Foote Post Office History

• Established at Hinkletown March 10, 1862 - First Postmaster was John Fordice

• Lodge Records and other references to meetings at Foote Post Office in Hinkletown. (* See reference below.)

• Post Office located in C. F. Lytle's General Store, South Side of the main street through Hinkletown (See 1874 Business District)

• C. F. Lytle physically moved his general store to Greene Valley around 1876. It is known the Foote Post Office operated out of a corner of the store while in Greene Valley. (See 1886 Map)

• E.M. Ritchey was Postmaster from 1869 through 1872.

• Foote Post Office Closed on July 31, 1903, and mail began its delivery on Rural Route No. 1 from North English, Iowa. Foote P.O. does not show up on county atlas maps after 1900.

* Note: From 1880 History of Keokuk County: the biography of E. M. Ritchey states: "In 1868 he went to Iowa County at a place called Foote P.O. and there engaged in the mercantile business under the firm name of Henkle, Littler & Company, he was also the postmaster at that point from 1869 until his coming to Keota in 1872."

One focus of the Hinkletown Community History Project is to gather more information and hopefully a photograph of the Post Office and Stores at Hinkletown in the early years. If you have photogrphs or information to share, please contact by Email dbjiowa@netins.net . If you have problems with this web site, viewing pages, photographs or links, please contact the same address.