Thousands sent mail to Wyo. town for Valentine postmark

He wants it back, with a U.S. Postal Service “Love” stamp and Hartville's custom postmark.

The first year he sent instructions in French along with some Euros to pay for the postage. Locals had to find someone to translate, said Friends of Hartville member Dan Offe.

“He gets it sent back to his girlfriend who lives in the same house as him,” Offe said. “I predict he's in his 80s or something.”

“But still a romantic,” said Judy Archie, a part-time postmaster relief.

The special postmark, also called a cancellation stamp, has the town's name with a large heart in the middle. It's dated Feb. 14.

Thousands of people from more than a dozen countries and all 50 states take advantage of this custom to have “Valentine Station Hartville Wyoming” (hearts used to dot each “I”) stamped on their loved ones' envelopes.

But, this could be the last year. The post office is one of 40 in the state slated for closure. Officials aren't sure when they'll know if it's closing; it could be as early as spring, Archie tells the Casper Star-Tribune.

Friends of Hartville, a local group of residents, decided in 1996 to use their town name to attract mail to their tiny post office.

When your town has 62 people, with no barbershop, bank or grocery store, you have to promote what you do have.

Residents tout that Hartville had the first concrete sidewalks in Wyoming. Others tell visitors about the town's one-room county jail or the fact that it's the oldest incorporated town in Wyoming still in existence.

The Friends of Hartville decided to keep it simple. They'd promote the name.

They created a unique cancellation stamp, heart and all, and promoted it for Valentine's Day.

“We wanted to bring in revenue and build up some interest in Hartville,” said retired postmaster Nina Walker, who helped start the stamps.

The Postal Service decided years ago to allow towns and cities across the country to create their own cancellation stamp for special holidays and celebrations. A cancellation stamp, also called a postmark, is the dated mark printed on each envelope after being processed.

Most of the time, cancellation stamps don't look like much. They say the date and location and muss up an envelope's colorful postage stamp. But, for special occasions, and if formally approved by the Postal Service, towns can create their own stamp.

People drop their letters in the local postal box, bring them inside or mail them to the post office in another envelope, said Offe.

Hartville's first cancellation stamp was too big for approval. Friends of Hartville tried again the next year with one only a couple of inches wide and succeeded. Every year the stamp is different and designed by a local artist.

“It's amazing how much mail we get through here this time of year,” Archie said.

Last year they stamped around 1,700 pieces of mail, Offe said. Officials call volunteers to help stamp to make sure letters are sent out on time.

Many letters come from collectors looking for the new cancellation stamp. Even more come from sentimental friends and lovers, at least that's what Archie thinks.

This year they had a first—a letter from China. Stamps littered the outside of the padded envelope that held someone's special valentine.

Other letters come from a little bit closer.

Beth Melonuk and her husband drove over from Fort Laramie, Wyo., on Wednesday to hand deliver their valentines. Melonuk sent one to her sister and another to her mother, both in California.

“Can I get that Hartville cancellation stamp?” she asked through the small post office window.

“You sure can,” Archie said.

“Then I can see it, too, before it goes out.”

This was Melonuk's first time bringing a letter by for the special stamp. She plans to come again, anything to help save the post office.

“These little post offices are the gathering places for people,” she said.

No one wants it to close, even though some understand if it does. Guernsey has a post office, too, and is only five miles down the road.

The Hartville post office is the only place in town to get change, buy stamps or hear the day's news, Offe said. Some days as many as 10 people gather in the tiny waiting area, opening their little brass post office boxes, signing for larger items and chatting.

It's small, with about 100 boxes and only half in use, but residents say it's worth saving.

“The post office is the heartbeat of the town,” Hartville Town Council member Bruce Sturdivant said.

No pun intended.

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Information from: Casper Star-Tribune - Casper, http://www.trib.com

Copyright 2012 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

AP-WF-02-11-12 1622GMT