For the postal service: less volume in the bag means less revenue in the bank. The postal service is expected to lose $7-billion this fiscal year, leading it to offer, just this week, 30-thousand employees buyouts if they take early retirement. It's also considering consolidating nearly 1,000 offices and cancelling Saturday delivery.

Rural customers are concerned how the changes will impact them.

"It's an old town," says 40-year Brighton resident, Becky Mabary.

Brighton, Mo. has fewer than 2,000 residents, but those that live there are proud of their town's history.

"There used to be a general store in the late 1800's down here," says Mabary.

The story is, Jesse James even once robbed the bank.

"It used to be a really lively, lively town," says Mabary.

These days, the town has quieted down, and there's little more than one of the newest pieces of Brighton's history, the post office. It opened in 1968.

"Not very big, but it's a good post office," says Mabary.

With all the financial trouble the U.S. Postal Service is having these days, residents in Brighton are worried about the future of mail delivery in the town. Currently, USPS is looking at options to cut $6-billion from its budget.

"We'll look at every opportunity, while maintaining service, to become more efficient and cut costs wherever we can," says Richard Watkins, a spokesman for USPS.

Some Brighton residents are now wondering, with two other post offices so close by, if Brighton's will become just another page in the history books. Morrisville is five miles west and Pleasant Hope is five miles east of Brighton.

"I would hate to see that happen. That's a part of American history," says Mabary.

The good news: USPS is not looking at any post offices in southwest Missouri for possible consolidation.

"Those rural post offices remain an important link in our nation-wide delivery network and I see that remaining true for the forseeable future," says Watkins.

dmagditch@kspr.com