Source: Ruth M. Brubaker, THE HISTORY OF PLEASANT TOWNSHIP SCHOOLS 1835-1962 (1979), pp. 102-103.
The Laketon Post Office was established in 1838. This post office served both Laketon and South Laketon for a number of years.
For a number of years mail came by train to Laketon. Mr. John Price would pick it up at either Newton or the depot at the Erie tracks and would also take the outgoing mail to be put on the train. Mr. Price was still a mail carrier at the age of eighty-five. It is hard to say how much longer he would have done this. But an accident with a horse which had been frightened by a canvas on Mr. Charley Purdy's milk truck caused Mr. Price to be trampled by the horse when he tried to calm it down. Mr. Price lived only three days after the accident.
In 1897, the post office was robbed for the first time. It was always felt that Charles and Harve Riner had taken part in the taking of $125.00 besides a lot of checks. These two were arrested and even taken to Indianapolis for a time and were held there in jail. But they were released and tried to bring suit against several people of Laketon for they felt they had been wrongfully incarcerated. But this did not work. It is said that George Mote did serve time for the crime but many felt he was not the guilty one.
Then in 1914 the post office was robbed again, this time of only $25.00. As to what happened was never found out, but at the time the post office was in the M.J. Ulsh building and J.E. Ohmart was postmaster. Mr. Ohmart had left the building sometime before Mr. Ulsh was to close up for the day.
It was felt that either someone had hid in the store and waited for M.J. Ulsh to leave or they might have had a key. There was no sign of entry. Mr. Ohmart had taken the stamps with him and the only thing missing was the money but papers were scattered about the place.
During the life of the post office, Laketon had a route carrier for a number of years. Sherman White carried mail from 1904-1933. Early on he drove a horse and buggy. later he rode a bicycle and then a motocycle. The Model "A" car was used for a good many years. Snow was not cleared away from the boxes and some boxes were not the best. In 1933 the route for Laketon was divided between Roann and North Manchester. Laketon still kept the post office for the townspeople and any others that wished to get mail or stamps there.
Some of the early postmasters in Laketon were: John Smith, George Shaffer's wife in 1859, Dr. Bender, Jesse Williams, Mac Neal, Sarah Forrest, Samuel Petrie, A.G. Huggins in 1884, Arthur Ward, George Bender, Henry Ogden, George Ogden 1897-1902, Henry Gugle, Ernest Ohmart 1914, and Maude Henry. it was at this time the post office was moved from the M.J. Ulsh building across the street to Bruce Henry's store. At first it was in the northeast corner of the store. Arlie Henry became postmaster in 1935 and moved the post office back farther and along the south side.
In 1949, Arlie Henry asked the government for permission to build a separate building for the office. After some time he was granted permission and in 1950 built the present building and moved the post office in. Mr. Henry stayed on as postmaster until 1955. During the time he was postmaster he had several who were clerks under him. A few of them were Elizabeth Whitehurst Fleck, Bonnie Wieman, Bessie Henry, and a few others.
Bonnie Weiman became postmistress in 1953 and retired in 1976. Since then they have had Amos Bates for a short time with Marilyn Thompson and Mary Caughill as clerks. But now Marilyn Thompson is the postmaster and Mary Caughill is the clerk.