Choteau, Montana - 59422
Posted by: Groundspeak Premium Member T0SHEA
N 47° 48.702 W 112° 11.117
12T E 411262 N 5296052
A block west of Main Avenue, one will find the Choteau post office on 1st Avenue, opposite the Legion.
Waymark Code: WM106WF
Location: Montana, United States
Date Posted: 03/09/2019
Published By:Groundspeak Premium Member wayfrog
Views: 1

We don't know if the eighth time will prove to be a charm, but in December of 1965 the Choteau post office experienced a change in scenery for the eighth time, officially opening on December 30, 1965. Probably only the first or second time the post office has been housed in other than a wood framed building, its present home, 55 years old as of 2019, was built of concrete blocks and brick.

Oddly, in our opinion, the post office was privately owned when built, not publicly owned, initially owned by an Al Jaumotte. We can't say whether it remains in private hands.

Below is the newspaper ad placed on page 4 of the February 03, 1966 issue of the Choteau Acantha, reminding citizens not to go to the old post office henceforth to get their mail. Below that is a front page newspaper article reporting the post office's move and, more importantly to us, supplying a fairly comprehensive history of the post office in Choteau. Ad goes Here
Move Into New Building Eighth
Since Post Office at Old Agency
February 03, 1966 | Choteau Acantha
The Choteau post office’s move into the new building just before the New Year was the eighth time the post office headquarters have changed locations in Choteau. The original post office for residents of this area was at Old Agency between Bynum and Choteau, and didn’t move into town until Hamilton and Hazlett in 1879 moved their store from Old Agency to the present site of Wedums in Choteau. Postmaster at that time was William Lyons. Choteau did not officially become a post office until 1884, when the town—spelled Chouteau then—became a part of the address on mail coming into this area. The post office was later moved north of the present location of George Jackson’s Barber Shop, and Julian Burd was named postmaster. In the early 1900s, Clarence Drake became postmaster and the post office was moved to the location of Choteau Food. The post office remained in Drake’s Drug store after it was sold to William Cowgill. In 1914, William Croft was named postmaster and the P. O. headquarters were moved to the site of Choteau Cleaners, and later going to the location of the Masonic Temple. The post office moved to the William Hodgskiss building in 1920, the location it was to remain in for the next 46 years. Eddy Core was the postmaster from 1920-36, when C. G. (Gib) Monkman took the position. The new post office building, owned by A1 Jaumotte is a 70x45- foot building constructed of block and brick. The new post office, in addition to about 100 more postal boxes, included a postmaster’s office in the front of the building, storage and mechanical equipment rooms in the rear, a janitor’s supply closet and rest rooms. A cement maneuvering area about equal in size to the building, not originally included in post office plans, was added by Jaumotte. The post office was started in January, 1964, and completed almost a year later. Zion construction was the general contractor on the building, and Knudtzon Lumber, the general supplier.
From the Choteau Acantha
Type of structure:: Stand alone

re-enter Zip Code here:: 59422

Current Status:: Still in Use

Visit Instructions:
To post a log to an existing U.S. Post Office waymark, you will need to post a picture of the front of the building, with the name of the post office in the background if that is possible.

A description of your Post Office is required, such as when it was built, history, outstanding or unique features, population of the city or town, just do a quick internet search and find an interesting bit of information about the city or town and add it to the long description, to make it more interesting. Even just adding in the population of the area can give others an idea of how many people this post office serves. This description should be at least three sentences.

If your Post Office has any unusual or unique features that you feel others would enjoy viewing, additional pictures are always welcome.
Including your gps device in the picture is not necessary, but wouldn't be cause for disapproval, as long as all other details of your log are acceptable.
Search for...
Geocaching.com Google Map
Google Maps
MapQuest
Bing Maps
Nearest Waymarks
Nearest U.S. Post Offices
Nearest Geocaches
Create a scavenger hunt using this waymark as the center point
Recent Visits/Logs:
Date Logged Log User Rating  
ZenPanda visited Choteau, Montana - 59422 08/30/2024 ZenPanda visited it