Balisle Post Office

(January 8, 1927 – November 15, 1928)

As in other places, the Post Office Department insisted on a one-word name for Balboa Island’s first post office. When the application was sent in for the office the department stipulated that a different name was to be given Balboa Island before the department would consider establishing it. The postal authorities stated that the name Balboa Island was confusing and too long and asked for a new one-word name. [Walter] Kaufmann asked a number of island residents who signed a petition for a post office to submit names and Balisle, which is a combination of Balboa Island, was selected…. The office here will help relieve the congestion in the Balboa office in summer time, when so many people are staying in the beach towns. The petition for the office was sent in about a year ago but the matter was held up partly because of the matter of a suitable.” (L.A. Times, 2-7-1927) But the new name never caught on, and in less than two years the department agreed to accept the community’s real name, and the post office was renamed Balboa Island. 

Postmaster:

Walter J. Kaufmann, 1927-1928

Walter Kaufmann and his wife ran a grocery store on Marine Avenue and were leaders in the drive to get a post office for Balboa Island. He continued as postmaster when the office was renamed in 1928. He died in 1954, at age 54.

(You can find more about Orange County’s post offices and postmasters here)