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A Look Inside
the Armstrong, Texas Post Office
Armstrong, Texas
by Phil Lately, TE Postal Correspondent |
Armstrong’s Postal
Strongbox
TE Photo, October 2003 |
Although there
isn’t too much to write home about between Sarita
and Raymondville,
it’s nice to know that if you were traveling that lonesome road and
did get an urge to send a postcard back home – the little blue mailbox
at Armstrong is there for your convenience.
If you need a stamp, however, the tiny facility (about 60 square feet)
has pretty short hours. It usually opens at 9:30 and stays open for
the next 60 minutes. The current Officer-in-Charge (Armstrong doesn’t
rate a fully titled postmaster) is Ms. Longoria who commutes the 20-some
miles daily from her home in Sarita.
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The entire Armstrong
Post Office
TE Photo, 2003 |
In
winter it’s easy to imagine being inside a windowless weather station,
but the cozy interior of the building has a more familiar appearance.
There’s a small wall of brass-doored boxes, a folded flag and a barred
clerk’s window. There’s even the requisite looped-ring clipboard of
most-wanted criminals - just in case they might be attempting to blend
in with the crowds of passers-by and pedestrians of Armstrong.
As of this writing (October 2003) there were 12 box holders at Armstrong
– most, if not all, employees of the Armstrong Ranch. There are also
vacant boxes – about 20 of them and the rent is certainly reasonable
enough. It’s free.
All of the questions we could think of – both of them - were efficiently
answered by OIC Longoria, and she good-naturedly allowed that her
job was going to last “until they can find someone else.” |
A patron’s eye-view
of the Armstrong Post Office
TE Photo, 2003 |
We’re
happy to be able to share these interior photos of the Armstrong post
office. We hope they’ll finally answer the frequently-asked-question
of generations of Highway 77 travelers:
“Is that a real post office?”
© John
Troesser
October
2003 |
| Texas
Escapes, in its purpose to preserve historic, endangered and vanishing
Texas, asks that anyone wishing to share their local history, stories,
landmarks and recent or vintage photos, please contact
us. |
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