A Journal of American Postal History
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June - July 2001 Volume 32, Number 3 Whole Number 189 IN THIS ISSUE: Montana Territorial Postmarks Part 1: Beaverhead County LA POSTA: A JOURNAL By Wesley N. Shellen & Francis Dunn ......... 9 Early Air Mail and Aviation in Southern California OF AMERICAN POSTAL Chapter IV: Airfields and Air Mail Routes (1914-1927) HISTORY By Don L. Evans .......... 17 Postal Markings of Washington, DC Stations Part VII 33470 Chinook Plaza, Suite 216, By Carl Steig.......... 27 Scappoose, OR 97056 The Guam Guard Mail Project Website: www.la-posta.com By Michael Dattolico .......... 39 Publisher: Richard W. Helbock The 1906 San Francisco Earthquake and Associate Editors: Fire—Recent Discoveries Henry Berthelot Tom Clarke Part 1 Rod Crossley Michael Dattolico By Randy Stehle.......... 46 Martin Margulis Bob Munshower Dennis H. Pack James Patterson Postal Markings of North Dakota Territory Part XIII: Renville and Richland County Robert G. Schultz Randy Stehle By Mike Ellingson .......... 52 Advertising Manager: Cathy R. Clark Microcosms of Life, in a Letter COVER: Our cover illustrates the busy main street of By Tom Clarke .......... 58 Helena, Montana, during its territorial days. The image is intended to call attention to the launch of a new series by Wes Shellen and Francis Dunn which will catalog and A Cover with Its Own Postmark Collection illustrate the territorial postmarks of Montana By Dennis Pack and LaMar Peterson ....... 64 La Posta: A Journal of American Postal History is published six times a year The Hazards of Collecting the Mail with issues mailed on or about the 20th of February, April, June, August, October and December. Persons wishing additional information about ad- “On the Fly” vertising, manuscript submittals or subscription should contact the pub- By Daniel Y. Meschter .......... 68 lisher at 33470 Chinook Plaza, Suite 216, Scappoose, OR 97056 SUBSCRIPTION RATES: Mesilla – Arizona! July 26, 1861 - U. S. A. - $20.00 per annum (6 issues) May 8?, 1862 CANADA - $28(US) per annum (6 issues) By Thomas K. Todsen .......... 69 OVERSEAS - $32.00 per annum surface - $55.00 per annum airmail West Virginia Research Papers (Rippon) By Alyce Evans .......... 70 2 July 2001 La Posta LA POSTA SUSTAINING SUBSCRIBERS The following individuals and institutions have contributed financial assistance to La Posta in excess of their subscriptions. We are indebted to them for their generous support. Without it La Posta could not continue to exist. Joseph J. Adamski Alyce & Don Evans Doug Marty Thomas E. Stanton Gary Anderson Arthur R. Everett Bernard D. Mayer Jr. Randy Stehle Kirk Andrews Ronald W. Finger Thomas C. Mazza Seymour B. Stiss Archives International LLC Sidney Fingerhood Larry McBride Robert Stoldal A. A. Armstrong, Jr. MD Kenton Forrest David R. McCord Bill Strauss Jon K. Arndt Dale Forster R.J. McEwen Bob Summerell Ausdenmore-McFarlane Stamps/ Myron Fox William T. McGreer Robert A. Svoboda Covers John J. Germann Robert G. Metcalf John & Nina Swanson Ted Bahry James S. Gerson J. L. Meyer Robert Tepe Mark T. Baker Glenn Gholston Steven Miedziak The Postal History Foundation Kendall Lee Ballard C. Dorance Gibbs John Milewski Jr. Donald G. Thompson Jacob M. Bard Michael Goldstein Lynn I. Minneman Don Tocher Richard Bard Jr. Max A. Gors Orville Mohr Allan Tomey Edmund Bashista Ted Gruber Jack E. Molesworth William Jay Treat Rex J. Bates Seely Hall Jr. Steven R. Morehead Ron Trosclair Henry F. Battestin Jr. Larry J. Haller E. F. (Al) Mueller Joseph A. Turek William H. Bauer Kenneth L. Hamlin John G. Mullen Mort D. Turner Robert A. Beall John T. Hardy Jr. Neill D. Mullen James O. Vadeboncoeur Arthur E. Beane Jr. Wayne Hassell Robert Myerson Tonny E. Van Loij John W. Becker Loyal M. Haun Burnham S. Neill Frank Von Borstel John Beirne Thomas Hayes Eric A. Nelson Howard A. Wallace William R. Beith Bruce Hazelton Ray L. Newburn Jr. M. Lauck Walton Bary D. Bender Dr. Edwin J. Helitzer Francis E.W. Ogle Ronald A. Wankel Dr. Steven J. Berlin Gary G. Hendren Ronald Olin MD Dr. Ronald A. Ward Dr. Steven J. Berlin Stephen F. Herzick Jr. Arthur E. Olson Roy Ware Henry J. Berthelot H. Stanton Hill Douglas Olson John Weigle Donald G. Beuthel Dorlon Himber Robert Omberg Edward Weinberg John Bigart Joseph A. Holzman Bruce E. Panek Larry Weinstock Dr. W.Wallace Bilyeu B. Clyde Hutchinson Richard H. Parker Kenneth L. White James B. Blandford James H. Inverarity Alan Parsons William P. Winter Thomas V. Boettger James D. Jacobitz MD Donald R. Pearson Kirk Wolford Eppe Bosch Stefan T. Jaronski Eugene T. Peterson John Wright Bruce J. Branson Jonathan L. Johnson Jr. Hans Pohler Richard Wyman Deane R. Briggs M.D. Al E. Jones Rev. Elwood