EARLY DAYS OF RURAL MAIL DELIVERY
Shannon Post Office   Shannon, Texas

                            by Tresda Neff   August 8, 1996

Otis Teague, Jess Roper and Otis Coody (postmaster) standing in
 front of the old Shannon Texas Post Office

Carriers at that time were required to carry a first aid kit. One mandatory item in this kit was a tourniquet. He used a cigar box in which to carry stamps and supplies. Most of the time the tourniquet was used to keep the cigar box secure.

He was required to furnish his own transportation. He had several horses and a buggy. The buggy was equipped with a canvas top and there were curtains that could be pulled around to protect the driver from bad weather. The horse however, had no protection from inclement weather, which often took its toll on his loyal companion. One hot August day after completing his route, the exhausted animal collapsed and died about two hundred yards from the Post Office.

His route began in Shannon onward to the Antelope Post Office where he left a locked pouch. From Antelope, the route went to Lodge Creek Community, then Cobbs community, to Myrtle then back to Shannon. Myrtle was a stop for the Butterfield Stage Coach

Line back in the 1800’s. The total distance of his mail route was 26 and two-tenths miles.

Route Two was carried by Otis Teague and was also twenty-six miles in length. His route began in Shannon, south to Silver Hill, on to Prospect, Joy, and back to Shannon.

Otis Coody was Postmaster of Shannon at this time.

The first automobile he bought to replace the horse and buggy was around 1920. He bought a Mitchell car. It was a 1918 model. This car was made of aluminum; both the front and back of this automobile were similar in design. One lady on his route said, "Mr. Roper has a new car, it has a motor in front to pull, and a motor in back to push!" In reality he probably wished this were true, for this automobile did not prove to be very reliable transportation. He later purchased a 1923 Model T. Ford. It was equipped with canvas curtains to help protect the driver from the weather. Automobiles in those days often gave much trouble thus it was necessary to repair them quite often to keep them operational. Roads consisted of little more than cow trails and were often impassable due to adverse weather conditions. He used a saddle horse to reach areas that he could not access by automobile. Once he drove through a large mud hole and his Model T. died. He pulled off his shoes and socks, waded through the mud and hand cranked the Model T until it restarted. (I'm feel certain he did this on more than one occasion.)

He replaced the 1923 Model T with a 1928 Model A Ford. This purchase did not prove to be a wise decision, for it would overheat about every five miles and was not reliable transportation.

He had the opportunity to take a route in Bellevue in 1938 or 1939, but declined and decided to stay in Shannon due to the fact that he didn't have but a few years before he wanted to retire. Otis Teague took the Bellevue route. After Mr. Teague left, both of the routes were consolidated, which made the route fifty-two miles in length.

Granddad started his day at the Post Office around 8:00 or 8:30 and was prepared to leave by 9:30. Usually he would be finished with his duties by 4:30 or 5:00. One night he had not returned by 8:30. Uncle Tyra, my father (Bill), and Uncle Johnny loaded up in Uncle Tyra's 1937 Ford and began the search for their father. They began at the end of the route and proceeded from there. After some time he was located with his vehicle stuck in a ditch. He had made a fire in a coffee can in order to keep himself warm. They were unable to free his 36 model Chevy, so they drove him around the last part of the route so he could finish delivering the mail. The next day they returned with a team of mules and successfully retrieved the automobile from the ditch.

In 1939 Granddad suffered a heart attack. Afterward, my father would sometimes drive for him, while granddad delivered the mail. One particular time when dad was driving, there had been an abundance of rain. They reached Turkey Creek and had to go across. They hung cotton sack ducking under the hood and wrapped the engine and radiator and began to cross the high water. Water flowed inside the car, but they were successful in reaching the other side. The engine wasn't running too smoothly so dad got out to check the oil. When he pulled the dipstick, water shot out. He pulled the oil plug and drained as much of the water as he could and they continued on their way. When they reached Prospect, they purchased new oil and replaced the oil in the engine. This vehicle continued to serve Granddad well for several years afterward.

On August 10, 1944 Granddad carried the mail for the final time. After returning home, he suffered a fatal heart attack while building a water trough. In just two months he would have completed 40 years of service. By this time, my dad was already in the army and was fortunate that he was still stateside. He made the arduous journey home from Laurinburg Maxcon Airbase in North Carolina. He was able to obtain a ride from a sergeant to Memphis Tennessee. There he caught a train to Fort Worth, Texas. He was told that he would have to wait four hours for a bus to Henrietta so he started walking. A bus came by and he flagged down the bus and rode into Henrietta for his father's funeral.

It had taken him thirty-six hours to get home. All six of Grandfather’s sons served as pallbearers.

Jess Roper was about 5’9" tall and weighed about 185 lbs. He had black hair, dark eyes,

And was dark complexioned. He was a small boned man, but had a stocky frame.

He was well respected and fairly well known among the surrounding counties. One of his most outstanding philosophies of life was a strict belief in honesty.

In the days of modern technology, it is difficult for us to imagine what life what really like in those days. There was no running water, no natural gas, no telephone or electricity. Kerosene lamps provided light, wood stoves for heat and cooking. Paved and gravel roads were unheard of. Neighbors passed on information to each other. Rural carriers of that era provided a necessary and vital function of connecting those rural residents with the rest of the world. These dedicated and spirited individuals who performed their duties under adverse conditions, deserve to be remembered for their contributions to our country and the customers they served.

It is my hope that by writing this story, I will have helped to bring a small part of history alive as well as the memory of Jess Roper, Otis Teague, Otis Coody and the many others who served the United States Postal Service in years past.

I must give credit to my father, Bill Roper for the information given in this story.