06/02/2026
📜**Early Hempstead History - Pt 35**📜
In 1969, Hempstead celebrated the opening of a new post office with a large community gathering that brought several hundred people together for the occasion.
The dedication ceremony was held at 2 p.m. on Saturday, October 25, 1969, with the Hempstead High School Band performing under the direction of Wallis Klingaman. The event was described as an elaborate program, showing just how important the new post office was to the town and surrounding area.
Several special guests and local leaders were recognized during the ceremony. Among the honor guests were Judge Allen B. Hannay, Federal District Judge of Houston, Mrs. Hannay, and N. D. Patterson, Regional Controller of the Post Office Department of Dallas.
R. D. Voorhees, President of the Chamber of Commerce, served as master of ceremonies. Many people were recognized for helping make the new building possible, including F. R. Mills, City Secretary, Dr. S. C. Walker, Mayor, and City Commissioners Mike Stein and L. E. Hawkins.
The post office personnel were also honored, including Douglas Garrett, Postmaster, H. S. Winfree, Assistant Postmaster, and several clerks and rural carriers who helped keep mail service running for the Hempstead community.
The ceremony included a dedicatory address by Mr. Patterson, who presented a nylon flag that had flown over the post office in Washington, D.C., and over the nation’s Capitol. The flag was to be raised in a special ceremony by the Boy Scouts. Judge Jack Taylor led the Pledge of Allegiance, and the band played the National Anthem.
The Rev. R. L. Self gave the invocation, and Rev. J. P. Adair gave the benediction. Afterward, the Hempstead Garden Club served refreshments while guests inspected the new building.
This moment in 1969 shows how a post office was more than just a place to send and receive mail. It was a symbol of growth, progress, and community pride. For Hempstead, the dedication of the new post office was a town-wide event that brought together local officials, postal workers, civic groups, churches, students, and residents to celebrate another chapter in the town’s history.