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Directory of Ogden City and Weber County.
THE POSTOFFICE.
There is no one institution in any of the cities or settlements in this country of more vital importance, or which shows more fully their gradual or rapid development or growth than the postoffice. Mail facilities are of primary requirement in the settlement of new sections.
Ogden, among many other towns, suffered many inconveniences in mail matters in its early days. The rates of postage were much higher both domestic and foreign that they are, to-day. Whereas the postage on a letter the usual weight—not to exceed half an ounce—is now only five cents, in those times it was twenty-four cents to Great Britain; besides the vast difference in the time required in transit between then and the present. We can now receive a letter from Liverpool in 18 days after it is mailed, where formerly it required more than that number of weeks to reach us. The first postoffice was established in 1852. Mr Isaac Clark was appointed postmaster. The mails reached but once a month, and were meagre in quantity. In 1854 Mr. Clark died, and was succeeded in the office by the late James G. Browning. He continued in the incumbency until 1856. During his administration the population increased, as also did mail matter and mail facilities. In that year he went out of office and General Chauncy W. West was appointed his successor. Mr. C. B. McGregor, Cols. Walter Thompson and Daniel Gamble were successively assistant postmasters to Mr. West, during whose incumbency the mails greatly multiplied, and the means of conveyances were much facilitated. General West continued in the office