LOUISIANA Town Postmark Dates Seen Size • Color • Value LOUISIANA moved overland to its destination. Louisiana postal markings begin with early handstamps ap- INCLUDING ORLEANS TERRITORY plied by the Spanish to private letters (only three are record- AND REPUBLIC OF WEST FLORIDA ed: 1790, 1792 and 1793). One other Spanish colonial letter bearing a postmark, a manuscript “Nova Iberia” (1802) has POPULATION been located in an archival holding. In addition, several docu- ments bearing the fancy oval “NUEVA ORLEANS” handstamp 1769 – 13,500 1830 – 216,000 which was “resurrected” and used (1799-1 803) as an impri- 1803 – 50,000 1840 – 352,000 matur on ship manifests and as an unrated frank (free frank) 1810 – 77,000 1850 – 518,000 on wrappers endorsed “Reg’(is)tro . que el cargo . se 1820 – 133,000 1860 – 708,000 despacha de este P(or)to de la N(uev)a Orl(eans) . “ have been recorded (see note in listings below). Four of the five ex- FRENCH COLONIAL PERIOD amples recorded bear an additional endorsement, “franco . .Carlos Perez” or “franco/Marin”; each handstamp and official 1718 - 1762 endorsement together representing the free frank and impri- matur of a postal administrator (postmaster and [?] customs Le Sieur de Bienville founded the French colony of Loui- agent) at Nueva Orleans. We interpret these documents as siana in 1718 and established the city of Nouvelle Orleans wrappers covering “registered” cargo manifests officially en- which became its capital in 1723. No postal markings are dorsed and sent forward along with the ship and its cargo. known from French colonial Louisiana. Way and rate markings listed below under Spanish West SPANISH COLONIAL PERIOD Florida (1807-1810) actually were U.S. markings applied to the letters carried by the United States postal service operat- 1762 - 1803 ing into and across Spanish territory. No Spanish postal mark- ings have been recorded during this latter period. Late in the French and Indian War (which ended disastrous- ly for the French), the “Isle of Orleans” and the colony of Lou- THE LOUISIANA PURCHASE isiana lying west of the Mississippi River were ceded to Spain in 1762 by the secret Treaty of Fountainebleau (made public, 1803 Treaty of Paris, 1763) - thus part of an alliance of France with Spain against the British. The Spanish Colonial period lasted Soon after the Louisiana Purchase, the vast region was sub- until 1803 after Spain retroceded Louisiana to France by the divided into two major territories, the District of Louisiana to secret Treaty of San Ildefonso (1800), a draft later confirmed the north of the 33rd parallel and the Territory of Orleans to the by two subsequent treaties (March 1801 and October 1802) south (October 1 ,1804). The eastern and western boundaries with Spain retaining control of the region until late November of this latter area, generally known as Orleans Territory, re- 1803. Napoleon Bonaparte then hastened to sell Louisiana to mained in dispute until the United States made good its claim the United States and the official transfer took place on De- to that portion of West Florida between the Mississippi and cember 20, 1803. the Pearl rivers in 1810 and 1819 when Spain relinquished its claims to lands east of the Sabine River (after statehood, During Spanish control, written communications were car- 1812). The northern area became the Territory of Louisiana ried by official courier between the various Spanish settle- on July 4, 1805 and on December 7, 1812 was redesignated ments within the province of Louisiana, but it is apparent that the Territory of Missouri. West Florida was Spanish until 1810 such official mail was not marked as no postal markings on of- when after a brief period (late 1810) as the Republic of West ficial letters are known except for the single letter from “NUE- Florida it became an unorganized U.S. territory. Finally, the VA ORLEANS” (1793), addressed outside the province, to the western portion was added to Orleans Territory which was ad- governor of Santiago de Cuba, now preserved in the Museo mitted to the Union as Louisiana, the eighteenth state on April Postal Cubano in Havana (official mail or a private letter?). Lit- 30, 1812. tle is known about the postal system within the colony of Lou- isiana under Spanish rule, but it is clear that Spanish author- EARLY POST OFFICES ities cooperated with merchants to use both government and private boats to carry communications between New Orleans Orleans Territorial Post Offices in order of establishment: and settlements up river as far as St. Louis, Upper Louisiana New Orleans, (Bayou) Manchac, Alexandria (Rapide Settle- and as far east as Pensacola in West Florida. One historian ment), Caddy’s Ferry, Cataho(u)la, Concord, Natchitoches, (Nasatir, Abraham, P., 1968, p.58) notes that “on occasion a Opelousas, Balize, Donaldsontown (later LaFourche), At- mail service and special expresses were