Dakota Collector January 2009 - Dakota Postal History Society

A Research Journal of North and South Dakota Postal History
Published by the Dakota Postal History Society - Vol. XXVI No. 1 - January, 2009
Table of Contents
President’s Message, etc……….3
A Study of Brown County South
Dakota - Part 1
By Gary Anderson and Ken
Stach………………………………..4
NORTH DAKOTA ¤ SOUTH DAKOTA ¤ DAKOTA TERRITORIAL ¤ POSTAL HISTORY ¤ POST OFFICES
Dakota Collector, Vol. XXVI, No. 1
January, 2009
Dakota Postal History Society Officers & Directors
Officers & Directors
Office
Email
Address
Phone Number
Ken Stach
President
[email protected]
24175 405th Avenue
Letcher, SD 57359
605-248-2620
Mike Ellingson
Vice President
[email protected]
P.O. Box 21402
Eagan, MN 55121-0402
Gary Anderson
Secretary,
Treasurer and
General Editor
[email protected]
P.O. Box 600039
St. Paul, MN 55106
Walter Anderson
Director
[email protected]
1002 S. Liberty Place
Sioux Falls, SD 57106
Glen Jorde
Director
[email protected]
P.O. Box 48
Devils Lake, ND 58301
Doug Wick
Director
[email protected]
Box 7399, Northbrook Sta.
Bismarck, ND 58507
651-771-9142
Dues:
Regular Membership
Sustaining Membership
Foreign Membership
Foreign Sustaining
Lifetime Membership
$15.00
$20.00
$25.00
$30.00
$250.00
Advertising Rates:
(members only)
Quarter Page
Half Page
Full Page
Two Full Pages
$5.00/issue
$10.00/issue
$20.00/issue
$35.00/issue
NOTE: Cancels and covers pictured may
not be actual size! Contributors articles
are the opinion of the contributor and may
or may not be the opinion of the editor
and officers of this organization.
A special THANKS to all contributors
Published Quarterly
Cover page is now page 1
Contents © Copyright 2009
Dakota Postal History Society
P.O. Box 600039
St. Paul, MN. 55106
Sustaining and Life Members:
• Joseph J. Adamski (LIFE)
• Gary Anderson (LIFE)
• Walter Anderson
• John Bentzen
• Richard Birklid
• Dale Brick
• Duane L. Edwards Sr.
• Mike Ellingson
• Kenton Forrest
• Charles W. Fulker
• Charles E. Gates
• Jimmy Gilbertson
• Max A. Gors
• Clair Haakenson
• Ronald J. Harbeck
• Jim Havlena
• R. C. Heen
• Warren Jackson
• Lowell Joerg
• Douglas Johnson
• Vernon A. Johnson
• Glen Jorde (LIFE)
2
• Robert Kolbe
• Dr. Kelly J. Krizan (LIFE)
• Dr. Dennis J. Lutz (LIFE)
• Roger Meyer
• Steven E. Miedziak
• Sidney R. Moore (LIFE)
• Dr. Ron Olin
• James C. Pierce, M.D.
• Virgie B. Rowan
• Donald E. Schiele
• James Schiele
• Neil C. Schroeder
• Ken Stach (LIFE)
• Oscar Thomas
• Blair Tremere (LIFE)
• Dave Twedt
• David Vikan
• Al Wahl
• Bill Wallace (LIFE)
• Doug Wick
• Dale Wilen
Dakota Collector, Vol. XXVI, No. 1
January, 2009
Editorial Comments
see this article about his home county. We only wish
he were still here to see it over the next two issues. I
have certainly enjoyed working on it, as there are
many fascinating aspects of Brown County’s postal
history.
from the President
Submitted by Ken Stach
Greetings to all in 2009! I trust that the New Year is
off to a good start for you and yours. Let’s hope it
will be our best yet in collecting of Dakota postal
history.
All the best of collecting in 2009!
