Vesper had three post offices. The last post office was a small 1 room building and it closed decades ago. It is one of the last remaining public/business buildings of what was once a small but very active city that had a general store, hotel, bank, service stations and its own school district. Since so many of Vespers’ noteworthy buildings have been lost to flood, fire or abandonment, a decision was made to save Vesper’s last post office. The building was donated by the Block family and removal/moving costs were donated by Danny Huehl and Kansas Midwest Homes & Movers.
The last post office was originally an old out building on the Block family farm. To make it function better as a post office, they cut a door on the side for workers and refurbished the inside with a new roof.
Restoration will include removal of the old tile siding and replacement with the same/similar style tiles, and replacement/restoration of the trim and replacement/restoration of the front window/door. The roof will need substantial repairs and the interior ceiling/floor/walls which have mostly survived, will be re-painted and sealed.
The post office is one of the buildings featured by the publisher of the books “A Town’s Evening Song” and a “Photographic History of Vesper, Kansas – Then & Now.”
The publisher of the books, Harold (Hal) Smith (Vesper ’55) has given the community center permission to feature selections from his history books as part of a historical display which will be placed on the inside walls of the post office after it is restored to be used as a public attraction. It will be open to the public to feature the history of Vesper 1870-1970.
The publisher’s family has strong connections to the post office. The last acting postmistress was the publisher’s Aunt Ferne (Kay Bolte-Dohe-Jackson’s mother). Prior to her, Kyle Block ran the rural route, and prior to Kyle, the publisher’s mother, Ester Cromwell-Smith was the acting postmistress and his grand father Robert Cromwell was the postmaster before her.
Pictures will be added below showing the before and after progress of the post office as it is restored. If you would like to help volunteer to help repair and restore the post office or would like to make a donation, or have historical pictures you would like included in the display contact us at 785 524 2466 or info@vespercc.org. Donations can be mailed or made online using the donate link on this website.
