DEVELOPMENT OF MORRIS COUNTY MAIL SERVICE Pre-Statehood Period [to 1789] By Donald A. Chafetz

Transcription

1 Don Chafetz ~ DEVELOPMENT OF MORRIS COUNTY MAIL SERVICE, Part I DEVELOPMENT OF MORRIS COUNTY MAIL SERVICE Pre-Statehood Period [to 1789] By Donald A. Chafetz This exhibit traces the development of a mail system in Morris County. During the Revolutionary War, General George Washington encamped three times for various lengths of time in the Morristown area. During these encampments, a temporary civil post office was established in Morristown and the military postmaster was also present. I am not aware of any mail items in private hands with postal markings from Morris County prior to Starting with the Statehood Period, 1789, the post offices are shown in the order in which they were established. Each post office, has its covers grouped together to cover the period to In order to follow the development, a map on each page shows the earliest established post offices of Morristown, Boonton and Rockaway and additional communities and routes as they are established. Each new post office is shown on the map with a red circle and the community names are listed on the top of the respective page(s). To avoid clutter, once a post office has been introduced, a black location dot will be shown on the next new post office map and the name removed. To show the full development of the postal service, there is included mail that originated within Morris County, mail sent to Morris County and some mail items either directed to or from a community even though no post office existed. Also included are a couple of relevant postal documents. The exhibit shows the many different methods used to carry the mail including: out of the mail, military express, On Public Service, via Grand Post, local post, ship, stagecoach and by the United States Post Office Department. Many of the covers formed the basis for the Morris County listings in books The Postal Markings of New Jersey Stampless Covers by William Coles, Jr. and the The Postal Markings of New Jersey Stampless Covers: an Update by Donald A. Chafetz. The identification of the postmark types is based on Coles nomenclature. Plan of the Exhibit Pre Revolutionary War Revolutionary War Confederation Period Statehood Period Vol. 38/No NJPH

2 DEVELOPMENT OF MORRIS COUNTY MAIL SERVICE, Part I ~ Don Chafetz Hanover Pre Revolutionary War Dateline: August 28, 1760 Rowan County, NC Out of the mail Hanover, Morris County, East New Jersey Excerpt:...have not a letter from you since.. have been here......but we have received one from John and one from Michael Dateline: June 13, 1774 Richman Town, Torry County Out of the mail Morris County, East New Jersey Excerpt:...we received your letter by Mr. Gerus... NJPH 200 Vol. 38/No. 4

3 Don Chafetz ~ DEVELOPMENT OF MORRIS COUNTY MAIL SERVICE, Part I Revolutionary War Morristown Temporary Post Office January 5, August 27, 1778 December June 1780 Dateline: May 28, 1777 Morristown, NJ Military Express From: John Fitzgerald, Aide-de-Camp Boundbrook, NJ Excerpt: Places will be necessary for the Paymaster General & Adjutant General, also some places for the Post Office Master Postmark: 1777 Fredbg, VA miles - 2 dwt Headquarters, NJ additional 100 miles - 2 dwt Morristown encampment: July 3 - July 11, 1777 total - 4 dwt Brigadier General Woodford was present during the encampment Reference: Washingtons Forgotten Encampment, Carl B. Scherzer, p. 12 Vol. 38/No NJPH

4 DEVELOPMENT OF MORRIS COUNTY MAIL SERVICE, Part I ~ Don Chafetz Revolutionary War Morristown Dateline: February 25, 1778 Boston MS way - 6 dwt Forward: March 12, 1778 Fishkill NY under 400 miles - 6 dwt Forward: Morristown Post Office, NJ total - 12 dwt Headquartters (Valley Forge, PA) on Public Service From: John Fitzgerald, Aide-de-Camp Only non-archive reference to Morristown Post Office during this period NJPH 202 Vol. 38/No. 4

5 Revolutionary War Don Chafetz ~ DEVELOPMENT OF MORRIS COUNTY MAIL SERVICE, Part I Morristown Dateline: April 28, 1778 Surry County, NC Out of the mail To; Hanover Morris County, NJ with care favor of Mr Aron Carnel Excerpt:...I received a letter...by Aron Camel... Docket: Morristown, 1779 Out of the mail Morristown, NJ Vol. 38/No NJPH

