Residents who arrived during the construction of the Follansbee Tin Mill prior to the city being chartered in 1906, experienced a boom town environment as homes were rapidly built and the population grew from a few hundred to nearly 2,000 by 1906.

Because there was no post office for them, the newcomers went to the railroad stop and sorted out their mail from a mail pouch dropped on the porch of the mill office.   The earlier established rural population of Mahan Village received their mail by carrier from Wellsburg to rural boxes daily.   A fourth class post office was established for boom-town residents on March 11, 1904.   The first actual post office was operated by Mary Hatley being appointed postmistress with her son, Charles Hately as assistant.  They operated the post office out of the Hatley store building, which was the second store opened in Follansbee.  “Mrs. Hately and son conducted a general store and on one side of it placed the post office…”   Residents picked up their mail from Mrs. Hatley.

The post office was advanced to third class on June 9, 1907, and Mrs. Hately continued in service for two terms, or eight years.   In 1913, a change in political administration resulted in the appointment of a Democratic postmaster, Charles M. Brandon who took up his duties on August 20, 1913.   With the city growing rapidly the demand for larger quarters was urgent.  The post office secured the lease of W.E. Godfrey’s building, which was earlier used by the Citizens Bank, just across the street from Hately’s store.  Mr. W. E. Godfrey was appointed substitute clerk.   In 1913, the city council passed an ordinance requiring all houses to have addresses (numbers).   The house addresses made free mail delivery possible since letters could be addressed to specific house numbers.

• Mill Towns Review, “Follansbee’s P.O. Business Grows Rapidly,” July 3, 1914, front page.
• Mill Towns Review, “Men Putting Up Numbers …,” December 19, 1913, p. 3.