Valentine, Neb., once roiled by time-zone fights, is now the city of love

VALENTINE, Neb. — Time once split this tiny Sandhills city, and her otherwise reasonable residents, straight down the middle.

In the late 1960s, the line separating the Central and Mountain time zones ran along Valentine’s Main Street. Businesses on the east side of the street set their clocks one hour ahead of those on the west. Those in favor of Mountain time threatened to boycott those merchants who refused to budge from Central. The post office tried to play Switzerland and split the difference.

It all got quite confusing: A person could leave the east side at 4 p.m. for a 10-minute walk to a west-side bank, only to arrive at 5:10 p.m., 10 minutes after the bank had closed (bankers’ hours being always bankers’ hours).

Eventually, Central time prevailed, and the line was moved west, far enough outside town that the conflict slowed. And today, the story of Valentine is one of love, not war.

Every February, thousands of Valentine’s Day letters are routed to the post office here from every corner of the country, and from as far away as China and Thailand, just to get a stamp from postmaster Arlene Paulson’s collection before being sent along to their intended recipients.

“A valentine via Valentine,” explained Paulson.

Each year or so, when the town’s custom-made Valentine’s Day stamp wears out from use, Paulson holds a competition for the design of the next one. One reads, “God Bless the Heartland,” alongside an outline of Nebraska. Another declares Valentine as the “City of Love.”

Paulson, who has overseen the post office for 18 years, prefers the city of today over the time-zone tension of the past. It’s a perennial place of outdoor adventure for those looking to explore the undulating Sandhills in the south, or the otherworldly Badlands to the north. And there’s always Valentine’s Day.

“People’s hearts are huge here,” Paulson said. “And it’s such a treat to spread that love across the country every February.”

Anyone wanting to have their valentine postmarked in Valentine should address their envelopes, tack on appropriate first-class postage, put the envelope inside a larger envelope, also with postage, and mail it to: Valentine’s Day Postmark, Postmaster, 239 N. Hall St., Valentine NE 69201-9998.

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