Taos County Post Office History
This Project made possible by James W. White
Transcriber and Editor: C. W. Barnum 
Arranged by date of establishment
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Taos February 4, 1852 La Belle January 13, 1895 Servilleta April 21, 1913
Ojo Caliente Mar 21, 1871 Valdez May 21, 1895 Tres Ritos October 30, 1915
Rio Colorado Aug 7, 1871 Midnight June 21, 1895 Rodarte July 21, 1916
Costilla October 21, 1872 Red River Sept 25, 1895 Pilar January 23, 1918
Penasco Sept 10, 1874 Llano July 15, 1898 El Valle March 23, 1918
Ranchos de Taos Feb 3, 1875 Trampas August 2 1898 Amalia August 1, 1919
Cerro February 11, 1880 Cieneguilla June 6, 1903 Stong October 24, 1919
Tres Piedras May 27, 1880 Talpa January 4, 1904 Gusdorf August 19, 1921
Arroyo Seco April 27, 1881 Chamisal April 30, 1904 Rio Lucio October 22, 1921
Barranca June 20, 1881 Lobo April 29, 1905 Skarda March 12, 1922
McGregor May 1, 1882 Hodges February 11, 1909 Volcano February 15, 1923
Questa March 12, 1883 Sunshine Valley Sep 29 1909 Vadito February 21, 1927
Arroyo Hondo Dec. 8, 1885 Rio Pueblo Aug 26, 1910 San Cristobal Mar 9, 1932
Twining June 6, 1893 Carson June 27, 1912 El Prado June 8, 1936

Mail Transportation In Taos County 

The Taos Pueblo was a major trade center many years before the Spanish came into the area. Trade routes were established from the pueblos to the south and the Plains Indians to the north and east. Important messages were carried by runners between the pueblos.
Supply routes, using pack animals and crude carts called "carretas," were established from Santa Fe into the Taos County area when it was first settled in the early 1600s. These routes carried official as well as personal correspondence to the settlements.
Although the Spanish never established an official post office in the county, it was the responsibility of the Alcalde to collect and account for postage and arrange for mail carriers. Taos was one of the counties created in 1844 by the Republic of Mexico.
Fernandez de Taos was the first post office established in the county on February 4, 1852. The mail was received from Star Route #14459 out of the Santa Fe Post Office.
In 1865, another mail route was established between Fernandez de Taos and Fort Union. This route connected Taos with the Santa Fe Trail and eliminated the delay of supplies and mail going through Santa Fe.
A Star Route was established into Taos County from Santa Fe in 1871 to provide mail to the new Ojo Caliente Post Office. A route was also established out of Taos to deliver mail to the Costilla and Rio Colorado Post Offices to the north.
When the railroad was completed to Fort Garland, Colorado, around 1880 a route was established to carry mail to Costilla from the north and the Taos route was abolished. The Denver and Rio Grande Railroad was completed into Espanola in December of 1880. The Railway Post Office (RPO) would serve the post office at Tres Piedras and later the offices at Barranca, Servilleta, Stong, Skarda and Volcano for over fifty years.
With the completion of the railroad, came the discontinuance of the route between Santa Fe and Taos. The mail was then routed to the Embudo Post Office and carried to Taos on a stagecoach route. The terminus of the route at the railroad was changed to Barranca around 1905.
In December of 1885 another route was established out of Embudo to provide mail service to Penasco when it was reestablished. In 1898, the route picked up the new post offices at Llano and Trampas in the southern part of the county.
By 1904 the mail for southern Taos County was routed to Embudo on the D&RG RR, delivered to Penasco on a Star Route and then dispatched on routes out of Penasco to the other post offices.
By 1917 a railroad spur was completed from Fort Garland to Jaroso, Colorado, just six miles from Costilla. A Star Route was established from Jaroso to Questa and additional routes from Questa to Arroyo Seco and Red River.
With the exception of minor changes in some of the routes caused by post offices opening or closing, the mail transportation remained the same until the RPO service was discontinued in the early 1940s. A route was established between Antonito, Colorado, and Abiquiu to provide mail to the offices in west Taos County. The mail for Taos and Ranchos de Taos was brought by truck from Santa Fe and the mail for the southern part of the county was routed through Espanola.
The railroad service to Jaroso had been discontinued by 1950 and the mail for the northern part of Taos County was routed through Santa Fe to Taos. The Star Routes serving all of the offices remained the same.
The routes have changed only slightly over the years. Santa Fe became the Sectional Center Facility (SCF) when ZIP Codes were introduced in 1963 and began processing all of the mail for the 875 ZIP Code post offices.
Starting in 1975 with the establishment of the Albuquerque Post Office as the Management Sectional Center (MSC), the mail processing for the 875 offices was moved to Albuquerque and some of the routes were changed to originate in Albuquerque. ---James W. White