The South Dakota State Coin & Stamp Show will be
held on May 2nd and 3rd, 2009 at the Codington
County Extension Building, 1900 Kemp Ave. West,
in Watertown, SD. The daily bourse will run from
10:00 am to 5:00 pm, with a banquet and auction on
Saturday evening. We will have the annual meeting of the Dakota Postal History Society in conjunction with the SD State Show the morning of
May 3rd, 2009 over breakfast beginning at 8:30
am in the restaurant at the Best Western Ramkota hotel in Watertown. In addition, the DPHS
will have a table near the entrance for socializing and
perusing covers. Please try to attend!
from the Secretary/Treasurer/Editor
Submitted by Gary Anderson
With this issue we start Brown County, South Dakota. It is a very large county with many post offices, so it will take two issues to complete it.
We had no articles submitted for the Gordon Twedt
Memorial Award in 2008. We are having this contest again this year. Let’s see if we can get some articles submitted for the award.
With the new look of the Dakota Collector, we still
need donations to help with the added cost. But, I
think it is worth it. Any and all donations are appreciated and they are tax deductable!
In this issue, we begin with the ominous task of
documenting Brown County, South Dakota. Our deceased member, Tom Hayes, would have loved to
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Dakota Collector, Vol. XXVI, No. 1
January, 2009
A Study of Brown County, South Dakota - Part 1
By Gary Anderson and Ken Stach
The book Early History of Brown County South Dakota notes that some of the earliest white men to the
county were trappers and merchants, the latter establishing a Hudson Bay Trading Post southwest of
Frederick in 1832. The first true settlers in Brown
County were a small party consisting of Clarence D.
Johnson, William Young, his sister Hattie, and a
man named Reynolds, all of whom came to the area
in 1877 via the old government trail that ran from
Fort Pierre to Fort Sisseton. More settlers came in
the spring of 1878, this time from the south, venturing as far north as Chedi Lake. (2) From then on, the
flood gate of settlers was open and the population of
the county quickly grew.
Brown County is located in the northeastern quadrant of South Dakota, with its northern border being
the boundary with the state of North Dakota. It is
bounded on the west by the counties of McPherson
and Edmunds, on the south by Spink, and on the
east by Day and Marshall. It is
one of the largest “east river”
counties, covering some 1750
square miles. (1) Fully forty-two
(42) post offices were located
within its borders through the
years. Therefore, this county will
be covered in two parts in The
Dakota Collector in order to do it
justice.
The county was named for Alfred
Brown, who was born in Ottawa,
Canada and came to Dakota Territory in 1874. He was a member
of the Dakota Territorial legislature of 1879 from Hutchinson
County and took the lead in consolidating existing counties and
creating new ones, thus earning
the nickname “Consolidation
Brown”. When he had completed
his work, there was one remaining county astride the James
River which had no name.
Brown’s associates persuaded
him to give it his own name. As
far as the records show, he never
a c t u a l l y s e t fo o t w i t h i n i t s
boundaries. (1)(4)
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Dakota Collector, Vol. XXVI, No. 1
January, 2009
Watertown had been the nearest post office until the
fall of 1879 when the starline from Firesteel
(Davison County) to Jamestown was established,
and Columbia and Yorkville were made post offices. But few trips were made before winter compelled a discontinuance of the service until early in
the spring of 1880. James E. Humphrey, having
opened a little store on his claim, made application
for a post office, but his commission did not arrive
until April, 1880, when the office was established
under the name Rondell. (2)
Aberdeen, Dakota May 1, 1882 postmark with
two 2c Jackson adhesives paying 2x the single
rate for an overweight cover
Each post office will be covered in detail on the
pages that follow, with basic information from the
book South Dakota Post Offices. (1) Emphasis is
placed on the ghost towns, small communities, discontinued post offices, etc. with sometimes colorful
details taken from Brown County History (3) and the
other references noted at the end of this article.
Aberdeen (1881-Open)
The post office at Aberdeen was established Feb 17,
1881 with John H. Drake as first postmaster. (1) The
town was named for Aberdeen, Scotland, birthplace
of Alexander Mitchell, president of the Chicago,
Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad Company when the
city was founded in 1881. (4) Doane Robinson (5)
notes that the town was named by Charles H. Prior,
land commissioner for the Milwaukee railroad. Aberdeen had a “Downtown Station” established in
1978, which was still in operation in 1990, per
Patera, et.al. (1) Postmarked covers and cards from
Aberdeen, Dakota are among the commonest of all
from Dakota Territory.
