Before the Dundas Post Office

Postal service for the early Dundas settlers was critical to maintain communication with their loved ones wherever they may be. Although it was an important office, the post office moved around as frequently as the postmaster that ran it.

The first Post Office was unofficial and began in Richard Hatt’s store (now #2 Hatt St.) and the address was “Dundas Mills”, the name of Richard Hatt’s enterprise. In 1814, an official Post Office was granted and the community took on the name of Dundas from the name of the mills. This official Post Office continued to operate in Richard Hatt’s store with J. Secord appointed as Postmaster.

In 1820 the Post Office was moved into W. H. Coulson’s store on Main St. opposite today’s Town Hall. W. H. Coulson was Richard Hatt’s son-in-law. In 1826, Edward Lesslie became the Postmaster and he moved the Post Office into his drug store on the northeast corner of Main & York Streets. He died in 1827 and his son John took over as Postmaster until 1838 when he was fired because he was suspected of participating in the 1837 Rebellion with William Lyon Mackenzie.

In 1839, James Bell Ewart was appointed Postmaster and he moved the Post Office into his Bank of British North America located at #8 Hatt St. J. B. Ewart died in 1853, and in 1854 Patrick Thornton was appointed Postmaster and he moved the Post Office to a building on Main Street, near the corner of King & Main Sts. His son J. M. Thornton took over in 1863 and he moved the Post Office to the west half of the Cowper Block on King Street, east of Memorial Square.

James McQueen, Jr. took over in 1876 and moved the Post Office to the new Cosgriff Block located on the northeast corner of King & Sydenham Streets and in 1877 it moved again to the Elgin House on the south side of King St.

Building the Dundas Post Office

An iconic landmark of the Valley Town, the Dundas Post Office was built on the south side of King St. between Foundry and McMurray in 1913. Its construction was due to the effort of M.P. Gordon Wilson, who also played a part in its design. Wilson recognized that as Dundas expanded it needed a proper Post Office building to replace the small stations which had been located in various businesses over the years.

The site of the Post Office had previously been known as the Campbell Block and was occupied by a row of 19th century shops including the butcher shop of William F. Campbell after whom it was named. The construction of the new building took less than a year and on October 30th, 1913 it opened for viewing by the public.

The most striking portion of the Post Office is its tower, which houses four clockfaces made by Smith and Sons of Derby, the same firm that designed the clock for St.Paul’s Cathedral in London. The tower also contains a bell which tolls at each hour.

William Graham was the first Postmaster. In the early years each person in Town had their own box at the Office into which their mail was sorted, and everyone went to the Post Office to collect their mail in person. It was not until April 5th, 1948, that the first letter carrier service began in Dundas. Six postmen covered the entire town with a morning delivery at 8:00 and an afternoon delivery at 1:30.

On July 1, 1970 the Office came under the administration of the Hamilton Post Office and the Town officially lost its ‘Dundas’ postmark. Public outcry saved the building from demolition in 1973, and today it remains one of the Valley Town‘s most significant historic buildings.