Local Author to present history of Lower Columbia River post offices

The Local History series at Little Island Creamery will resume this month with a look at the early post offices of the Lower Columbia River. The event, featuring local author and postal historian Ted Gruber, is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 18 from 2 to 4 p.m. Gruber will present the early history of post offices in both Wahkiakum and Cowlitz counties. He'll be sharing stories and images about the post offices that operated along the river, including two that served residents of Puget Island.

The talk is based on Gruber's extensive six-year research project, which culminated in his 2024 book, "Postal History of Cowlitz County, Washington." Gruber said, "I think of postal history as local history told from the perspective of the post office." Gruber's research seeks to answer questions like: Why were post offices established? What caused some to be discontinued? What stories do postmarks reveal?

The project began by documenting all known postmarks from the 45 post offices that have operated in Cowlitz County. "You could not purchase or even find an envelope or postcard bearing a postmark from every post office that has ever operated in Washington," said Gruber, noting the scarcity of the artifacts. To broaden the book's appeal, Gruber expanded the content to include historical information about the post offices and their postmasters, making it relevant to anyone interested in the history of southwestern Washington.

Copies of "Postal History of Cowlitz County, Washington" will be available for purchase at the event. New findings are reported on the book's official website, cowlitzbook.com.

Little Island Creamery is located at 448 E Little Island Rd. on Puget Island. Tickets are $10 and are available for purchase at the door or on the Little Island Creamery website. For more information, contact Little Island Creamery at 360-849-9456.