Aberdeen, Dakota Feb 23, 1882 postmarked
cover with all over back ad promoting Aberdeen as an early rail hub for Dakota
Postmaster Compensation:
Mary E. Hannaman
Charles A. Fisher
John H. Drake
John H. Drake
Romulo H. Mills
Romulo H. Mills
Anson W. Pratt
Anson W. Pratt
Samuel H. Jumper
Samuel H. Jumper
Henry S. Williams
Henry S. Williams
Henry S. Williams
N. Howard Wendell
N. Howard Wendell
1883
1885
1887
1889
1891
1893
1895
1897
1899
1901
1903
1905
1907
1909
1911
$1000.00
$1900.00
$1800.00
$2300.00
$2500.00
$2400.00
$2400.00
$2400.00
$2400.00
$2500.00
$2400.00
$2400.00
$2900.00
$3100.00
$3100.00
Aberdeen, Dakota Nov 25, 1882 postmark,
although appearing different than the marking
shown at the top of this page, this postmark is
simply a degraded state of the same dial
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Dakota Collector, Vol. XXVI, No. 1
January, 2009
Aberdeen, Dak. Sep 28, 1883 postmark with
3c Department of Interior official adhesive on
penalty envelope to Ellendale, Dakota
Aberdeen, Dak. M.O.B. May 20, 1886 double
circle postmark on registered rate cover to
Philadelphia. Unusual use of Money Order
Business marking on registered mail.
Aberdeen, Dak. Aug 28, 1883 postmark tying
3c banknote adhesive paying postage for private use on a Department of Interior penalty
envelope to Syracuse, New York
Aberdeen, Dak. oval postmark on circa 1886
cover showing payment of 1c postage for the
unsealed circular rate from the bankers
Hagerty & Marple
Aberdeen, Dak. Jul 21, 1884 postmark on 2c
banknote adhesive paying postage for private
use on a Post Office Department penalty envelope to Xenia, Indiana
Aberdeen, Dak. Sep 3, 1889 postmark on
cover with 2c green banknote to California,
showing Aberdeen as the “Railway Hub of
Dakota”
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Dakota Collector, Vol. XXVI, No. 1
January, 2009
Aberdeen, S. Dak. May 18, 1891 duplex postmark on cover with corner card for the Aberdeen “Poultry Yards”
Aberdeen, Dak. May 10, 1889 postmark on
cover from merchant J. W. Hoit to Colorado,
showing overall ad on reverse for the Territorial Fair of Sep 23-27, 1889
Aberdeen, S. Dak. Aug 5, 1893 duplex postmark on cover with illustrated ad for the Inter-State Grain Palace and State Fair
Reverse of cover advertising the same fair as
the “South Dakota State Fair” to be held in
Aberdeen, “South Dak.” (using the South Dakota designation in anticipation of statehood a
few weeks later)
Aberdeen, S. Dak. Jul 15, 1901 postmark with
duplex killer on 2c adhesive on illustrated
corner card cover
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Dakota Collector, Vol. XXVI, No. 1
January, 2009
Barnard (1910-Open)
Barnard’s post office was established Jul 30, 1910
with Miss Sylvia D. Seaton as first postmaster. (1)
According to Virginia Driving Hawk Sneve (4), Barnard was founded in 1906, and was named either for
Frank H. Barnard, pioneer landowner in the county
who set aside land for the town site, or for Horace
Barnard, an early settler.