6 DEVELOPMENT OF MORRIS COUNTY MAIL SERVICE, Part I ~ Don Chafetz Confederation Period Morristown Dateline: February 26, 1782 Wilkes County, NC Out of the mail Boontown, Morris County, NJ Excerpt:...I received your letter of the 25 th September Dateline: March 6, 1782 Trenton, NJ Out of the mail Jersey Camp, near Morristown, NJ NJPH 204 Vol. 38/No. 4

7 Confederation Period Don Chafetz ~ DEVELOPMENT OF MORRIS COUNTY MAIL SERVICE, Part I Morristown Dateline: April 17, 1782 Westfield, NJ Westfield to Morristown ( miles) - 2 dwt Albany, NY Morristown to Albany ( miles) - 2 dwt Route: Letter carried via the Grand Line of Post through Morristown total - 4 dwt Dateline: August 7, 1782 Philadelphia, PA Restored rate of September 30, 1775 Morristown, NJ miles - 2 dwt Vol. 38/No NJPH

8 DEVELOPMENT OF MORRIS COUNTY MAIL SERVICE, Part I ~ Don Chafetz Confederation Period Hanover / Dutch Valley Dateline: April 14, 1783 Miles County, NC Out of the mail Hanover, Morris County, NJ Excerpt:..I received your letter...by the hand of Clezbe Cobb... Dateline: June 14, 1788 Tortola, British Virgin Islands Transist: Ship to Philadelphia, PA Out of the mail Dutch Valley, NJ (west Morris County, NJ) favor by W. Rapalje Excerpt:...write to me by getting Mr. Rapalje to forward them by Captain Godwise w ho in the west India trade... Possible Explanation of Way Fee 3/4 Ship Letter 16 gr miles 2 dwt 00 gr Carrier way fee 20 gr Postal fee: total way 3 dwt 4 gr Way fee - Cover was given to a carrier on way from one office to another and rated at the next stop. It was rated from the point of pickup with an amount added to compensate the rider. Back: Please to forward this morrow if you please NJPH 206 Vol. 38/No. 4

