Remember This? You've got mail

From the Sault Ste. Marie Public Library archive:

Sault Ste. Marie’s first postmaster, Joseph Wilson was appointed and arrived in the community in1854, eight years after Canada’s Post Office Department was created. 

After two years, Wemyss Simpson took over the position and moved the location of the post office to the Hudson’s Bay Company Post. 

In 1858 David Pim became the new postmaster. 

Immediately upon taking this position it became clear that the post office required larger quarters to accommodate the growing number of mail bags so Pim decided to move the post office operations to his own residence, the Ermatinger Old Stone House.

After outgrowing this space, David and Margaret Pim moved the post office once again to an old schoolhouse located on Pim Street.  

Mail arrived in the community by boat until the river froze up each year, by dogsled during the winter months and mail carriers travelled by foot during the in-between seasons. 

Since the arrival of mail was uncertain, Pim would raise a flag to inform the townspeople that mail had arrived. 

David Pim held the position of postmaster from 1858 until his death on March 8th, 1870 and his wife Margaret continued as postmistress until May 6th, 1903 when Dr. W. A. Adams replaced her.   

At the turn of the twentieth century, the growing community needed a larger building. 

A new federal building was planned that would include space for the post office, located at the corner of Queen and East Streets. 

It was designed in 1902 and completed in 1906 at a cost of $85,000 and became known as the Dominion Building.  

This building is easily recognizable for its beautiful stonework and it is interesting to note that the stone for the first floor of the Post Office was purchased from John Coulter’s farm on Base Line at a cost of $75 and a bottle of whiskey! 

The four spaces in the clock tower were not filled with glass until 1912 when the clock was finally installed. 

This building was home to the Post Office from 1906 until 1949 and then later was used for federal offices until the mid-1970’s. 

It remained vacant until 1983 when it finally became a permanent home to the Sault Ste. Marie Museum.

The Post Office played a central role in the development of this growing community providing a vital link between this small northern community and the outside world. 

Find out more of what the Public Library has to offer at www.ssmpl.ca and look for more Remember This? columns here.