After 70 Years---Boulden's Retire

It was a sad day when Kenneth Boulden madethe decision to resign as Acting Postmaster of the Mosby, Mt.Contract Postal Unit.Kenny’s poor health made the family's move to Lewistown, Mt. inevitable. Kenny washospitalized with cancer and needed to be by his Dr. (Continued Below)

The Mosby Post Office was established in1904 (90 years ago) in a log cabin along the Musselshell river. Mrs. Bill Mosby was thefirst Postmaster. In 1923 Frances Boulden  (Father) became Postmaster and the officewas moved into a frame structure along highway 200, not far from the original site.Groceries and gas were incorporated with the mail for customers in the area. Mail wasreceived three days a week from Melstone, Mt. and approximately 80 people were served outof the Mosby office. Another office (Mecaha) that was down river, served about 30-40.Mosby sorted their mail and sent it down by carrier.

Pearl Boulden (Mother) became Postmaster in1929. Stamps were 2¢ and people were ordering "Mail Order Brides" from thecatalogs. Those were the good old days! I asked Alan what hours his Mother was open atthat time. He stated "Well, I guess as long as the light was on in the house (whichset right next door to the PO) I'd guess we were open. and that included Sundaystoo."

In the 40's daughter Faye married and movedaway, but then came the War. Both brothers and Faye's husband were called to duty. Fayemoved back home to help her Mother. After the War and the boys were back home, Alan becamePostmaster in 1952. Mother Pearl died in the early 50's, Faye had went with her husband,so the boys were left to run the place. In the 60's Faye's husband died so she moved backhome to 'take care of her brothers.'

The population began to dwindle. TheMusselshell River flooded and the people that didn't get swept down river packed up andmoved on. The Mecaha Post Office closed. In 1976; the Mosby office was changed into aContract Postal Unit. Alan released his Postmaster position and Kenny became the ActingPostmaster for the USPS. Even though the office hours were decreased, service by thisfamily was available as long as the lights were on! Folks coming up from the river neverworried about the Post Office hours if sometimes road conditions were difficult because ofrain or snow. They knew that one of the boys or Faye would be there, and most likelygreeted them with a hot cup of coffee and a piece of pie. In fact, there were only twotimes that not one of the family was around. Once was when their Mother died, and theywent to the funeral, and the other was when Kenny turned ill and had to be taken to thehospital. Both times arrangements had to be made to have a baby-sitter for the place, asthere were no locks on the doors!

Kenny resigned in September of 1993. Iordered a special plaque that was to be presented to he and his family upon itscompletion. I was devastated to hear that his cancer took him away before the plaque wasfinished. I made arrangements to present the plaque to his brother and sister with helpfrom Larry and Carol Petersen who have been the HCR drivers from the Mosby office for 26years, and are still going strong with zero accidents! In fact, Larry was born in the logcabin that was the original office.

An afternoon of reminiscing and picturetaking was enjoyed by all. Both admitted that they missed Mosby, not so much their house,but the people. Alan said he was going from Cat fishing on the Musselshell to trout fishingon Spring Creek. He decided on his 83rd birthday that he was finally old enough to joinSenior Citizens, so he did! Faye now has carpet on her floors and a real bathtub. TheMosby CPU has again moved farther down the road to Jolene Shaw’s residence who is thenew contractor. The Mosby Office and the Boulden’s house is now abandoned. The uniquepeople that made it the hub of the community are gone, but as the plaque simply states,“Their Legacy will live on!”

Written for the Treasure State Postmaster1994 (A Postmaster newsletter) Copyright by Luann Knutson
By Luann Knutson Administrative Office Of the Mosby CPU [Postmaster] Winnett, Montana.

Luann Knutson, Postmaster Winnett, Montana