9 NJPHS LITERATURE AVAILABLE postpaid from Robert G. Rose, NJPHS, One Jefferson Road, Parsippany, NJ , or for Paypal invoice. CD or hard copy: The Postal Markings Of New Jersey Stampless Covers: An Update by Donald A. Chafetz (2004) hardcopy, 28pp. or available on CD in.pdf format... Updates the extensive work of William C. Coles, with new markings and dates since that original work was published in 1983 Also available to members free as a downloadable file... CD only: Washington Organ Manufacturers on CD, by Len Frank 3 articles + many many illustrations not in NJPH, in Acrobat Reader [.PDF] format... A series of 3 articles on the advertising covers and history of the organ manufacturers of Washington, NJ, Adds a picture gallery of many covers not illustrated in those articles. Includes much paper ephemera as well. An impressive collection. Hard copy: Catalog of New Jersey Railway Postal Markings, 1984, Frederick D. MacDonald, 136pp.... Still the bible of New Jersey railway postmarks. A must for any RPO collector. Terminal markings Routes and cancels shown... Hard copy: Illustrated Directory of New Jersey 1847 Issue Covers, Brad Arch, ed., 1987, 44pp & Supplements... For the collector of the 1847 Issue, this book by Brad Arch is the comprehensive work on New Jersey covers 5 and 10 covers in separate sections Detailed descriptions of each cover, arranged by office of origin. Hard copy: New Jersey DPO's, Brad Arch, ed., 1981, 22pp, pocket sized Checklist of Discontinued Post Offices... THE pocket manual of New Jersey discontinued post offices, easy to transport and an excellent checklist Also available to members free as a downloadable file... Hard copy: New Jersey's Foreign Mail, 1997, Gerard J. Neufeld, 76pp.... A fine monograph on foreign mail to and from New Jersey in the 19 th Cent. Member price $10.00 Nonmembers Profusely illustrated Each cover explained CD: Mosher s NJ Private Express Companies... $10.00 $ compiled articles by Bruce Mosher on many aspects of private express mail in New Jersey with many color illustrations Previously unpublished material in lengthy postscript plus index CDs: Back issues of the NJPH Journal are available on CD for 2003 to 2008, at $5.00 $7.50 Each CD includes the 4 quarterly journals for one year, in color, pdf format each each CD: 2009 NJPH Issues on CD in.pdf format, many color illustrations... $5.00 $12.00 Members only: 2 back issue CDs, $8.00, 3 back issue CDs $12.00, 4 back issue CDs $15.00, 5 CDs $18, 6 CDs $22, all 7 CDs (including 2009) $25. (Also available to members free as a downloadable files) Non members: 2 back issue CDs, $12.00, 3 back issue CDs $15.00, 4 back issue CDs $18.00, 5 CDs $22, 6 CDs $28, all 7 back issue CDs (including 2009 CD), $35. Literature purchases may be made with Paypal us your choices for a Paypal invoice. DOWNLOADABLE FILES AVAILABLE FREE TO MEMBERS ONLY!* Brad Arch s handy DPO book available in Excel format (for hardcopy see above). FREE 2.95 Stampless Era Post Offices, based on Coles and the Coles Update in Excel format. FREE 2.95 Brennan, Lawrence, New Jersey Built Air Craft Carriers, a long series with many covers in PDF format. FREE Chafetz, Don Coles Update a supplement and update to Wm Coles study of New Jersey Stampless Markings, in pdf format. FREE 2.95 Chafetz, Don, Development of Morris County Mail Service a digital exhibit, PDF. FREE 4.99 Edge, Jack, Post Towns of Burlington County. All of Jack s Burlington series, as published in the pages of NJPH, compiled into one document, in PDF format. FREE 7.99 Edge, Jack, Postmasters of Burlington County. List of Burlington County postmasters from in Jack s Burlington series, in PDF format. FREE 4.99 Englund, Arne, New Jersey Summer Post Offices seasonal POs of NJ, in PDF. FREE Law, Mary E., The Postal History of Cape May County, NJ including postmaster list, published in NJPH between March 1993 through May 1994, PDF format. FREE 8.99 Walker, Jim, Hunterdon County Postal History, serialized articles , pdf FREE Peck, Len, Essays on Sussex County & New Jersey Postal History, articles , pdf FREE 9.95 * see our web site at for other files available free to the public 237 FREE $15.00 $7.50 $10.00 $7.50 $10.00 $4.00 $7.50 $3.00 $4.00 FREE $8.00 $10.00

10 THE NEW JERSEY POSTAL HISTORY SOCIETY LITERATURE AVAILABLE FOR IMMEDIATE DELIVERY, Post paid, send check to: Robert G. Rose, New Jersey Postal History Society, One Jefferson Road, Parsippany, NJ , or PayPal payment available with wants for Paypal invoice. Yearly NJPH issues on CD ( ) Plus other valuable studies on CD Literature purchases may be made by check (see above) or with Paypal us your choices to for a Paypal invoice. CD or hard copy: The Postal Markings Of New Jersey Stampless Covers: An Update by Donald A. Chafetz hardcopy, 28pp. or available as CD in Acrobat Reader [.PDF] format (2004)... Updates the extensive work of William C. Coles, with new markings and dates since that original work was published in 1983 CD: Bruce Mosher s NJ Private Express Companies compiled articles by Bruce Mosher on many aspects of private express mail in New Jersey Many color illustrations Previously unpublished material in lengthy postscript Alphabetical index CD: Washington NJ Organ Manufacturers on CD, by Len Frank - 3 articles + many illustrations not in NJPH, in Acrobat Reader [.PDF] format, A series of 3 articles on the advertising covers and history of the organ manufacturers of Washington, NJ, Adds a picture gallery of many covers not illustrated in those articles. Includes much paper ephemera as well. An astounding compilation of material. Visit our web site at: (see inside back cover for hard copy literature) Member price Nonmembers $10.00 $15.00 $10.00 $15.00 $7.50 $10.00