The book Brown County History (3) notes that Barnard was the last town in Brown County to have a
post office commissioned. Claims were taken in the
area as early as 1881 and Milwaukee railroad trains
were running through in 1882, yet it was two years
before the first building was up in Barnard, one of
five country schools built by the township. A store
and elevator were built near the school site by the
railroad, as the location was seven miles from Frederick and six miles from Westport, considerable
distances in those days. By March of 1911, the
town was platted, and by 1915 the population was
only eighteen…but, there was a bank, a general
store, a grain dealership and feed mill, a blacksmith
shop, and a lawyer. Five years later the population
had increased to fifty and remained close to that figure through the years of hard times and good. The
book goes on to note that (in 1980), the post office
still opens when the star route comes, but all else on
Main Street is closed…although there are eighteen
homes, some recently built. (3)
Aberdeen, S. Dak. Oct 19, 1917 postmark with
waving flag cancel on 2c adhesive on cover to
Mina, with stamped ad on front promoting
Liberty Bonds (during World War I)
Aberdeen, S. Dak. Apr 9, 1921 postmark on
Special Delivery cover to Minneapolis, with
nice Sherman Hotel illustrated ad noting the
“European Plan”
Postmaster Compensation:
Sylva D. Seaton
Aberdeen, S. Dak. Jan 13, 1931 postmark with
machine killer on cover with corner card for
three newspapers from Aberdeen
1911
$60.00
Barnard, S. Dak. Apr 12, 1911 4-bar postmark as
received marking on postcard mailed from Fulton
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Dakota Collector, Vol. XXVI, No. 1
January, 2009
Bath (1881-Open)
The post office at Bath was established May 2, 1881
with Arthur G. Waterman as its first postmaster. (1)
The town was named by C. H. Prior, town site agent
for the Milwaukee railroad, for a town of the same
name in Maine and in Prior’s native England. (4)
Postmaster Compensation:
Arthur G. Waterman
Angus McPherson
Angus McPherson
Thomas M. Jones
Henry T. Root
Henry T. Root
Henry T. Root
Patrick C. Cavanaugh
William P. Clark
William P. Clark
Llewellyn Morgan
Llewellyn Morgan
Llewellyn Morgan
Samuel A. Spratt
Samuel A. Spratt
Duncan G. Stewart
1881
1883
1885
1887
1889
1891
1893
1895
1897
1899
1901
1903
1905
1907
1909
1911
$.67
$397.94
$394.43
$446.48
$379.45
$288.28
$295.50
$207.10
$263.94
$273.16
$256.34
$295.72
$293.64
$366.00
$406.00
$340.00
Bath, Dak. Sep 11, 1890 statehood use of territorial postmark on cover with merchant corner card to Wisconsin
Bath, Brown Co., Dak. Nov 30, 1881 county
postmark on 3c printed stamped envelope
Bath, S. Dak. various statehood postmarks,
including a Doane (second from top) and
RFD marking (bottom)
Bath, D. T. Mar 3, 1883 postmark on cover
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Dakota Collector, Vol. XXVI, No. 1
January, 2009
house and those present voted to change the name
from Pectoria to Brainard. (2) No reference could
be found as to why the post office was named
Brainard.
Bern (1903-1907)
The post office at Bern was first established as
Murray Jan 30, 1885. It was changed to Bern on
May 13, 1903 with Leonard Von Eschen as first
postmaster. The office was changed to Wetonka on
Jan 30, 1907 when it was moved to McPherson
County. (1) The book Brown County History adds
that “the Bern post office was established in a home
for the convenience of the settlers in the area and
was discontinued when mail came to Westport”. (3)
Although not explicitly stated in any of the references found, one would presume it was named for
the city of the same name in Switzerland.
Postmaster Compensation:
Dollie A. Tracy
1903
1905
$15.68
Chatham (1886-1887) - NKC
The post office at Chatham was very short-lived,
being open only from Feb 13, 1886 to May 16,
1887. Its first and only postmaster was James
Kenny. (1) No reference could be found as to why
the office was named Chatham. Furthermore, no
postmaster compensation data was recorded.
Postmaster Compensation:
Leonard Von Eschen
Leonard Von Eschen
1885
$35.17
$30.56
Chedi (1889-1896)
Chedi’s post office was opened Jan 12, 1889 with
Carl Voigt as its first and only postmaster. The
name of the office was changed to James on May
16, 1896. (1) The post office as named for nearby
Chedi Lake, but no reference could be found to explain why the lake took this name.
