DUANE
Duane's take
Here's my telling of what the official marker outside this building has to say — and friend, it has plenty to say. Now, tradition says mail came from Jefferson in the early days. And when it arrived in Greenville, they didn't drop it at a post office.
They dropped it at a saloon. Whether that made folks more eager or less reliable about picking it up, history doesn't specify — but I suspect the line was never short. The Greenville Post Office was created in 1847, and for the next sixty-some-odd years it made do with rented quarters.
But in 1910, that changed. This structure went up — neo-classic in style — and it became what the marker calls an important element in the architectural development of the city. That's a dignified way of saying: when they finally built it, they built it right.
Then in 1930 they enlarged it, because Greenville had things to mail and wasn't slowing down. Now. Here's where the story shifts register entirely.
June 20th, 1942. A young man walked into this building. His name was Audie Murphy, and that day was his eighteenth birthday.
He joined the army right here — in this post office, in Greenville, Hunt County, Texas. You might want to let that settle a moment. Because Audie Murphy went on to become the most decorated soldier of World War II.
The most decorated. Of the entire war. It started right here, at a post office that had once been a mail drop at a saloon.
In 1973, the city of Greenville acquired the structure for historic preservation — and it's a good thing they did. Some buildings are worth keeping not just for what they are, but for what walked out of them.
What the marker says
Tradition says mail came from Jefferson in early days and was dropped at a saloon. Greenville Post Office was created in 1847, and occupied rented quarters until 1910, when this structure was built. Neo-classic in style, it became an important element in architectural development of the city. In 1930, it was enlarged. Audie Murphy joined the army in this building on June 20, 1942, his 18th birthday; later he became the most decorated soldier of World War II. The city of Greenville acquired the structure in 1973 for historic preservation. (1973)