Postmasters

PINA - AMALIA

Florentino Gallegos February 15, 1900 Ishmael Gallegos January 28, 1924
Donaciano Quintana January 20, 1902 Eliasa S. Gallegos December 31, 1926

Discontinued December 15, 1902

Domiana S. Jaramillo March 1, 1930
Florentino Gallegos February 12, 1903

Discontinued - December 31, 1932

Frank A. Y. Santistevan February 18, 1910 Alice Quintana Alire September 29, 1939
William A. Hall April 10, 1912 Edna M. Duran June 23, 1972
Manuel A. Miera November 29, 1912 Henrietta Arellano September 28, 1976
Elaisa S. Gallegos May 2, 1917 Veronica S. Lovato December 31, 1986
Jose Agapito Gonzales December 13, 1918 Martha Martinez (OIC) March 22, 1993

Name Changed to Amalia - August 1, 1919

Martha L. Lucero (OIC) July 20, 1993
Elaisa S. Gallegos April 26, 1920 Mary R. Martinez April 30, 1994

ARROYO HONDO

Julian A. Martinez December 8, 1885 Stella Vigil April 30, 1955
Onesimo G. Martinez January 8, 1909 Robert E. Marquez (act) March 30, 1962
Thomas J. Martinez April 13, 1914 Genara C. Sanchez April 12, 1963
Onesimo G. Martinez November 10, 1925 Marcia L. Martinez (OIC) October 2, 1992
Bernabe Garcia March 16, 1937 Bernice Cardenas (OIC) August 4, 1993
Ricardo Garcia January 25, 1940 Cynthia S. Perry January 8, 1994

trES RITOS

George P. Allen October 30, 1915 Jose D. Fernandez May 3, 1926
Paul Sherman April 8, 1918 Jose E. Borrego (act) March 16, 1927
Wayte C. Lytle March 18, 1920 Discontinued - November 15, 1927
Henry T. Collins April 12, 1922 Otto H. Griener September 3, 1937
William W. Bender November 6, 1924
 

AMIZETTE / TWINING
Amizette Margaret A. Helphenstine June 6, 1893  

TWINING
William Fraser January 18, 1902 
Grover O. Snow July 3, 1903 
Burt M. Peck September 5, 1903 
August Bernd April 25, 1904                                             

VADITO
LA BELLE
LLANO

Acorcino Martinez July 15, 1898   Martin Lujan November 29, 1925  
Cornelio Martinez November 14, 1901 Estefanita V.Trujillo (act) May 21, 1937  
Martin Lujan February 21, 1908   Gilberto E. Gonzales November 5, 1937  
Francisco Medina October 14, 1910  Mary T. Mascarenas (act) October 15, 1965
Discontinued - June 15, 1914 

AGUA DE LOBO / LOBO

George Alvey February 18, 1888  James R. Chambers May 17, 1892  
Kate T. Lovett July 26, 1888   Willis L. Vandiver April 18, 1898  
Lucina Cutter January 18, 1890   Ada C. Cutter June 25, 1903  

