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This small shack in Mineral, Washington is known as the smallest post office in the United States. It is however not functional anymore & one can take a peek inside. Remnants of century-old newspaper clippings are still glued to the walls. A number of other locations, one at Grimshawes, North Carolina, another at Wheeler Springs, California, & the other in Ochopee, Florida also supposedly claim title to having the smallest post office in the country. The smallest in Oregon is the Bridal Veil Post Office. Here in Mineral the following plaque reads:
The smallest post office in the United States
During the final quarter of the nineteenth century a number of settlers established themselves in the vicinity of Mineral. There roads and only questionable trails supplies and mail were packed in mainly from Tacoma or Spanaway. But as the Tacoma Eastern Railroad was extended from various way points. Among the early settlers was the family of August Ahlstrand which occupied the land where this little building now stands. The settlers coming back in usually brought the mail of the entire area and since the Ahlstrands home was quite central, left it there. Mr. Ahlstrand conceived the idea of building and maintaining this structure as a post office. He and Mrs. Ahlstrand made certain that every family or single settler was provided with a post office box. The use of the building was continued until the establishment of a post office in the town of Mineral and there are persons still residing in this area who will remember the days when the little post office so well served its purpose. The Mineral Lake Lions Club has restored the building with the permission of Mr. and Mrs. H.T. Berglund of Tacoma, the present owners. Mrs. Berglund, a niece of Mrs. Ahlstrand and lived here with the Ahlstrands for many years.
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The United States is one of the most diverse countries on earth, jam packed full of amazing sights from St. Patrick's cathedral in New York to Mount Hollywood California.The Northeast region is where it all started. Thirteen British colonies fought the American Revolution from here and won their independence in the first successful colonial rebellion in history. Take a look at these rolling hills carpeted with foliage along the Hudson river here, north of New York City.The American south is known for its polite people and slow pace of life. Probably they move slowly because it's so hot. Southerners tend not to trust people from "up north" because they talk too fast. Here's a cemetery in Georgia where you can find graves of soldiers from the Civil War.The West Coast is sort of like another country that exists to make the east coast jealous. California is full of nothing but grizzly old miners digging for gold, a few gangster rappers, and then actors. That is to say, the West Coast functions as the imagination of the US, like a weird little brother who teases everybody then gets famous for making freaky art.The central part of the country is flat farmland all the way over to the Rocky Mountains. Up in the northwest corner you can find creative people in places like Portland and Seattle, along with awesome snowboarding and good beer. Text by Steve Smith.
