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Paaregi ce <br />The post office was established at Itasca in May, 1852. Later a post office was set <br />up on the Frank Demarest farm (the present Harold Hunt farm). This was not a town <br />but mail was received addressed to Demarest, Minnesota. <br />James Beatty was the first postmaster at Itasca, serving until August 1, 1854. <br />Beatty had charge of a stopping place there and ran a trading post. He was a member <br />of the legislature in 1854. Julius Lane succeeded him and served as postmaster from <br />August 1, 1854 till May 12, 1855 when John C. Bowers was appointed. Mr. Bowers <br />was the father of Charles E. Bowers, the grandfather of Warren, Walter and Fred <br />Bowers. September 23,1859, he was succeeded by Mrs. Margaret Faucett, and she by <br />Theodore R. Shaffer. <br />When the post office was established at Itasca in 1852, Ramsey, Hatch, Beatty and <br />Wilkinson and others who owned land in the vicinity made a determined effort to re- <br />move the state capital from St. Paul to Itasca, and the bill seemed likely to pass, but <br />by some smart maneuvering the bill is said to have been placed in hiding by its enemies <br />until the legislature had adjourned. <br />The removal of the Indians in 1856 took away the chief support of the village, <br />and after the bill to move the capital failed, Itasca dwindled, while Anoka grew. It <br />was inconvenient to get mail at Itasca. During the fall of 1853 Mr. Larned used to <br />get the mail at St. Anthony and carry it in his hat. Some time that winter (1853-54) <br />a post office was established at Anoka and George W. Branch was named postmaster. <br />When Itasca was established it was in Benton county, everything west of the Rum <br />River being in Benton county and everything east of the Rum was Ramsey county. <br />During Mr. Bowers term as postmaster, Anoka county was organized and so both <br />Mrs. Faucett's and Mr. Shaffer's appointments named Anoka instead of Benton <br />county as the home of Itasca. <br />The last postmaster to serve there was Ashball H. Weldon who was appointed <br />Jan. 13, 1879. The office was discontinued August 13 of that year. <br />According to an article which appeared in the Jan. 8, 1930 Anoka County Union <br />from facts in departmental records in Washington, D.C., Itasca was not the first <br />post office in Anoka county but the second. Manornin, later called Fridley, establish <br />ed the first post office on March 4, 1852, twenty days prior to Itasca. <br />20 <br />