ARROYO SECO

Adolph Gusdorf April 27, 1881 Walfredo M. Pacheco (act) April 9, 1935
Abe Smith February 27, 1882 Juanita G. Mares August 27, 1935
Luis Gallegos December 11, 1883 Paublita G. Pacheco September 25, 1940
Amador Trujillo April 23, 1887 Juanita P. Gonzales (act) November 27, 1943
Teresina G. de Gallegos September 10, 1887 Celestino Sandoval January 29, 1946
Pedro N. Medina January 10, 1889 Levinio F. Martinez October 31, 1947
Jose L. Gonzales February 12, 1894 Jose Abel Garcia August 30, 1961
Discontinued - January 22, 1895 Lina Y. Voigt (OIC) April 28, 1988
Jose M. Medina March 13, 1895  Crucita F. Cisneros August 13, 1988
Esquipula Martinez July 12, 1901  Cynthia S. Perry (OIC) April 3, 1992 
Jose M. Medina February 5, 1907 Ursula C. Ciddio (OIC) April 24, 1992
Juanita G. Mares May 12, 1914  Virginia (Archuleta) Miller June 27, 1992
Rosendo Fernandez July 11, 1922 M. Crestina Armstrong (OIC) March 5, 1998
Aurelia M. Fernandez February 4, 1927 Mary A. Martinez December 7, 1998

BARRANCA

Roderick H. Weiny June 20, 1881 Alfred Lewis December 11, 1883
Robert H. Nevitt August 2, 1881 James E. DeRosear October 20, 1884
Samuel S. McBride August 4, 1882 James C. Strawn April 22, 1887
Joseph S. Brooks March 20, 1883 Howard Mitchell May 14, 1887

CARSON

William K. Shupe June 27, 1912 Frona B. Graves July 9, 1953
Marie Mealor January 26, 1939 Kathleen F. Martin (OIC) February 9, 1979
Vera F. Rogers May 7, 1941 Harold E. Lillard, Jr. April 20, 1979
Mary L. Stover April 28, 1947 Irene P. Kirk October 16, 1981
Dalford M. Stover June 18, 1951 Gertrude Drake July 5, 1997

CERRO

John H. Young February 11, 1880 Felix Grant August 22, 1912
Henry J. Young January 28, 1884 Elois O. Cortez September 22, 1920
John H. Young May 21, 1889 A. L. Archuleta (acting) December 31, 1962
Manuel T. Quintana September 11, 1889 Cora V. Archuleta October 23, 1963
Pedro A. Gomez January 13, 1892 Virginia G. Archuleta January 3, 1987
Henry J. Young March 18, 1893 Cynthia Perry (OIC) October 3, 1992
Epimenio D. Leon November 10, 1897 Veronica Lovato March 20, 1993

CHAMISAL

Santiago Abreu April 30, 1904 Rose L. Lopez (act) July 9, 1952

Discontinued - February 28, 1905

Obed Leo Rodriquez October 23, 1953
Benito Lovato June 7, 1907 Martha R. Lucero August 3, 1956
Abel Sandoval May 5, 1910 Olivama Atencio June 2, 1959

Discontinued - February 15, 1913

Dolores T. Atencio (OIC) December 30, 1988
Matilde R. Lovato July 18, 1913 Noami A. Velarde March 25, 1989
Dora T. Lopez October 14, 1944

COSTILLA

Ferdinand Meyer October 21, 1872 Lucia Trujillo March 13, 1916
Juan A. Bernal April 11, 1893 Alfonso Santistevan June 30, 1950
William F. Meyer July 16, 1897 Mary L. Manzanares October 12, 1955
Pedro A. Bernal March 5, 1908 Henrietta Arellano January 2, 1987
Lino Trujillo September 9, 1911

