Cherry Creek Post Office Troubles

Cherry Creekers are and have always been fiercely independent. The following series of three letters were are to and from B. F. Leach who operated the Post office located in the Leach Brothers Store in the 1930s.


A check written from the Leach Brothers Store to the Nevada Northern Railroad Co. Courtesy of Jerry Bowen		A receipt for 5 cents worth of candy for a Gary Atwood. Courtesy of Jerry Bowen

I copied them just as they were typed including the misspellings, capitalization and the spacing of the lettering. The first one was from the United States Post Office Department in Reno, Nevada to the Cherry Creek Post Office in the Leach Brothers Store:

On May 24^th you were requested to explain an apparent delay in remitting surplus funds. In this instance you remitted $200.00 on May 23^rd, while the next previous remittance, $75.00, was dated May 18^th.

To date we have received no reply and you are requested to forward an explanation by return mail, showing the dates on which the funds remitted May 23^rd accumulated at your office.

Dear Mr.Pierce ;- I have your letter of the 9 th asking why I didn’t explain delay in Supplus funds of May 23 rd. and the reason I didn’t have anything to Explain.

May 22 was Sunday and no mail out of hear on Sundays and Monday was the 23 rd the day Surplus was mailed. goes out in the PM Say around 5PM and later I write most of the orders.

Your Office don’t need to ~~woried~~ worry if the funds should be a day or so late and the Bank in Salt Lake City which I am a stock Holder will glady pay an over draft in case I was short. And if Washington ,D.C.Would like to know the Bank I will give them the Name. I have Banked with them for most 20 years and never had to use an overdraft

I donot have to have the Post Office to make a living out of and I didn’t ask for it in the first place.But I can’t send in Surplus Funds untill I sell the orders.With out you need it and in that case I could send you in my check in advance.

Then it appears that he decided to write the Postmaster General in Washington to complain about the treatment he was receiving from the Reno office:

The Central Accounting Office at Reno,Nev.Keeps kicking about delay of Surplus Funds and asking why and explain why the delay where there isn’t any and I am getting tired of it.

The way the orders comes in hear for Money Orders is you may go a week only a few dollars and then you get a good day and I may write $2oo,00 to $330.00 in one day and the next Morning it is sent in .Then Reno wants me to Explain the delay.

There is some times I am called out of town for two or three days . But I know about what days the Money Orders are written most and I am hear to atten to it. I never have given my Assistant any orders to sent the remitance in as I allways want it OKE .If you will look up my record as Postmaster for about 7 years tou want find many mistakes .

But if Reno keeps on as they are now doing I will resign as it takes up to much time I need in my Business. If you wish you may write the Walker Bank & Trust Co. Salt Lake City, Utah. As to my Standing and I think they will back me up.

Note: he didn’t sign the letter. Perhaps it was a further sign of his frustration.

I don’t have a listing of the Postmasters of Cherry Creek so I don’t know what the final result of the matter was. Jerry Bowen


Front of a Post Office Money Order that was issued by the Cherry Creek Post Office located in the Leach Brothers store. It was written to Mrs. Pierce for an order placed to Sears in Los Angeles, California. Courtesy of Jerry Bowen		Back of a Post Office Money Order that was issued by the Cherry Creek Post Office located in the Leach Brothers store. It was written to Mrs. Pierce for an order placed to Sears in Los Angeles, California. Courtesy of Jerry Bowen