established between takapas (St. Martinsville), Fort St. Philip, Carlin Settlement, St. posts . Gayoso de Lemos believed that the most rapid mail Helena, Washita (Ouachita), St. John’s Plains, Baton Rouge, service was a combination of express pirogue and overland St. Francisville, Godberry’s Tavern (County Acadia), Madison- special service on horseback”. In addition, numerous other ville. (non-official) letters were carried privately by a variety of meth- ods within the region and through the port of New Orleans by SPANISH COLONIAL PERIOD ship to the outside world. As none of these bear any post- marks or rate markings from the province of Louisiana they 1763 - 1803 are not listed here. Such letters were placed in the hands of forwarding agents at Pensacola or other points or actually en- *Nova lberia(Oct. 31, 1802;Ms;Black) .................-- tered the mails at the first United States post office reached by NUEVA/ORLEANS(April 19, 1790;C-25;Red) ......10,000+ the messenger who carried the letter(s). Late in the Spanish NUEVA/ORLEANS(E)(Oct. 24, 1792;laureated Colonial period, United States post offices such as Natchez oval-38x28;Red)..........................10,000+ and Fort Adams in the then new Mississippi Territory (estab- *(L)(--,1793) ...................................-- lished May 7, 1798) drew some letters directed to the United NUEVA/ORLEANS(E)(April 20, 1799;laureated States away from outbound ships in New Orleans; such mail oval-38x28;imprimatur/free frank;Red)...........4,000 (L)(March 31, 1803;YNDIAS) . .5,000 1 LOUISIANA Town Postmark Dates Seen Size • Color • Value Town Postmark Dates Seen Size • Color • Value See text above for explanation of these markings. (L)(June 30, 1804) ...........................2,000 *N Orleans*(May 27, 1804;SL-49x5,MDD;Black)......2,000 SPANISH WEST FLORIDA N.Orleans(June 30, 1804;Ms;Black).................600 N Orl*(E)(July 7, 1804;SL-25x5,M*DD;Black) ........2,250 before April 30, 1812 (L)(Aug. 25, 1804)............................2,250 N*Orl*(E)(Sept. 1, 1804;SL-25x5,MDD;FREE[red]; The portion of French Louisiana east of the Mississippi ex- Black) ....................................2,250 cept for the “Isle of Orleans” was relinquished by France to *(L)(Sept. 29, 1804) ..........................2,250 Great Britain along with the Floridas by the 1763 Treaty of Paris. After the American Revolution, the “rights” passed from DISTRICT OF LOUISIANA Britain to the United States. Spain denied this claim and, in 1781, Bernardo de Galvez captured Natchez and claimed it October 1, 1804 - July 5, 1805 and the Floridas for Spain. By the 1783 Treaty of Paris, the United States claimed the 31st parallel as its southern bound- TERRITORY OF LOUISIANA ary. Spain accepted the 31st parallel as its northern boundary in 1795 (Pinckney Treaty) but did not evacuate Natchez until July 4, 1805 - December 6, 1812 United States troops arrived in 1798. West Florida remained under Spanish control until 1810 when, after a revolution, the See Missouri section for these listings. short lived Republic of West Florida was established (Sept. 26, to Dec. 10, 1810). Afterward, this area became an unor- ORLEANS TERRITORY “TERRITORIAL PERIOD” ganized territory of the United States and, finally, the western part was attached to Orleans Territory and became part of the October 1, 1804 - April 30, 1812 State of Louisiana (April 30, 1812). On October 1, 1804, the Territory of Orleans was estab- NEW ORLEANS(ornament above & below date)(E) lished, including the portion of the former province of Louisi- (March 29, 1807; C-28;Way paid,Way PAID[ms]; ana lying south of the 33rd parallel and west of the Mississip- Black) .....................................350 pi River together with the “Isle of Orleans”. Early postmarks (L)(Feb. 27, 1810;WAY;Black)....................350 include straightline handstamps from Balize (French buoy or beacon), a pilot station/settlement at the junction of Southeast REPUBLIC OF WEST FLORIDA and Northeast passes where a post office was established to intercept mail from incoming ships and levy inland postage September 26 to December 10, 1810 from Balize to New Orleans (a river distance of about one hun- dred miles) and add to it the two cents ship fee (thus, 14-1/2 In late 1810, the Republic of West Florida was established cents single, 27 cents double rate). after a revolt in Spanish West Florida, following which this area became an unorganized territory of the United States. BALIZE(dots or dash before or after name)(E) Finally, the western part was attached to Orleans Territory (Sept. 13, 1807;SL-25x5,with or without MDD; which became the State of Louisiana on April 30, 1812. SHIP;Red) . 4,500 (L)(Sept. --, 1808) ............................4,500 NEW ORLEANS( ornament above & below date) (E)(Nov. 8, 1807,SL-25x5,with or without MDD; (E)(Nov. 2, 1810;C-28;Way paid[ms];Black)........400 SHIP;Black) . .4,500 *(L)(Nov.