SHRUB OAK LOCAL POST
While doing research on the 19th Century local posts of the United States,
Herman Herst Jr. discovered a 90 year old law allowing local posts to operate in conjunction with the regular mails.
A series of letters between
Mr. Herst's lawyer and the solicitor of the Post Office ensued in which Mr. Herst asked if it were permissible to start a
local post in Shrub Oak, New York, and if so to issue local post stamps. The reply from the solicitor was to the effect that
a local post could be started provided all letters carried still had the full U.S. postage and that if any stamps were issued
they should bear "no similitude to stamps…..used by the Post Office Department".
On May 1, 1953, Herman Herst
Jr. issued his first Shrub Oak Local Post stamp and thus became the "Father of Modern U.S. Local Posts."
From his home in Shrub Oak,
Mr. Herst issued two stamps and one picture postcard for Shrub Oak Local Post. Later, from his retirement home in Boca Raton,
Florida, Mr. Herst issued a mourning label upon the death of his dog, Alfie.
The first Shrub Oak Local
Post carriers were Mr. Herst's 13 year old daughter, Patricia, and 10 year old son, Kenneth. After a couple of years the novelty
wore off for the carriers and the 2c per letter seemed less and less attractive. At this point the Herst family dog, Alfie,
was taught to carry letters to and from the Post Office. True, the mail might be delayed if a cat or squirrel crossed Alfie's
path, but the 2c fee was no detriment since Alfie was not covered by the Minimum Wage Law.
The Shrub Oak Local Post ended
its service in Shrub Oak on June 1, 1973, when the Hersts and Alfie retired to Florida.
