By Ken Kocab
Since August 18, 1896, Englewood residents have been served by a local post office. Mail for the few permanent residents of early Englewood was brought to El Jobean by boat from Punta Gorda. Local resident Wilbur Lampp then loaded the mailbags onto his horse and made the ten-mile ride to the Englewood Post Office. This first post office was in the back of the Lemon Bay Trading Company on Yale Street. John S. Gibbons was Englewood’s first postmaster and initially operated a 4th class operation. The government designated ratings for all post offices based on the volume of mail and sales at each location. From 1896 to 1916, eight different postmasters oversaw day-to-day operations at the Yale Street location.
In 1912, local resident Peter Buchan was hired as caretaker of the Lemon Bay Trading Company; at the same time, he was also appointed Englewood Postmaster. By 1916, Buchan built his own store at the intersection of Dearborn and Olive Streets on Lemon Bay. Buchan then moved the post office to the new store and remained postmaster until 1921, when he gave up this position to his wife, Florence.
During the years Florence Buchan was postmaster, business seemed to slow down. “On a good day we sold stamps for about six letters,” said Buchan. Postal authorities noticed the situation and threatened to close the Englewood branch. Local residents organized and began mailing grapefruits to each other to increase the volume of mail. This plan seemed to succeed, and the Englewood post office continued to operate.
In 1928, the post office was moved from Buchan’s Landing to Ziegler’s General and Hardware Store on Dearborn Street. Mary Green was appointed new postmaster that year, and in 1929 totaled $1,200 in postal receipts at the Ziegler Store location. Because of this increase, postal authorities raised Englewood to a third-class operation.
The post office remained at the Ziegler Store until 1946, when an Army surplus barracks building was moved from Buchan Field to the corner of Dearborn and Elm Streets. This structure was converted into a post office, and for the first time, Englewood had a post office housed in its own building. There was no mail delivery at this time, so the new building housed over 400 boxes for people to come in and pick up their mail. In 1951, postal receipts climbed to over $8,000 a year.
By 1959 , the Englewood Post Office on Elm Street definitely needed more space. It was at this time that a new location was found in the former Sears store on Dearborn Street, across from the old hardware store. The old location on Elm Street was torn down. In 1961, Florence Johnson was appointed postmaster and remained in this position until her retirement in 1980. Johnson was responsible for modernizing Englewood’s post office operations.
By 1962, the Englewood branch had collected over $56,000 in receipts and was finally designated a first-class operation. Florence initiated Englewood’s first home delivery and even formulated the routes that carriers would take. One big problem for mail delivery was the lack of street names and house numbers. Florence organized a very successful effort for residents to put up house numbers and for street signs to be put in place. By 1970, postal receipts at the Dearborn Street location had reached $200,000, and space was once again a problem. A large, modern post office was built on River Road with plenty of room for parking. Englewood post office operations are still run from this location today.
After having a post office in the heart of Englewood ever since 1896, currently there is none located in the Olde Historical Village. Betty Nugent, President of SHORE, (Southwest Historical Organization Resources Education) and a local activist, feels the current River Road Post Office is fine, but that a satellite version in the Historical Village would be helpful for local residents.
“We need our post office back to serve both the older and newer generations in Englewood,” said Betty.
Ken Kocab would like to credit the following sources in writing this article:
Betty Nugent, Interview, 5-7-09
Josephine Cortes’ Speech given on Englewood History, 1961.
“Florence Johnson was Englewood’s Longest-Serving Postmaster,” by Diana Harris, The Englewood Sun, May 9, 2009
This story previously appeared in the Englewood REVIEW and can be found online at the Lemon Bay Historical Society webpage. Click here for more information.
Lemon Bay Historical Society
Did you know the Lemon Bay Historical Society is getting ready for a fun and stimulating 2026-2027 season? Mark your calendars for the following fascinating events:
- October 27: Leading Ladies of Sarasota County. Explore the lives of Sarasota’s influential women, including Bertha Palmer, Marie Selby and Emma Booker. Using archival photographs, correspondence and records from the Sarasota County History Center, we’ll uncover stories of leadership, philanthropy, education, business, preservation and cultural innovation that shaped Sarasota County. Meg Lepak, Program and Outreach Specialist, Sarasota County History Center.
- November 17: The Many Origins of Sarasota. How old is Sarasota? That depends on what you’re asking. Sarasota is a city, a county, and a bay – each with its own origin story. Join the staff of the Sarasota County History Center for a closer look at the history of Sarasota in all its forms, a story that stretches back to the Spanish colonial era and ties in with some of the most exciting developments of Florida’s fascinating past. The program will feature maps, photographs, and archival records from the History Center’s collections.
All programs are free, begin at 7 p.m. and are held at the historic Green Street Church, 510 S Indiana Ave, Englewood, FL. Donations are always welcomed.
Click here for more information about the Lemon Bay Historical Society.
