boy!

See = More Pix >>

Bush=20 Incites War Between Russia/Georgia

The story is going to come out that = George=20 Bush, the man who stole the 2000 =E2=80=A6 more=20

ARD=20 Improvement Projects for FY 08/09

At the most recent ARD Board = meeting, we=20 approved the proposed project list for FY = =E2=80=A6 more=20

Clowns=20 to the Left of Me, Jokers to the Right...

You hear a lot about "left-wing" and = "right-wing" and the question has to occur to = =E2=80=A6 more=20

<<=20 Staff Blogs

See=20 More User Blogs=20 >>

Placeropolis,=20 we've got talent!	First=20 commercial public bungy site =
Huka=20 Falls Jet Boating (Taupo, New Zealand) =	Injured=20 Horse Gets His Freedom

See = More Vids >>

Lifelong=20 Local Educational Leader Don Brophy Endorses Aaron = Klein for=20 Re-Election

AUBURN =E2=80=94 Don Brophy, a = sitting member of the=20 Placer County Board of Education, and =E2=80=A6 = more=20

Seeking=20 Home/Deplex to Rent

Seeking a home/duplex to rent, = $600/$700. in=20 Auburn. Positive income for rent. =E2=80=A6 more=20

Nancy=20 Pelosi is wagging the dog.

Nancy Pelosi has been blocking an = energy bill=20 from coming to the floor of the House =E2=80=A6 = more=20

See= =20 More Stories >>


ThosPayne	SDButler =

LincolnRotary =	MichaelGarrison=20

See More=20 Users >>

=20