Laketon Post Office / Oakwood Post Office

Read beside its neighbours, the Oakwood face does not agree with them. It makes Byron Pay a sixteen-year-old fur company hand here in 1858 and the first Oakwood postmaster from 1874. The 1960 Oakwood bronze, about eight miles southeast, has Byron and W. W. Pay arriving in 1873 and James S. Cummings becoming postmaster on May 4, 1877, and the 1956 Volga bronze calls Cummins the first postmaster on that date. No independent record found settles it. All three agree the office closed in 1894 and sent its mail to Bruce.

What the plaque says

Laketon Post Office The Laketon (Township) Post Office was established January 25, 1886 in Section 17 west of here under Postmaster Warren W. Pay who was paid $21.48 in 1887. Pleasant Valley Post Office was established four miles west of here June 24, 1879. It was discontinued May 16, 1887 and the mail was moved to Laketon. Laketon Post Office was moved to a site one-half mile east of here on Section 15 in 1894. The 1900 U.S. Census listed 420 people in Laketon Township. The last Post- master, Israel C. Trasta, was paid $59.31 in 1901. Laketon Post Office was discontinued September 21, 1901, and the mail went to Arlington because the town was located on the railway. Erected 2008 in memory of Almer and Alyce Larsen by the Lee and Karen Larsen Family Foundation. Oakwood Post Office After leaving his home in New York, 16 year old Byron Pay came to the Oakwood area as an employee of the American Fur Company in 1858. He loved the area and built a home here. In 1874, Pay's home was made the first Oakwood Post Office and he was named the postmaster. Prior to that, the closest post office was at Medary, south of Brookings. With few road improvements, many challenges had to be faced to get the letters and packages to the Oakwood Post Office. American Indian John Wakeman of Flandreau first carried the mail to Oakwood. The Oakwood postmaster's brother, Warren Pay, took over the northern part of the route between Oakwood and Flandreau in 1875. He traveled the route twice a week. With no bridges, Warren Pay reportedly secured mail pouches to his back and stood on the seat of his wagon while he coaxed his team of horses to swim across rivers or streams on occasion. Oakwood Post Office closed August 14, 1894 and the mail went to Bruce. Erected 2008 in memory of Almer and Alyce Larsen by the Lee and Karen Larsen Family Foundation.

Where it stands

More markers nearby

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• Significant Site — 5.4 mi
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