January 2, 2012

Postal service has been provided in Arkansas since the first post office was established within the future state’s boundaries at Davidsonville (Randolph County) in 1817. For many years, towns did not have a separate facility serving as the post office. It was very common for a local store to serve as both a business and a post office. One such example is shown here in the circa 1890s photograph of J. R. Chambers’s store and post office located at Sassafras Prairie (Arkansas County).