Glenfield Mail Carrier Retires

January 8, 1977 - Last week Henry G. Hendrickson retired from his job with the Glenfield post office, for which he had worked as a rural mail carrier since 1930.

In his early days with the post office, Hendrickson rode horseback, drove a team or walked to reach mailboxes of his postal customers. During the winters, some portions of the trails would be barred to his sleigh by drifts of snow, requiring him to shovel in order to complete his rounds.

When he started, the route was 28 miles long. Now the route is 137 miles long. Through the years, he has never had an accident.

Hendrickson said that the volume of mail he carries to rural people hasn't changed too much overall. Even though there are more magazines and daily newspapers to be carried, there are fewer parcel post packages than in the old days. "People sent for things more often then," he said. "They didn't just hop in the car and drive to Jamestown, Carrington, Fargo, to buy what they wanted."

Hendrickson was born five miles south of Glenfield, grew up on a farm and has lived in the Glenfield area all his life. Some things have changed for the worse, since he became a mail carrier 46 years, 91h months ago.

"Farms have decreased so much in the last 25 years," Hendrickson said. "Between Glenfield and Juanita, about 25 farms have disappeared-standing empty. That involved a lot of people. That's one of our problems all over and a sad part of North Dakota, I guess."

Glenfield Donations to Historical Society

June 29, 1977 - The State Historical Society of North Dakota received two donations from the Glenfield area earlier this month, both gifts of retired grocer Elvy Isgrig and his wife, Dorothy of Glenfield. The donations, a water cooler and a horse-drawn school bus, were used by the Glenfield School after 1914. The school bus was used until 1940, when it was replaced by a more modern vehicle. The water cooler was stored in the school attic until Isgrig and his wife purchased it in 1970,

The two items are of personal interest to the Isgrigs. Mrs. Isgrig and her brothers rode to school in the bus, and Mr. Isgrig later drove it for several winters. During that season, the wheels were removed and replaced with sleigh runners.

The Isgrigs' interest in the water cooler dates to the days when they took care of the school. Fresh water was placed in the upper tank and flowed down through the drinking apparatus. The overflow was drained into the lower tank and thrown away. The cooler holds about 10 gallons.

According to Norman Paulson, Museum Curator for the State Historical Society, the water cooler needs no restoration. "The original paint job is in beautiful condition," he commented, "We hope to use the cooler in a display of the interior of a one room schoolhouse, perhaps in the new Heritage Center." The school bus has been altered and will require some restoration to return it to its original condition.

Source:  Glenfield History 1886 €“ 1987 Page 104