Saffaras was our family farm address when I was in my lower grade school years.  Our address was RFD Saffaras, Indiana. The Saffaras post office was on hwy 145 north of Bristow in Clark Township and located across the road from Mount Sinai Church, (6150 Sinai Rd, Bristow, IN 47515).  The church and the house were the post office was still stands but in poor condition.  I stopped by awhile back to take some pictures and discovered the batteries in my camera were dead.

I can remember going with a parent(s) from time to time to the post office.  It was run by Phoebe May Clark (Beard, Aders, Hicks) who always had a cheerful face and sweet smile.  The front porch was converted into a small sundaes shop with Ice cream, candy and bread and milk.  The biggest treat was a ice cream cone and 5 cent a  scoop ice cream that was keep in a small freezer.

Two of the mail carriers were Robert Klueh and Sam Beard. The post office was combined with Bristow and Jim VanWinkle was the carrier.

There is a story on the naming of the post office and the mix up in Washington, D.C.  Willis Wesley Dougan  Petitioned for a post office in his community in Clark Twp., so he could get his produce and other goods by parcel post to the railroad. His daughter, Lora, was the first postmistress and she and the postmistress of nearby Bristow and her husband bandied around names for the new post office and came up with the pleasing name of Sassafras. Unfortunately, the papers came back from registration in Washington, D.C. with the name misspelled Saffaras. They never changed it.

Willis Wesley Dougan was born 10 Jul 1864 in Gibson County, Indiana, and died   22 May 1924 (aged 59) in Sassafras, Perry County, Indiana.

Wesley was the son of William Riley Dougan and Mary Ann Montgomery. He married Elizabeth McGowen in 1890 and they were the parents of three girls: Lora E., Clara E. and Mary E. Dougan. Note: He died in Saffaras, Perry co., IN.

Sincerely, Riley Lamkin