Hayward Post Office

About this location

A few stories people tell about this place

1. At dusk in Hayward, when everyone else was heading home, a postal worker noticed something strange happening outside the post office. A regular customer, Mr. Jenkins, seemed to be talking animatedly with an empty mailbox. Suddenly, the mailbox ‘nodded’ and started waving its little flag. Confused but curious, Mr. Jenkins leaned closer—and realized it was just the wind playing tricks on him. The next day, he brought his own flags for the mailboxes as a joke.’

2. At dawn in Hayward, when most people were still dreaming, an early bird mail carrier delivered letters to a quiet street. But one house always received its mail late—much later than scheduled. Curious neighbors began noticing that whenever the mail arrived hours after it should, someone in the neighborhood would receive an unexpected package: a fresh loaf of bread. Finally, someone asked the mailman why they were so late. With a twinkle in his eye, he replied, ‘I’m just delivering what the previous mail carrier left behind—a secret recipe for world-class sourdough!’

3. At midnight in Hayward, when even the night owls had gone to bed, a delivery driver asked himself: ‘Who leaves packages addressed to “Dear Friend”?’ Curious, he opened one envelope and found a handwritten note inside: ‘Dear Friend, please deliver this package to yourself.’ The next morning, everyone in town received similar notes, signed simply, ‘A Neighbor.’

4. At noon in Hayward, when the sun was high and the streets quiet, a delivery driver pulled up to the post office. He noticed something odd: every time he parked near the corner mailbox, a faint humming sound would start, as if someone was playing a distant violin. Curious, the driver asked his neighbor about it later that day. ‘Oh,’ she said with a smile, ‘that’s just old Mr. Jenkins practicing his fiddle from home.’ They both laughed, realizing the mysterious music had been there all along, blending perfectly into Hayward’s peaceful afternoon rhythm.