Coyote Post Office

Coyote Post Office. . Now a relic from the days when Monterey road served as cattle trail; stage route, and Mission road between San Francisco, Santa Clara, and Monterey, Coyote Post Office was once the oldest surviving and functioning post office in Santa Clara County before its move to the museum in 1974., From its establishment in 1862 until 1882, Coyote Post Office was initially called Burnett Post Office after the surrounding township. It was originally located in Twelve-Mile House, one of the several public traveler lodges then dotting Monterey Highway, but a minor accounting dispute prompted the Postal Department to enforce a little-known regulation prohibiting the proximity of a post office to a saloon, Since only a wall separated Coyote Post Office from the Twelve-Mile House Saloon, the Post Office was later moved to this building next door which was built around 1907., Because Coyote Post Office symbolizes communication in the Santa Clara Valley, the interior building exhibit is divided into two separate sections. The front portion contains a period postal room and exhibit about postal history while the back room highlights the remarkable career of Charles Herrold, the father of radio broadcasting, and his impact on modern day communication., The San Jose History Museum would like to thank the following individuals and organizations for their generous contributions to the Coyote Post Office project: Harriet L. Duzet, Society for Technical Communication, IBM Corporation, Gordon B. Grebb, William Lawrence, U.S. Postal Service, San Jose Historical Museum Association, KXRX Radio Station, Edward Allen Schulz, Betty Schulz, Laura and Hank Calloway, James Camp Family, James Arbuckle, Eric Bracher, Pat Liley, Alice Orth, Regner A. Ekstrom, Dulcie Jansen and Mary Simas. Many others have also helped with the Coyote Post Office project, and the Museum wishes to express its gratitude and appreciation.