History of Old Ample Post Office
by John H. Bates
1964
The Ample Post Office was established in the northeast corner of Haskell County within one-half mile of the cornerstone of Haskell, Knox, Baylor and Throckmorton counties, in 1885 or 1886.
Reverend D. James, Baptist, was appointed postmaster. He suggested several names for the post office when he was asked to do so, and closed by saying, “I think this is ample to select from”, so Ample it was.
He was succeeded by a Mr. McDaniels, then Mr. Cooper and then Mrs. Ruthledge. Mrs. W.P. Phillips was appointed in 1895, and served until Rural Free Delivery was established, some time after the Wichita Valley Railroad came through Goree, possibly 1908 or 1909.
All mail from Kasoga, Cliff, Munday, Rhineland and Goree was delivered to Ample and separated there, where it was picked up by a carrier from Seymour and one for Haskell.
When Mrs. Phillips took the office it paid a salary of about $7.50 per quarter, paid by cancellation of postage stamps on letters mailed there. Postage at that time was $.02. After a few years the county gained settlers until the office was designated as a separating office, since mail was heavy and granted extra pay. This about doubled the amount it was receiving at that time, which was around $37.50 quarterly. That was pretty good pay in those days. How far would it get now?
The late Mr. Walter Patton related once, that when they came through what is now Haskell, in 1882, there was only one Indian teepee there and the water in Rice Springs was so full of antelope hair they could not drink it. So, the Indians had been there only a short time before.
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Old Ample was an early day Post Office that should be included in this report. The following is a history of Ample, sent me by Mrs. Walter Patton, whose mother, Mrs. Phillips was postmaster in an early day. Both the Phillips and Patton families were early day settlers on Bo Creek about nine miles southeast of Goree in 1882.
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