Written for Mondays Finish The Story. My story begins after the photo. For other stories just click on the blue froggie at the end of this post.

Finish the story begins with: “The house of Don Francisco sat in a remote part of the desert.”

The house of Don Francisco sat in a remote part of the desert. The original building had been built around 1880. In the crazy days of the mining boom it was built as a ranch for those prospectors that could afford to spend their money while trying to make even more. Legend has it that Buffalo Bill Cody once stayed there for a whole month.

Don Francisco thought he had found his own gold mine. He embellished the image to prospective renters by calling it the “American Flag Ranch.”

The gold rush busted and so was Don Francisco. In desperation for a buyer he sold the property to the U.S. Government which turned it into what is now the oldest territorial post office in the U.S. The original Post  Master was Benjamin Worthy who earned an annual salary of $3.77.

Today old Mr. Worthy would have to work for over eleven years to purchase one first class stamp.