A book of Abandoned Post Offices in Bremer County reports that the Minkler post office opened in June 9, 1889. Mr Leroy Triplett ran the sore and served as the first postmaster. The office was named for the Oran creamery on the Fayette side of the road. L. C. Harwood took over as postmaster serving about 1895 to 1903. The post office closed on January 26, 1909 and service was moved to Oran.
When the post office relocated to Oran, it resided inside Shippy & Harwood General Store. The men were brother-in-laws. Side note: August 22 1989 Sumner Gazette “L. C. Harwood has so far recovered from the bite of a vicious horse over a year ago as about to be, but his left arm is permanently disabled. He is unfit for manual labor and to the end he is looking around to see what the prospect is for getting a county office.”
April 1937 - E. E. Shippy resigned his 28 year position as Oran postmaster. He spent 45 years in government service. Before coming to Oran, he was the assistant postmaster for 15 years at Minkler. He was Minkler postmaster for two years before the office was discontinued. Earl Shippey’s wife was the sister of L. C. Harwood, Minkler postmaster. (Waterloo Courier)
April 9, 1937 Oelwein Register reports that Frank Youngblut was appointed acting postmaster after E. E. Shippy resigned. The office was moved Wednesday, April 8th.
February 1938 - Mabel Youngblut was appointed postmaster to fill a vacancy.
February 1946 Mabel Youngblut Slater resigned after serving seven years. She will join her husband, Nick Slater, in the Panama Canal Zone where he is employed by the U. S. Department of engineers. Mabel’s brother, Lawrence Youngblut, has been appointed acting postmaster(Oelwein Register)
1946 Applications for Oran fourth class postmaster were held in November. The salary was $1584.
1957 Lawrence Youngblut was elected secretary of the Fayette County Postmasters.