Postmaster Compensation:
Carl Voigt
Carl Voigt
Carl Voigt
Carl Voigt
Bern, S. Dak. Mar 16, 1907 postmark as received marking on postcard mailed from Portland, Oregon to Bern
1889
1891
1893
1895
$18.07
$58.72
$119.72
$130.99
Brainard (1884-1887) - NKC
The Brainard post office was open for about three
years from May 16, 1884 to Jun 8, 1887 with Dollie
A Tracy as its first postmaster. Mail was forwarded
to Columbia upon closure. (1) The Early History of
Brown County South Dakota notes that Brainard
was originally known as Pectoria. A town site was
laid out on Sand Lake where boats landed that made
the trip on the James River from Columbia to Port
Emma, Dakota Territory. A grade was built for the
proposed railroad that was never built. On Nov 28,
1883, a meeting was held at the M. J. Sackreiter
Chedi, Dak. Dec 11, 188x postmark on cut
corner, the only reported example of a marking from this short-lived office, as provided
from the Postmark Collectors Club archives
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Dakota Collector, Vol. XXVI, No. 1
January, 2009
Claremont (1887-Open)
The post office at Claremont was opened Mar 19,
1887 with Henry C. Hamilton as its first postmaster.
The office is still in operation. (1) The town was
founded in 1886 by the Great Northern Railway and
is believed to have been named for Claremont, New
Hampshire. (4)
Postmaster Compensation:
Patrick N. Ringrose
George W. Krum
George W. Krum
Jason L. Sankey
Jason L. Sankey
Charles A. Olson
Charles A. Olson
Charles A. Olson
Charles A. Olson
Charles A. Olson
Charles A. Olson
Charles A. Olson
Charles A. Olson
1887
1889
1891
1893
1895
1897
1899
1901
1903
1905
1907
1909
1911
$30.60
$649.86
$424.59
$405.69
$295.49
$285.71
$336.78
$320.52
$432.32
$433.96
$533.00
$669.00
$600.00
Several examples of Claremont, S. Dak. statehood postmarks (from top): Dec 17, 1895
standard 27mm plain circle with bullseye killer, Nov 10, 1908 duplex grid, Dec 23, 1912
4-bar cancel
Claremont, Dakota Sep 5, 1887 postmark on
corner card cover to Bushnell, Illinois
Columbia (1880-Open)
Columbia’s post office was opened Feb 12, 1880
with John R. James as its first postmaster. (1) According to Virginia Driving Hawk Sneve, in her
book South Dakota Geographic Names, Columbia
was originally called Richmond, for Richmond, Illinois when it was first settled in 1879. As there was
another Richmond in Dakota Territory, the Post Office Department submitted a list of substitute names,
from which C. P. Peck and William Townsend
chose Columbia because of the current popularity of
the patriotic air, Hail Columbia. (4) The book Early
History of Brown County South Dakota substantiates this story of the town name. (2)
Claremont, Dak. Dec 15, 1888 postmark on
cover with return address for Detroit, Dakota
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Dakota Collector, Vol. XXVI, No. 1
January, 2009
Postmaster Compensation:
John R. James
John R. James
John R. James
J. Howard Taylor
J. Howard Taylor
Charles E. Baldwin
William M. Gilfoy
Nathaniel H. Cole
Nathaniel H. Cole
Paul D. Cribs
Paul D. Cribs
Hiatt Wilbur
Zebulon M. Horsley
Zebulon M. Horsley
Lavinia C. Wilbur
Lavinia C. Wilbur
1881
1883
1885
1887
1889
1891
1893
1895
1897
1899
1901
1903
1905
1907
1909
1911
$181.82
$943.04
$1200.00
$1200.00
$1200.00
$1000.00
$712.18
$590.56
$378.95
$398.00
$411.72
$445.46
$425.00
$600.00
$704.00
$700.00
Columbia, Dakota. May xx, 1884 oval postmark on 1c banknote on unsealed circular
rate cover to Minnesota, with wedding invitation enclosed
Columbia, Dakota. May 25, 1880 postmark in
magenta with solid star in circle killer on 3c
pse to Massachusetts
Columbia, Dak. Dec 22, 1888 postmark on
corner card cover to Winona, Minnesota
Columbia, Dak. Oct 31, 1883 postmark with
star in duplex killer on 2c banknote cover to
Minnesota with Diment Bros. general merchants corner card. S. C. White was a wholesale grocery supplier to the pioneer grocers of
Dakota Territory.
