Did this 1932 letter to Santa Claus get dropped in a mailbox?

U.S. Stamp Notes by John M. Hotchner

I wonder if the 1932 letter to Santa Claus, shown here, was dropped into a mailbox? Although the cover bears no stamp, it was processed and canceled Dec. 21, 1932, by the El Dara, Ill., post office.

That village in western Illinois had a population of 149 in 1930, which leads me to believe that its post office retained the personal touch with its customers. It would not surprise me if the postmaster handed the cover back to the parents of the young letter writer, Glen Dale Steers.

The enclosed letter to Santa included Steers’ modest requests: “I want you to send me a big box of paints with three or four brushes. The cost is 20¢. I want a football that has good leather and a good bladder. The cost is 69¢. I will like it if you will send me these.”

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