Semmes Post Offices

The Beginning of Mail Delivery

Congress was given the power to establish post offices and post roads.  Prior to the establishment of post offices in rural areas a line of posts were set up along a designated Road. AL Hwy 42, known today as U.S. Hwy 98, was a designated post road and dependable deputies were appointed to carry the mail.  The McCrary family received mail at the 15 mile post. 
 
The first post office in Semmes was established in 1894 with the appointment of Drury O. McCrary as postmaster.  For many years the post office was a two room wooden building near the train station.

Mrs. P.G.Christopher Train Agent and  Fellie Christopher Metcalf with the mail bag at  Semmes Train Station. The mail bag was placed on a hook, and when the train did not need to stop, the mail bag was  grabbed from the hook by the moving train.
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 With addition of the stucco building to the school in 1917, the old post office building became a part of the school being moved in 1919 to sit  by the stucco building.
 
Next the post office was in a corner of the grocery store near the railroad station.  The postmaster was Clausell Blackwell.
 
 Around 1935, Mrs. Marti Roberts was appointed postmaster and the Post Office was moved to the corner of Wulff and Moffett Roads in a building that also served as a gasoline service station.
 
In the fall of 1945, rural mail delivery service was started in Semmes, Prior to this; mail delivery east of Semmes was through the Crichton Post Office and the northwest of Semmes from the Wilmer Post Office.
 
William (Bill) R. Dodd, who had just returned from W.W. II military duty in France, Germany and Austria, was appointed by Congressman Frank Boykin to be the first mail carrier.
 
The route required a half of day to deliver mail to approximately 200 boxes.  From the Semmes Post office at the Corner of Moffett and Wulff Roads, the route went south and west the length of Wulff Road to its intersection with Howell’s Ferry Road, then reversed on Wulff Road to Snow Road south on Snow road to Howell’s Ferry, east on Howell’s Ferry to Schillinger Road to Moffett Road and east on Moffett to the Post Office.
 
 In early 1946, Bill Dodd returned to active military Duty.  He was replaced by Edward Welch who held that position until 1972.
 
In 1975, the Post Office was moved east to a new brick building on Moffett Road which was quickly out grown. And In 1988, the Post Office was moved to a much larger building on the southwest corner of Moffett Road and Illinois street. 
Semmes Population continues to grow.  According to Post Office officials in 2019 there are 11 routes and in addition to the post office boxes, serving approximately 13,000 - 15,000 patrons.

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   1935 Semmes Service Station & Post Office.