PENASCO

M. Aaron Gold September 10, 1874 Isidora Cordova December 23, 1905
Jose B. Sanchez February 3, 1875 Rosendo E. Sanchez March 21, 1908
Henry P. W. Hirsch November 16, 1877 Enrique Mascarenas February 1, 1911
Juan P. Romero October 14, 1878 Jose D. Medina January 4, 1926
Discontinued - May 27, 1879 Raymond U. Fickel acting June 18, 1927
R. Sanchez May 1, 1882 Jose D. Roybal November 12, 1927
Discontinued - February 19, 1883 Ocelio Vasquez November 27, 1935
Gregorio Griego December 15, 1885 David Mascarenas (act) June 26, 1943
Ramon Sanchez April 16, 1887 Leandro Lopez September 16, 1943
Juan M. Romero March 24, 1890 Anastacia V. Lopez July 28, 1944
Amador Martinez February 16, 1891 Josue Lopez (OIC) July 2, 1976
Harriet M. Burnett September 3, 1891 Manuelita Lopez (OIC) August 19, 1977
Porfirio Abren March 29, 1893 Josue L. Lopez January 14, 1978
Ramon Sanchez November 20, 1897 Shirley M. Anglada (OIC) April 1, 1998
William L. Paddock November 12, 1903 Pat Herrera June 20, 1998

CIENEQUILLA - PILAR
CIENEQUILLA 
Amado Hernandez June 6, 1903
Cayetano Martinez November 28, 1903
Discontinued April 14, 1904

PILAR
Donaciano Vigil January 23, 1918  

EL PRADO

William Joe Utter June 8, 1936   Martha C. Lujan (OIC) April 17, 1976
John B. Tixier November 1, 1937   Larry Santistevan (OIC) October 13, 1977
 Marcia A. Wheaton (act) December 30, 1965 Vitalita A. Silva (OIC) December 6, 1977  
Simon G. Gonzales April 17, 1971 Martha C. Lujan March 25, 1978

EL VALLE

Eliseo Ortega March 23, 1918
Natividad C. Ortega April 19, 1921
Emilina Cruz September 10, 1930

GUSDORF
HODGES
Fred W. Drake February 11, 1909

FERNANDEZ DE TAOS - TAOS

Charles Beaubein February 4, 1852  Jose B. Martinez June 16, 1927
Innocencia Martinez December 27, 1853  Felix D. Valdes August 1, 1933
Solomon Beuthner May 10, 1854  Luis A. Trujillo May 1, 1939
Samson Beuthner July 31, 1856 Nicanor A. Montoya act. June 1, 1941
Julius Friedman February 9, 1863 Carlos Trujillo, Jr. act. August 1, 1941
Joseph Beuthner November 7, 1863 Agnes R. Avila March 15, 1943
Julius Friedman January 27, 1864 Ruben Vigil June 30, 1972
Juan Santistevan December 11, 1865 Luis Sandoval OIC May 21, 1976
Alois Leibert August 10, 1880 John Flaherty March 12, 1977
Jacob U. Shade June 14, 1883 Luis Mendoza OIC March 17, 2000
William L. McClure August 10, 1885 Robert Olen April 8, 2000
Humphrey Marshall June 20, 1887 L. Pascual Martinez December 23, 1913
Lorin W. Brown December 14, 1887 Elma Martinez act. July 1, 1919
Miguel Tafoya July 17, 1889 Eloy D. Trujillo act. August 1, 1919
Jose de Jesus Lucero January 22, 1892 L. Pascual Martinez act. September 1, 1919
Ambrosio Valdez March 29, 1893 Eduardo A. Trujillo January 1, 1920
Lorin N. Brown July 16, 1897 Antonio Martinez July 1, 1922
Manuel M. Kahn Sepember 12, 1898 Anita F. Martinez act. April 19, 1924
Alfonso Clouthier June 11, 1903 Cristobal I. Quintana January 30, 1925
Jose J. Vigil February 5, 1907