Columbia, S. Dak. Oct 16, 1934 statehood
postmark with 4-bar killer
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Dakota Collector, Vol. XXVI, No. 1
January, 2009
Detroit (1883-1906)
The post office at Detroit was open from Apr 24, 1883
to Jun 30, 1906 with Charles R. Hannan as its first
postmaster. Mail was forwarded to Hecla upon closure. The proposed name for the office was Bloomington. (1) A number of the settlers who came to the
area were from Detroit, Michigan and named the
township and the inland town that sprang up in honor
of their home. (2)
Detroit existed only from 1883 to 1886, per Brown
County History, even though the post office lasted until 1906. This was a true sooner town; not only was it
built before the railroads came, but the post office
opened five months before the land was declared open
for claims. A general store was quickly built and
opened, as was a hotel – a one store building with an
office in front, a dining room behind the office, and in
back of that, the rooms. A church was erected within
two weeks after lumber was obtained in Columbia and
was dedicated as the Father Hedger Methodist Church,
in honor of the father of two of the promoters of Detroit. The plat of this sooner town was not recorded
until May 9, 1884. Soon after this a school, a drugstore, a blacksmith shop and a hall were built. A
short-lived newspaper, printed in Columbia, was soon
published, the Detroit Free Press. While all of this
building was taking place, the only means of access to
Detroit was a prairie road following the stakes for the
proposed rail line from Groton. The decline of this
town came quickly after the platting of Claremont on
the Dakota and Great Western line and Hecla on the
Chicago and Northwestern line. The removal of
buildings was rapid; the store was moved to Claremont, the church was moved to a site two miles north,
and the hotel, the dance hall, and the blacksmith shop
were moved to farms. Thus, after three years, Detroit
no longer existed. (3)
Detroit, Dakota. May 27, 1885 triple circle
postmark with standard block style letters
Detroit, Dakota. Oct 26, 1885 triple circle
postmark, similar to that shown in the previous cover, except with serifed (Roman) style
lettering in the dial
Postmaster Compensation:
Charles R. Hannan
Henry C. Hamilton
Frank C. Hedger
Frank C. Hedger
Frank C. Hedger
Clement C. Hedger
Clement C. Hedger
Abbie Hedger
Abbie Hedger
Abbie Hedger
Adelbert Smith
Adelbert Smith
1883
1885
1887
1889
1891
1893
1895
1897
1899
1901
1903
1905
$10.59
$242.80
$226.61
$50.98
$25.91
$25.69
$22.60
$27.28
$28.49
$30.81
$33.96
$35.63
Detroit, Dakota. Jun 16, 1887 postmark with
cork killer on 2c banknote cover to Michigan
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Dakota Collector, Vol. XXVI, No. 1
January, 2009
Dodge (1882-1894)
Ferney (1887-1984)
Dodge’s post office was open for about twelve years,
from Jun 26, 1882 to Sep 15, 1894. Its first postmaster was Henry Kenitzer. Mail was sent to Gem upon
closure of the Dodge office. (1) The book Brown
County History notes that this was only a post office in
a home and that the office closed even before rural
mail delivery was established. (3) No reference could
be found as to why the office was named Dodge, although there was a W. F. Dodge who was a “railroad
man”… and many towns and post offices were named
after railroad officials.
The Ferney post office was opened Aug 10, 1887
with Charles J. Neuhauser as its first postmaster. (1)
It was discontinued on Jul 6, 1984 and opened as a
Community Post Office of Groton on Jul 7, 1984.
