The landmark Cortez Post Office is the heart of a historic Florida fishing village on a peninsula in Sarasota Bay.
"I like this place a lot because it is so small, and the
customers that come to pick up their mail are very friendly," says Cortez
Postmaster Sarah Whitson.
Sales/Distribution Associate Josue Montanez, says he, too, finds
the post office a place of not just retail but a small-town
treasure. "The small-town community vibes stand out from other post
offices here at Cortez."
Cortez Postmaster Sarah Whitson.
Today, the Cortez Post Office, located at 12112 44th Ave., provides
mail service to its residents, preserving a 137-year legacy of growth and
united historical heritage.
The origins of the post office date back to its first
establishment on September 11, 1888, before its discontinuation on April 4,
1890.
After the first commercial building was built in 1890 by William C. Bratton, the Bratton Store (above), the town was renamed Hunter's Point to Cortez because there was another Hunter's Point in Florida.
Then Cortez Post Office opened again in 1896 at Bratton Store.
Louisa J. C. Bratton served as Postmaster.
By 1901, the store expanded, and in 1921 enlarged, the building on
pilings and converted into a hotel called the Albion Inn, according to an
archeological survey by the Archeological Services Branch of the National Park
Service. In 1974, the Bratton Store building and property became
the property of the U.S. Coast Guard (above).
At the Cortez Cultural Center, Cindy Rodgers shared curated
documentation of the legacy of the post office.
A clipping of a captioned photo from "The Islander"
depicted Harry Ditmus, a courtesy photo curated from the book Images
of America: Anna Maria Island by Bonner Joy. Here,
Harry Ditmus is said to be known throughout the surrounding areas of
Manatee County as "Uncle Sam Ditmus" with his white hair and
beard and worked as an enterprising mailman after years as a minstrel and
entertainer in New York before moving to Florida in 1916.
Postmaster of Anna Maria Island in 1922, Joy says in the caption that Ditmus began mail delivery in 1924 for Anna Maria Island, Bradenton Beach, and Cortez.
Ditmus, well known throughout Cortez and Anna Maria Island as the
mailman, used to give children rides to school in his mail truck while out on
his deliveries, Rogers says.
The accompanying article is the scene of Ditmus pointing
to a mural painting of a Western scene that was fastened to his mail truck.
Joy's book says that the painting illustrates a Wells Fargo coach
"outrunning some Native Americans – an image familiar at the time as a
Chesterfield cigarette advertisement," says Rogers.
A time when Ditmus was a seller of advertisements when
he had the painting on his truck until orders came from the Post Office
Department for its immediate removal. According to Rodgers, the painting was
preserved in a frame and kept safe since its removal.
In 1957, the post office became part of a strip mall on Cortez
Road, ushering in the next generation. The postmaster at this time was Harry
F. Swathwood, Indiana native and longtime Cortez resident, known
throughout the town for being in the bait and tackle business, according to an
archived article preserved by the Florida Maritime Museum titled Dedication
of the Post Office. He served in the U.S. Air Force from 1940 as a Regional
Inspector before his retirement in 1945 and went on to pass the Civil Service
Examination in 1954 for Postmaster of Cortez. On October 21,
1963, Swathwood appealed to the Manatee County Florida Board of
Commissioners during a "regular session" in the Bradenton courthouse,
requesting for the renaming of Cortez Road to be called 44th Ave.
On August 25, 1967, Wyman Coarsey (above) became the Postmaster for Cortez after 17 years serving as an oil truck driver for the Pure Oil Company from 1950 to 1962, according to his online obituary. He served as postmaster until his retirement in 1986.
The post office is among 31,247 Postal Service-managed retail
offices nationwide. The strip mall that houses the post office is owned by
John Banyas, who also owns Cortez Bait & Seafood Inc., Swordfish Grill
& Tiki Bar, and Cortez Kitchen.
A bluegrass band performs outside the Cortez Post Office.
For many residents, Cortez Post Office is a valued community member.
"Recognized by its uniqueness by the Cortez Village Historic
Society and the Florida Maritime Museum," says Whitson. "The
descendants of the families also recognize it settled in this small
village."
Dan Fisher is a freelance journalist who works as a Tour 1 Mail Processing Clerk at the Manasota P&DC. His articles have appeared in various Florida magazines.