McGREGOR
M. U. B. Warner May 1, 1882

MIDNIGHT
Thomas W. Galigher June 21, 1895
Herbert O. Ellis November 24, 1896

OJO CALIENTE

G. H. Holcomb March 21, 1871 Medardo A. Herrera October 1, 1946
Salvador Lucero July 19, 1871  Pedro T. Lucero February 8, 1948
Discontinued - July 3, 1873 Adeline Lucero (acting) October 4, 1956
William H. Baker September 19, 1873 Thomas W. Wilson May 13, 1959
P. H. Hill October 22, 1874 Iris H. Wilson (OIC) November 26, 1976
John C. Joseph April 2, 1875 Louise Maestas (OIC) October 13, 1977
Jesus Hernandes January 2, 1879 Robert J. Romero (OIC) April 17, 1978
Anthony Joseph July 20, 1881 Victor P. Jaramillo (OIC) October 12, 1978
Carlos A. Hernandez June 16, 1910 Oralia Charlene Filip(OIC) December 15, 1978
Joseph P. Foree April 6, 1914 Antonio M. Jaramillo January 13, 1979ret
Anthony F. Joseph July 7, 1917 Leroy Pierson (OIC) December 3, 1993
Carlos A. Hernandez March 9, 1920 Roger Maestas (OIC) December 8, 1993
Esther L. Galvez November 19, 1935 Lillian B. Gallegos April 30, 1994

QUESTA

Leander F. Hamblin March 12, 1883 Georgianna (Young) Jenkins April 24, 1917
Ezra S. Redding April 5, 1893 Miguel Velasquez March 7, 1923
Antonio J. Gomez July 2, 1897 Jose P. Rael April 16, 1926
Jose Leandre Archuleta April 20, 1908 Antonio J. Trujillo April 5, 1948
Celedon Sisneros March 10, 1909 Emerlinda Medina (OIC) May 2, 1977
Jacob Posner August 13, 1912 Louis G. Sandoval (OIC) April 20, 1978
Henry R. Wisehart April 6, 1914 Doris M.(Romero) Tafoya June 3, 1978
Joseph R. Matthews September 3, 1915

RANCHOS DE TAOS

Alexander Gusdorf February 3, 1875 Tomas P. Martinez February 24, 1927
Luc B. Stewart September 6, 1875 Meliton Struck July 9, 1935
Alexander Gusdorf February 10, 1876 Clorinda M. Struck (act) June 27, 1944
David Struck October 24, 1896 Meliton Struck May 8, 1945
Squire Hartt, Jr. July 11, 1903 Bernabe P. Struck July 2, 1971
Adolpho Espinosa December 11, 1906 Elsie E. McKnight (OIC) November 29, 1985
Manuel O. Trujillo October 26, 1909 Sharron D. Flaherty March 1, 1986
Maria E. (Ortega) Romero September 12, 1910

RED RIVER

Gerson Gusdorf September 25, 1895 Mary Johnson February 5, 1926
Brigham J. Young February 6, 1896 Lottie Brandenburg (act) February 23, 1933
Fremont C. Stevens July 14, 1897 Nellie Donohue April 18, 1935
Harry Brandenburg April 3, 1900 Lottie Brandenburg April 14, 1936
Reason W. Penn December 1, 1905 John H. Brandenburg (act) January 31, 1954
Walter G. Cole April 5, 1916 John K. Wagner (act) May 12, 1954
Ella R. Clapper April 18, 1918 Elizabeth C. Simion September 20, 1954
Eugene T. Lambert January 26, 1922 Robert W. Prunty August 11, 1958
Charles C. Clapper July 11, 1922 Cruistia Cisneros (OIC) April 1, 1985
William Hoxie December 7, 1923 Joseph M. Carrier July 20, 1985

RIO COLORADO

Francisco A. Montoya August 7, 1871 Discontinued - September 26, 1872
Joseph M. Lesser January 24, 1872 William Clark November 27, 1877

RIO LUCIO
Plaseda M. Mascarenas October 22, 1921                                   

RIO PUEBLO
Benito A. Romero August 26, 1910                                     

RODARTE

Maria A. Chacon July 21, 1916 Walter Brown January 15, 1938
Frank Rodarte December 6, 1920 Roger Duran August 3, 1940
Jose E. Madrid August 1, 1922 Mrs. Isabel Sanchez (act) March 27, 1943
Telesfor Lopez April 12, 1932 Ovaido Martinez March 15, 1945
Mrs. Beroniz Maestas August 15, 1933 Telesfor Lopez December 13, 1954


