What:

Installation ceremony for newly-appointed Trinidad Postmaster Leon Garcia.
The public is invited.

Who:

Postmaster Leon Garcia Jr.
Colorado/Wyoming District Manager Kevin Romero

Invited Dignitaries:

• Chief of Police Charles Glorioso
• Fire Chief Tim Howard

When:

12 p.m. Friday, February 15, 2019

Where:

Trinidad Post Office
301 E Main Street
Trinidad, CO 81082

Background:

Leon Garcia Jr. is the 28th Postmaster of Trinidad since the first Postmaster appointment in 1863. Garcia, originally from Phoenix, Arizona, moved to Colorado in 2012. He began his postal career as a clerk, and then a letter carrier. In 2015 he served as a Customer Service supervisor in Aurora, CO.  In October of 2018, he was assigned the role of Acting Postmaster in Trinidad, later to be awarded the position permanently. He oversees 26 employees, the Trinidad Post Office and three remotely managed Post Offices; Hoehne, Trinchera, and Weston.  “This is a beautiful region with a rich history.  I appreciate my employee’s efforts ensuring communication in and out of Trinidad via the mail remains dependable.  I look forward to my new role in serving the Trinidad community,” stated Garcia.

The History of the Postmaster Position:

The title, “Postmaster” carries with it both a Noble Heritage and a Vital Responsibility.

Originally, the word Postmaster was referred as the one who provided post horses.  According to the Oxford Dictionary, postmaster means “master of the posts, the officer who has charge or direction of the posts.”

William Penn established Pennsylvania’s first post office in 1683.  However, the real beginnings of a postal system in the colonies dates from 1692 when Thomas Neale received a 21-year grant from the British Crown authorizing him to set up post roads in North America.

In 1707, the British Government bought the rights to the North American postal service, and, in 1710, consolidated the postal service into one establishment.  The principal offices of the new British Postal Service were in London, England; Edinburgh Scotland; Dublin, Ireland, and New York.

In 1737, Benjamin Franklin was appointed Postmaster at Philadelphia.  He laid out new post roads, helped expand mail service from Canada to New York and instituted overnight delivery between Philadelphia and New York City, a distance of 90 miles.  In 1774, Franklin was dismissed from office in 1774 because of his efforts on behalf of the patriots.

When the Continental Congress met in May 1775, they named Franklin as postmaster general for the 13 American colonies. 

From 1775 until the early 1800s, Postmasters were appointed by the postmaster general.  In 1836, postmasters were appointed by the president, but this of course changed whenever a new party was elected.  It was not until August 1970, with the signing of the Postal Reorganization Act, which to effect in July 1971, that the patronage system was finally removed from the postal service once and for all.  Postmasters began being appointed on merit alone.

The act also permitted upward mobility for line employees, allowing them to be promoted to the position of Postmaster.

Along the way, there have been several famous individuals, who have served as postmasters.  In 1833, Abraham Lincoln was appointed postmaster of New Salem, IL. 

Other notable individuals who served as postmaster somewhere in the U.S.  included abolitionist John Brown, businessman Conrad Hilton, novelist William Faulkner, and humorists Bill Nye and Mark Twain. 

The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.

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