The following article was written by former Bay Village Historical Society president and historian, Kay Laughlin, in 2015. Ernest Wuebker is credited as the first rural mailman in West Dover Township (part of what is now Bay Village).
The first mail carrier in West Dover
by Kay Laughlin
Ernest Wuebker was born in 1884 and grew up near Akron. In 1897, at age 13, Ernie came to Dover Township to pick grapes for his Uncle Henry [Wuebker] who lived in the old Heckerman house on the east side of Bradley Road, south of the tracks. Casper, Ernie’s [younger uncle], joined him and later purchased Uncle Henry’s property. The next year, Casper invited Ernie and his mom to move to Dover. Across the street lived Gus Fortlage.
Ernest stands in the back row, second boy from left, between his little brothers Henry and Lewis, in this cropped 1898 school photo. His little sister, Ina, is in the second row, at far right. Oldest sister, Amanda, is not in this picture. Ernest was born in New York City and came to Dover, Ohio only about a year before this photo was taken. (2018.P.03.03.78)
At that time, the acreage around the railroad crossing and Lear/Nagel Road was called West Dover. Shortly after Ernie arrived, the West Dover Post Office was moved from Dieterich’s store north of the tracks on the east side of Bradley Road (where Bay Commons is today) to the southwest side of the tracks in Gus Fortlage’s place.
One day Gus stopped Ernie on his way up Bradley Road and told him he, Gus, had received a contract to start the first rural mail carrier route out of West Dover and suggested Ernie be the mailman. Ernie would receive $50 a month and provide his own transportation and expenses.
So in 1904, at 20 years of age, after passing a U.S. Civil Service examination in Cleveland, Ernie started delivering mail by bicycle and on horseback. Ernie’s route encompassed not only Dover Township but also Avon and North Ridgeville townships.
Ernie bought one of those regular green RFD mail wagons that had the reins going out two holes in front, which made delivering mail much safer and warmer. Between Porter and Center Ridge roads, the Greens, who owned Green’s Garage, allowed him to leave his horse at their barn to rest while he used the Greens’ horse to finish the North Ridgeville loop of his route. It was in 1916 Ernie turned to a Model T Ford in good weather. So, in accordance with the motto, “the mail always went through.”
Ernie married Alvina Peters and raised his family on Bradley Road in the 1850 Thomas Powell house. Alvina’s grandparents were Tom and Sophia Saddler Powell. In 1923, Ernie built a colonial house south of the Powell house at 584 Bradley Road. Delivering the mail had served Ernie well.
In the early years there was not a person in western Westlake and Bay whom Ernie did not know by name and sight because of his occupation. They saw him often and he became their confidant and trusted friend.
Ernest and Alvina’s children stand behind them at their Bradley Road home. From left to right are Vera, Elaine and Carl. Vera was one of the first Bay high school graduates in 1927. Her younger brother, Carl, was on the first school football team. Tragically, he died of kidney failure at the age of 21, not long after this photo was taken. (2018.P.03.03.36)
Ernest Wuebker poses for a 1961 article photo with a miniature replica of the type of transportation he used in his early days as a mail carrier, later using a Model-T Ford. Wuebker served as a mail carrier from 1904-1935. “None of the roads was paved,” he said in the article. “When it was too muddy for the wagon, I pushed a two-wheeled cart. When there was snow I took the wheels off the wagon and put on runners. When it was too deep for that, I rode horseback.” Wuebker died in 1979, at the age of 94. (2023.P.FIC.012)
There is more to learn about the West Dover Post Office and 19th century letter writing on our website page Fun with History. Our Glimpse of the Past page has information about stamp collecting here.
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We hope you enjoyed this glimpse into the life of Ernest August Wuebker. If learning historical information such as this is important to you, please consider a donation to the Bay Village Historical Society. Find out more on our website Donate page. You may also contact us by phone at (216) 319-4634 or email info@bayhistorical.com.