Ferney was platted in 1886 by the Western Town
Lot Company and was named, according to the accepted version, for W. H. Ferney, one of the surveyors. Another explanation that has been advanced is
that it was named for a town in France by the
French wife of a railroad official. (4)
Postmaster Compensation:
Postmaster Compensation:
Henry Kenitzer
Charles J. Neuhauser
Emma Filk
Josephine H. Geary
Josephine H. Geary
Frank Steyer
1883
1885
1887
1889
1891
1893
Charles J. Neuhauser
Charles J. Neuhauser
Charles J. Neuhauser
Charles F. Mielke
Charles F. Mielke
Charles F. Mielke
Charles F. Mielke
Charles F. Mielke
Lottie E. Vick
Otto A. Kaiser
Margaret F. Doyon
Margaret F. Doyon
$6.81
$17.28
$29.90
$44.97
$29.01
$31.01
1889
1891
1893
1895
1897
1899
1901
1903
1905
1907
1909
1911
$176.64
$193.64
$215.47
$203.91
$207.35
$240.65
$211.02
$347.44
$403.12
$441.00
$398.00
$400.00
Dodge, Brown Co., Dakota. Sep 21, 1883 county
postmark with solid star killer
Ferney, Dak. Dec 17, 188x standard 27mm
plain circle postmark on corner card cover
Ferney, S. Dak. Jan 17, 1898 statehood postmark with bullseye killer
Dodge, Dak. 4-4-90 manuscript postmark
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Dakota Collector, Vol. XXVI, No. 1
January, 2009
Frederick (1882-Open)
The post office at Frederick was opened Mar
3, 1882 with Philip G. Woodward as its first
postmaster. The office is still open. (1) The
town takes it name from the son of a Milwaukee railroad official. The town site was laid
out in 1881 and settled in 1882. (4) However,
the book Early History of Brown County
South Dakota claims that the town was named
for Kustaa Frederick Bergstadius an early settler to Savo Township from Finland. (2)
Frederick, Dak. Oct 15, 1883 standard 27mm
plain circle postmark on 2c adhesive used
only two weeks after the Oct 1, 1883 rate reduction from 3c to 2c; with Frederick Free
Press (newspaper) corner card
Postmaster Compensations:
Philip G. Woodward
Ray E. Kenyon
Mahlon M. Warner
Emma Burton
Emma Burton
Mabel Schraudenbach
Mabel Schraudenbach
Herbert F. Burnham
Emma Burnham
Emma Burnham
Emma Burnham
Emma Burnham
Emma Burnham
Emma Burnham
Edmund G. Pettingill
1883
1885
1887
1889
1891
1893
1895
1897
1899
1901
1903
1905
1907
1909
1911
$733.68
$701.74
$987.14
$946.70
$721.34
$854.60
$661.73
$713.03
$666.76
$729.67
$801.47
$966.48
$946.00
$1000.00
$1300.00
Frederick, Dak. Apr 24, 1884 postmark on
merchant corner card cover
Frederick, Dak. Oct 6, 1882 with serifed
(Roman) letters in dial on corner card cover
of attorney in Frederick
Frederick, Dak. Jun 17, 1885 postmark showing front and back of advertising cover (back
overlaid onto front)
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Dakota Collector, Vol. XXVI, No. 1
January, 2009
Frederick, Dak. Apr 8, 1887 postmark on
Prior House hotel corner card cover
Several examples of statehood postmarks from
Frederick, S. Dak. (from top): Jan 30, 1900
with duplex killer, Mar 25, 1909 standard 4bar postmark, and Mar 24, 1910 duplex grid
(different device from top marking)
Frederick, Dak. Jul 26, 1888 postmark with
geometrically carved cork killer on 2c banknote on corner card cover of merchant
Frederick, Dak. Jul 27, 1889 plain circle
27mm postmark on cover of dealer in Lumber,
Coal, etc. in Frederick
Real photo postcard showing the Maple
Creamery at Frederick, S. D. Apr 8th, 1912
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Dakota Collector, Vol. XXVI, No. 1
January, 2009
Gem (1883//1900)
The Gem post office was first open from Feb 26, 1883
to Nov 30, 1896 with Erick S. Nelson as its first postmaster. Mail was sent on to Rondell upon closure.
The office was open a second time from Feb 28, 1898
to Jul 19, 1900, with mail forwarded to Groton after
the second closure of the office. (1) No reference could
be found as to why the office was named Gem.