S. Poore Nicholas Zevos John Broberg Gordon E. Katz Stephen Prigozy Roger S. Brody Phil Kay Robert Quintero William E. Brooks Robert Keatts Mrs. Beatrice Rainier Dan Brouillette James E. Kenney James H. Raley Mike Brown Curtis R. Kimes Peter J. Rathwell Dr. Kenneth E. Burden Lucien S. Klein Robert D. Rawlins James W. Busse Kenneth Kloss Byron L. Reed Elmer Campbell Floyd M. Knell Louis A. Repetto E. B. Cantey Jr. Fredrick D. Knoche Robley D. Rhine Thomas E. Caton Daniel M. Knowles M.D. Hal Ross Thomas E. Chastang Kelly J. Krizan MD Vincent A. Ross C. Robert Chow Alfred F. Kugel Millard H. Ruether Clay’s Covers Richard E. Kunz Roger Rydberg Louis Cohen Floyd Kunzwiler Leonard G. Sautter Stephen E. Cohen William O. Kvale Edmund J. Schenck Jr. Giles R. Cokelet Walter P. LaForce Schmitt Investors Ltd. David C. Collyer Edward C. LaFountain Michael E. Schnee Philip C. Cooley Curt J. Lamm Neil C. Schroeder Bruce L. Corey Eliot A. Landau Robert G. Schultz Joe H. Crosby Russell Lang Joseph Sedivy Rod Crossley Robert M. Langer Michael Senta MD Raymond A. Currier Peter Larson Terry Shaw, Unit 1009 Richard F. Curtin Howard Lee Timothy M. Sheehan Matt Dakin James E. Lee Wesley N. Shellen H. J. W. Daugherty Arnold A. Leiter Uncle Sam S&C Gina Sheridan John DeNault Brian P. Levy James E. Shew Doug DeRoest Richard A. Long David J. Simmons Carl R. Ditsch Robert Lorenz Donald T. Smith Lee Drickamer Thomas H.. Luellen Rev. Fred K. Smyithe Joseph E. DuBois Dr. Dennis J. Lutz Al Soth Robert M. Ebiner Millard Mack John W. Spangler Craig Eggleston Larry Dean Maddux P.L.S. Gus Spector M.D. Stephen W. Ekstrom Howard A. Mader Keith R. Spencer Jim Elin Richard Malmgren Duane Spidle Mike Ellingson Oscar R. Marsh Stanley Spurgiesz David M. Ellis Peter Martin Ken Stach La Posta July 2001 3 PUBLISHER'S PAGE Our Publisher’s Page this issue has been turned of which perhaps bore colorful pictorial cachets, or over to Associate Editor Tom Clarke for some maybe just plain #65’s. But they’re no longer in evi- timely thoughts concerning the trading of postal dence. Where are they? Perhaps the seller is not to history and letter communications artifacts over blame, for the letter may have been embraced on de- the internet. As this electronic market place livery and stored away by a loved one soon after the continues to grow, we are seeing more and more of envelope, markings and all, was discarded into the the total volume of trade in postal history material fire. shifting away from traditional outlets such as On the other hand, sometimes we look up “Cover” stamp shops and dealer bourses. The broader and are very pleased to find that the item offhandedly implications of this new method of doing business “also contains the original letter.” Proof positive that have received scant attention in the philatelic it is difficult for the untrained, as well as some col- press, and we believe it is important to do what we lectors, to decide which is the more important aspect. can to shine more light on this arena. This is a big disadvantage to the seller, since, undeni- ably, some feel that covers listed confidently and com- eBay and ‘broken correspondence’ petently along with their contents, will bring better by Tom Clarke money out of appreciation for their completeness. Anyone familiar with eBay’s auction of postal his- A Web Site Needed tory items recognizes that there is a small and grow- Is anyone up to building a simple web site whose sole ing market there for everything from 15th century Ital- purpose is to reunite enclosures with their covers? ian folded letters to numerous 1980s’ “old and valu- The letter portion would contain check boxes for the able” First Day Covers. state (or unknown) along with the important dateline On the dark side, though, is the realization that some information, along with any proper names or events sellers see that money is to be made by removing let- mentioned. There should also be a set of check boxes ters from their original envelopes. Some remove the for categories of content, such as soldier letter, busi- communication half from the address leaf of folded ness-tobacco merchant, doctor, lawyer, bereaved letters. This way, each is sold separately amid glow- mother, ship captain, student, etc. ing words of “history in your hands” and other blus- The cover portion would equally contain check boxes ter. for states, county, and city, and a fill in area for the For the reader who is a postal historian and who si- addressee’s name and also for any docketing data or multaneously collects for the contents of their folded names. It would be nice to have thumbnail pictures letters and covers as well as the exterior postal data, of the covers to help bridge any intangible areas of this is a very dismal prospect.