Places, Earth Keweah Post Office

Keweah Post Office

Between 1886 and the spring of 1892 the Kaweah Co-Operative Commonwealth, AKA the Kaweah Colony conducted its short lived attempt at utopian socialism.

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Over one hundred years later, the project is still studied by historians, writers, and students of economics, history, and political science. The colony was established along the upper North Fork of the Kaweah River just outside what is now Sequoia National Park. In fact, it was the establishment of the park that spelled the doom of the colony as timber from the not yet established park was to be the source of income for the colony. Fifty-three timber claims totaling about 12,000 acres were filed but the Federal Land Commissioner suspected the claims and they were held up for several years. With the establishment of Sequoia National Park (first National Park in California and the second in the US) the timber claims were finally invalidated. Some members were prosecuted for illegal logging within the park and the colony disbanded. The road the colonists built to bring timber out of the future park became the main road into the park until Generals Highway was completed in 1926. Some members sued for compensation, but this was never settled in their favor. Members were not paid in cash but in credits based on labor input. Another accomplishment of the colony were publishing the first newspaper in the Three Rivers area printed on the first steam-operated press in Tulare County. A few descendants of the original colonist still live in the area, but the most striking reminder of the colony is the quaint Kaweah Post Office. Advance, one of the Colony's camps, was granted a post office on May 17, 1890. The simple 10-foot by 12-foot cedar and redwood structure was built in 1910 for about $15.00 and operated for one hundred years. It is one of the three smallest Post Offices in the country. Surrounded by a small lawn and flowers, the Post Office includes a book exchange library and a magazine exchange - take what you want and leave a replacement in its place. The future is in doubt. As a cost saving measure by the Postal Service, on May 31, 2010, service was partially suspended. Mail would still be delivered to the 47 PO Boxes, but no longer collected. The community was devastated by the act but tries to keep it running with volunteer workers. The Post Office moved several times (at least 5 times) in the early years but since 1926 has quietly sat three miles up North Fork Drive from Three Rivers. Address: 43795 North Fork Drive in Three Rivers. State Historic Landmark No. 389.

This page last updated: Monday, 31-Oct-2011 08:30:34 EDT

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