Dycusburg Post Office in Splendid Hands (1894)

(Editor's Note: Many thanks to Crittenden County historian Brenda Underdown who shares this passage about Dycusburg's postmaster, Ida Harris. Even in 1894, Dycusburg seemed to be a progressive town that embraced rights of women. This is from The Crittenden Press, Aug. 16, 1894).

The post office at Dycusburg is in the hands of a lady, and a neater, cheerier place than the post office is not in the town.

While Miss Ida Harris is nominally the deputy, she is really the postmaster, and the town and community may well congratulate themselves upon having their office in such splendid hands.

Miss Harris' father was appointed postmaster by the present administration, and the control of the office was turned over to the daughter, who not only knows how to keep post office, but keeps it as a post office should be kept, and everybody is pleased.

Miss Harris has a neat millinery establishment in connection with the office; she keeps posted on all of the fashions and is deft with her fingers in trimming hats and doing other work connected with the millinery business. Her goods are of the latest styles and her prices meet all competition.

Miss Harris is one of the young ladies of the county who believes in woman's right, that is, that a woman has the right to hold an office, if it is compatible with her surroundings, that she has a right to earn a living, that she had a right to be independent. She is popular and is adding to the pleasant surroundings of the community.