INDIANAPOLIS, IN — With a population of about 1,250, Shelburn is a town in Sullivan County and is part of the Terre Haute metro area. The town was named for Paschal Shelburn, who came to the area in 1818, and following the completion of the railroad he laid out the town on some of his land in 1856.

Coal was king in Shelburn for much of its history, and at one time the Shelburn Coal Company was one of the largest in Sullivan County.

Shelburn is known for its Old Fashioned Days festival which occurs around the middle of June each year, and over the years has included a straw hat contest, a fireworks show, a pet show and a children’s race. Shelburn was also the site for one of worst tornadoes in Indiana history. On May 21, 1949, an F4 twister touched down in Shelburn, killing 11 people and injuring 251, and destroying 160 homes in the northwest of the town.

On Friday, May 9, 2014, the 65th Village Post Office in the Greater Indiana District opens at the Shelburn IGA, 720 N. Walnut Street, Shelburn, IN 47879.

The ribbon-cutting will be at 10 a.m. and an open house will follow from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.

Owner of the Shelburn IGA Jasvir (Josh) Sadra has been in business in Shelburn for the past 10 years. He said he’s happy to partner with the Postal Service in setting up a VPO in his independent grocery store. “We’re open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. 365 days a year, and it will be very convenient for my customers to be able to buy a book of stamps as they shop here,” Sadra said.

The new postal center will be opened by Manager of Post Office Operations Russ Thouvenot. Several USPS and local officials will be present at the event.

In 2011, the Postal Service introduced the VPO model as an alternate retail location for postal products and services, especially in rural communities.

VPOs are operated by local businesses contracting with the Postal Service and offer a range of popular postal products and services including stamps and flat-rate packaging.

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