Yorba Post Office

(June 30, 1880 – June 7, 1881; February 3, 1888 – February 29, 1900; July 5, 1902 – January 31, 1905)

The Yorba Post Office in the upper Santa Ana Canyon typifies the trials of many small rural post offices, having been established and discontinued three different times over the years.

Postmasters:

Benjamin F. McDonald, 1880-1881

B.F. McDonald taught school off and on at the Upper Santa Ana School in the 1880s.  

Henry A. Smythe, 1888-1889

Henry Smythe (1864-1899) was a native-born Californian, a relative of the Rimpau family in Anaheim. 

David J. Yorba, 1889-1898

David Yorba was the son of Prudencio Yorba and the grandson of ranchero Bernardo Yorba. By 1888 he had a store a Yorba. An active Democrat, he served on the County Central Committee and was their nominee for County Auditor in 1894. 

Estevan R. Peralta, 1898-1899

            Despite his surname, Estevan Peralta does not seem to have been related (or at least not closely related) to the Peralta family who lived on the other side of the Santa Ana Canyon. In the 1890s he had a store at Yorba, where the post office was located.  

Manuel S. Carrizosa, 1899

Carrizosa seems to have been assistant postmaster under Estevan Peralta before briefly (eight months) holding the appointment himself. 

Romuldo P. Marquez, 1899-1900, 1902-1905

R.P. Marquez (d 1906) ran a store in the Santa Ana Canyon as early as 1891 and also served as Justice of the Peace for the area, first in the Fullerton Township (1897) and then in the new Yorba Township, created in 1899. A year later, the Yorba Post Office was closed – probably with the arrival of rural free delivery. It was re-established in 1902 and Marquez again got the appointment as postmaster. But after a few years he decided the job simply wasn’t worth the trouble. “Postmaster Marquez of Yorba has tendered his resignation, but will have to remain for the present, as no one there seems to want the office, which only pays about $10 a month. Many residents receive their mail by free rural delivery from Anaheim.” (L.A. Times, 11-30-1904) The Yorba Post Office was closed for good two months later, with the mail now sent to Olive, the next closest post office.

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