Vernal in Uintah County, Utah — The American Mountains (Southwest)

Parcel Post Bank

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 16, 2013

1. Parcel Post Bank Marker

Inscription.
September 1886 Samuel R. Bennion was sent here to establish a banking institution called the 'Ashley Co-op.' In 1903 the first pioneer bank was opened for business. In 1916 W.H. Coltharp erected this building with Salt Lake City brick. A full car load of brick was used, each wrapped separately and sent Parcel Post U.S. Mail to Watson, Utah by train. From there they were hauled to Vernal by freight wagon and teams. It is known as the “Parcel Post Bank of the World.” With N.J. Meagher, Sr. cashier, this bank has been a great factor in the development of Uintah Basin.
Uintah County, Utah

Erected 1958 by Daughters of Utah Pioneers. (Marker Number 247.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Industry & Commerce. In addition, it is included in the Daughters of Utah Pioneers series list.

Location. 40° 27.336′ N, 109° 31.727′ W. Marker is in Vernal, Utah, in Uintah County. It is at the intersection of Main Street (U.S. 40) and South Vernal Avenue (U.S. 191), on the right when traveling east on Main Street. Marker is mounted at eye-level

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on the north wall of the Zions Bank building, near the northeast corner and main entrance. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 3 West Main Street, Vernal UT 84078, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Utah’s Uinta Basin.

It is also in the American Mountain West

and on the Colorado Plateau.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Rocky Mountains,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain

and also Mexico’s Alta California.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Do Religion and Money Mix? (here, next to this marker); The Bank of Vernal (here, next to this marker); Cobble Rock Gas Station (within shouting distance of this marker); Where Can You Get an Iron Port, Phosphate, or Suicide? (within shouting distance of this marker); If You Were an Outlaw Where Would You Shop? (within shouting distance of this marker); How Far Would You Carry a Brick for Seven Cents? (within shouting distance of this marker); Cobble Rock Station / Vernal Auto Company / "A Splendid Specimen of Architecture"

Parcel Post Bank Marker (<i>wide view; marker just right of entrance</i>) image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 16, 2013

2. Parcel Post Bank Marker (wide view; marker just right of entrance)

(within shouting distance of this marker); "Fort Scared-to-Death" / "Biggest Little City off the Railroad"/One of the Top 50 Small Cities in US (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Vernal.

Regarding Parcel Post Bank. The new building would require more than 80,000 bricks to be shipped from Salt Lake City. At the time, wagon freighters demanded 15 cents per brick. Coltharp was determined to find a lower price, and he did. He discovered that Vernal was in a different postal code, and that each brick could be mailed via parcel post for 7 cents apiece — less than half what the freighters were offering.

Also see . . .
1. The Bank of Vernal: The "Parcel Post Bank".
Prior to 1913, by law, the Post Office Department could not carry packages weighing more than four pounds. Private express companies, which had begun to flourish in the mid-1800s, delivered larger packages. In 1913 the Post Office Department began accepting packages weighing up to 11 pounds for mailing via a new service called Parcel Post, bringing a world of merchandise as close as the customer’s mailbox or Post

Zions Bank (<i>main entrance; northeast corner; marker just beyond pillar at right</i>) image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 16, 2013

3. Zions Bank (main entrance; northeast corner; marker just beyond pillar at right)

Office. (Submitted on February 25, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

2. Vernal bank built by bricks sent through the mail.
They went by rail, mostly, but the long way around. By railroad to Mack, Colorado, narrow-gauge railway back into Utah, freight wagons and ferryboats the rest of the way — 427 miles. It cost the post office a fortune. The Vernal postmaster sent a legendary telegram to Washington. And he said, "Some S.O.B. is trying to ship a whole building through the U.S. mail," except it was a little more colorful than that. (Submitted on February 26, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

Salt Lake City to Vernal, Utah map image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner

4. Salt Lake City to Vernal, Utah map

Credits. This page was last revised on October 26, 2024. It was originally submitted on February 25, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 1,295 times since then and 198 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on February 25, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.