The book Brown County History provides some detailed information on this office. In February of 1883,
E. S. Nelson obtained the commission and opened the
post office in his home. Postal service was discontinued on Nov 11, 1896. But, E. S. Nelson did not give
up easily; he circulated a petition for rural mail delivery, sending it to the Post Office Department in Washington DC. He had sufficient signers for a 34 mile
route, and after an inspector from Washington came
out to make the arrangements, Route #1 of Brown
County was started on Jun 11, 1890; Noah Ashley was
the carrier on this first rural route in Brown County.
In the meantime, E. S. Nelson had protested loudly
enough so that his post office was recommissioned on
Feb 28, 1898 and operated until the rural route was
operative. (3)
Gem, Dak. Jun 20, 1884 standard 27mm plain
circle postmark with bullseye killer on 2c
banknote adhesive on cover to Minnesota
Groton (1881-Open)
Postmaster Compensation:
Erick S. Nelson
Erick S. Nelson
Erick S. Nelson
Erick S. Nelson
Hans J. Hansen
Hans J. Hansen
Hans J. Hansen
Carl Paipke
1883
1885
1887
1889
1891
1893
1895
1899
The Groton post office was opened Jul 13, 1881
with Charles E. Henry as its first postmaster. The
office is still open. (1) The town was named for
Groton, Massachusetts. It was platted and settled in
1881. (4)
$2.51
$31.77
$54.73
$66.65
$52.25
$27.69
$47.68
$5.28
Postmaster Compensation:
Charles E. Henry
Daniel B. Johns
William J. Brewster
James D. Reeves
James D. Reeves
James D. Reeves
Michael F. Bowler
Michael F. Bowler
Kenneth McKenzie
Kenneth McKenzie
Calvin K. Neff
Calvin K. Neff
John G. Ropes
John G. Ropes
John G. Ropes
Gem, Dak. Feb 3, 1890 postmark on cover to
Norway (5c total postage paid by stamps and
printed stamp envelope)
17
1883
1885
1887
1889
1891
1893
1895
1897
1899
1901
1903
1905
1907
1909
1911
$963.42
$1100.00
$1300.00
$900.00
$1300.00
$1200.00
$1100.00
$1100.00
$1200.00
$1200.00
$1600.00
$1500.00
$1600.00
$1700.00
$1700.00
Dakota Collector, Vol. XXVI, No. 1
January, 2009
Groton, Dakota. Dec 3, 1881 postmark with
pen cancel on 3c pse to Michigan
Several “Groton, Dak.” postmarked covers
with various corner cards (from top): lawyer
from Oct 4, 1885, doctor from Mar 6, 1889
and Groton Linseed Oil Co from Mar 21,
1889
Groton, Dak. Apr 27, 1883 postmark with
bullseye killer on corner card cover of lawyer
Groton, Dak. Apr 20, 1889 postmark on Special Delivery cover to Minnesota; very rare,
being one of only two known Special Delivery
covers used from Dakota Territory
Groton, Dak. M.O.B. Apr 12, 1885 octagon
postmark with bullseye killer on local drop
rate 1c adhesive cover to Groton
Below: four examples of statehood Groton, S.
Dak. Postmarks (including an RFD)
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Dakota Collector, Vol. XXVI, No. 1
January, 2009
Wanted
Announcing
Postal History items related to
Pembina County ND. I am trying
to assemble a group for exhibit
and am just starting out. I especially need Territorials and Advertising Covers, but all items are
considered.
“The Gordon Twedt Memorial
Award for an Article on
Dakota Postal History”
Open to anyone who is a member of the Society.
Any research pertaining to the postal history of
the Dakotas, North or South. Deadline is December 31, 2009. Send articles to Dakota Collector, P.O. Box 600039 St. Paul, MN. 55106.
The judges of this contest will be Gary Anderson, Doug Wick and Ken Stach. The winner will
have their article published in the Dakota Collector and receive a $100 cash prize. It was decided
at the annual meeting in 2004 in Sioux Falls that
this award would be continued and come out of
the club treasury since it was such a success. All
previous winners have donated their prize back
to the Society. We hope that this will continue to
be a successful contest.
Randy Nilson
P.O. Box 740561
Arvada, CO. 80006
Email—[email protected]
Member — APS, GPS, TRSG,
MPHS, SCC and DPHS.
19