SAN CRISTOBAL
Elmira K.(Mackie) Williams February 16, 1932 
Mary Ann Ramsey June 29, 1972 
Emelinda A. Medina May 18, 1979 

SAN ANTONIO / VALDEZ
SAN ANTONIO 
John D. Bohn October 28, 1867 
Discontinued August 3, 1868

VALDEZ

Eufracia De Herrera May 21, 1895 Manuel F. Espinosa January 19, 1903
Discontinued - May 4, 1899 Lilyan Kittredge (acting) July 1, 1938
Justa Valdez October 21, 1899 Pablo Prando August 18, 1938
Miguel Apodaca December 11, 1901 Rogerio Gonzales December 31, 1959
Juan Miguel Apodaca January 9, 1902 Connie S. Espinoza October 31, 1975

VOLCANO
C. L. Wieland February 15, 1922 
C. Johnson (acting) March 16, 1923 
Hazel Stevens (acting) May 16, 1923 

SERVILLETA

Rose E. Shiles April 21, 1913  Soraida L. Giron (acting) April 5, 1928 
Discontinued - August 9, 1915 Juan N. Archuleta August 29, 1928 
George F. McCracken January 22, 1919  Nannie S. Ware April 1, 1930 
Brittie M. McCracken May 15, 1920 Bascome P. Brazel July 30, 1930 

SKARDA
Albert T. McLind March 13, 1922 
Gustave E. McLind May 9, 1927 
Walter H. Haynes July 16, 1929                                     

STONG
Charles Wilton October 24,1919 
Leslie A. Shaw April 24, 1923 
Irene Gertrude Patchen May 9, 1925 
Oran N. Poarch (acting) October 13, 1933 
Henry J. Wilton March 12, 1934 

VIRSYLVIA / SUNSHINE VALLEY
VIRSYLVIA 
I. N. Woodman September 29, 1909
Discontinued February 28, 1914

SUNSHINE VALLEY
Vyeva N. Alcox April 19, 1921 
Allia A. Blackman July 29, 1921 
William H. Shipley December 14, 1922 
Perry Roop September 26,1924                                    

TALPA
Pablo C. de Baca January 4, 1904 
Juan N. Vigil August 26, 1904 
Alfonso Vigil December 19, 1913 
Iva M. Smith October 10, 1916

trAMPAS

Jesus M. Medina August 2, 1898  Samuel Leyba September 24, 1910 
Benito A. Romero August 25, 1899  Jose C. Romero July 24, 1913
Jesus M. Medina January 20, 1902 

Discontinued - July 31, 1931

Benito A. Romero June 1, 1903  Jacobo Romero, Jr. December 27, 1937 
Faustin Leyba August 28, 1909  Maclovia R. Lopez May 20, 1943 
Estella O. Lopez March 10, 1961

trES PIEDRAS

John P. Thompson May 27, 1880  Edwin B. Seward January 15, 1908 
E. C. Griffin October 14, 1880  Jasper F. Ortiz May 27, 1921 
Discontinued - November 11, 1880  Celestino Espinoza (act) January 12, 1924 
Andrew J. Foose May 17, 1882  Elmer Grantham April 30, 1924
Clarence C. Herd October 25, 1882  Edwin B. Seward (act) February 3, 1926 
Robert W. Schrock December 27, 1882  Robert K. Wilson May 20, 1926 
Robert H. Nevitt May 14, 1883 Ward M. Arnold January 11, 1933 

Discontinued - August 14, 1884

Sinfora G. Isaacs (act) April 8, 1943 
Mary J. Berry October 23, 1884  William H. Bradley (act) October 26, 1943 
Marcus Z. Farwell May 9, 1889 Sinfora G.(Isaacs)Williams Oct. 12, 1945 
Felix Grant March 30, 1893  Woodrow O. Cozart June 19, 1946 
Frank Bolton February 1, 1897  Vera L. Smith September 10, 1947 
Felix Grant May 19, 1899 Edith P. Cozart June 30, 1961 
Emma L. Seward October 1, 1906  Judith Lynn Coffman May 23, 1983 

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