February - March 2002 Volume 33, Number 1 Whole Number 193 IN THIS ISSUE: Montana Territorial Postmarks Part 5: Jefferson and Judith Basin Counties By Wesley N. Shellen & Francis Dunn ....... 10 LA POSTA: A JOURNAL The Postmasters General of the United States, 1775-1971 OF AMERICAN POSTAL By Daniel Y. Meschter .......... 19 Registration at Philadelphia Part 2 HISTORY By Tom Clarke .......... 27 Postal Markings of North Dakota Territory 33470 Chinook Plaza, Suite 216, Part XVI: Stutsman and Towner Counties Scappoose, OR 97056 By Mike Ellingson .......... 41 Website: www.la-posta.com The 1906 San Francisco Earthquake and Fire—Recent Discoveries, Part 3 Publisher: Richard W. Helbock By Randy Stehle .......... 47 Associate Editors: Henry Berthelot Tom Clarke 19th Century Fort-to-Fort Correspondence Rod Crossley Michael Dattolico By Michael Dattolico .......... 51 Martin Margulis Bob Munshower Dennis H. Pack Robert G. Schultz A Boxer Rebellion American Randy Stehle Missionary Letter Advertising Manager: Cathy R. Clark By Albert H. Tetrault .......... 56 COVER: Our cover illustrates a portion of a stereo The Post Offices of Letcher County, optican card published by Underwood & Underwood Kentucky titled “A crude post-office–reorganizing the mail service By Robert M. Rennick .......... 58 after the earthquake/San Francisco, Cal.” The card was discovered recently by Randy Stehle and is discussed in his article in this issue. Hat Rock, Oregon By Victor I. Case .......... 67 La Posta: A Journal of American Postal History is published six times a year with issues mailed on or about the 20th of February, April, June, August, October and December. Persons wishing additional information about advertising, manuscript Newly Documented Alaska Postal EKU submittals or subscription should contact the publisher at 33470 Chinook Plaza, By Don Glickstein .......... 69 Suite 216, Scappoose, OR 97056 SUBSCRIPTION RATES: A Really Big $2 Prexie Cover .......... 70 U. S. A. - $20.00 per annum (6 issues) CANADA - $28(US) per annum (6 issues) Also Miscellaneous Columns, Notes OVERSEAS - $32.00 per annum surface and Announcements - $55.00 per annum airmail 2 March 2002 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 Kenton Forrest Orville Mohr Frank Von Borstel Gary Anderson Dale Forster Jack E. Molesworth Howard A. Wallace Bill Arata Stamp Company Myron Fox E. F. (Al) Mueller M. Lauck Walton Archives International LLC John J. Germann John G. Mullen Ronald A. Wankel “A. A. Armstrong, Jr. MD” Glenn Gholston Robert Myerson Dr. Ronald A. Ward Jon K. Arndt C. Dorance Gibbs Burnham S. Neill Roy Ware Dennis K. Austin Michael Goldstein Ray L. Newburn Jr. John Weigle Ted Bahry Max A. Gors Francis E.W. Ogle Edward Weinberg Mark T. Baker Ted Gruber Arthur E. Olson Larry Weinstock Kendall Lee Ballard Seely Hall Jr. Douglas Olson Kenneth L. White Jacob M. Bard Larry J. Haller Robert Omberg C. Michael Wiedemann Richard Bard Jr. Kenneth L. Hamlin Bruce E. Panek Kirk Wolford Edmund Bashista John T. Hardy Jr. Richard H. Parker John Wright Rex J. Bates Wayne Hassell Alan Parsons Richard Wyman Henry F. Battestin Jr. Thomas Hayes Donald R. Pearson Nicholas Zevos William H. Bauer Bruce Hazelton Eugene T. Peterson Robert A. Beall Dr. Edwin J. Helitzer Hans Pohler Arthur E. Beane Jr. Gary G. Hendren Rev. Elwood S. Poore John E. Beane MD H. Stanton Hill “Louis Prahar, Rt 1 Box 620” John W. Becker Dorlon Himber Stephen Prigozy John Beirne Terence Hines Robert Quintero William R. Beith Joseph A. Holzman Mrs. Beatrice Rainier Bary D. Bender Victor Horadam MD James H. Raley Dr. Steven J. Berlin B. Clyde Hutchinson Peter J. Rathwell Dr. Steven J. Berlin James H. Inverarity Robert D. Rawlins Henry J. Berthelot James D. Jacobitz MD Byron L. Reed Donald G. Beuthel Stefan T. Jaronski Louis A. Repetto John Bigart Jonathan L. Johnson Jr. Robley D. Rhine Dr. W.Wallace Bilyeu Al E. Jones Norman N. Ritchie James B. Blandford Gordon E. Katz Hal Ross Thomas V. Boettger Phil Kay Vincent A. Ross Eppe Bosch Robert Keatts Millard H. Ruether Deane R. Briggs M.D. Curtis R. Kimes Roger Rydberg John Broberg Lucien S. Klein Edmund J. Schenck Jr. Roger S. Brody Kenneth Kloss Schmitt Investors Ltd. William E. Brooks Daniel M. Knowles M.D. Neil C. Schroeder Dan Brouillette Kelly J. Krizan MD Robert G. Schultz Mike Brown Jon E. Krupnick Joseph Sedivy Stuart R. Brown Alfred F. Kugel Michael Senta MD Dr. Kenneth E. Burden Richard E. Kunz “Terry Shaw, Unit 1009” Elmer Campbell Floyd Kunzwiler Timothy M. Sheehan E. B. Cantey Jr. William O. Kvale Wesley N. Shellen Thomas E. Caton Walter P. LaForce Gina Sheridan Thomas E. Chastang Edward C. LaFountain James E. Shew C. Robert Chow Dick Laird “David J. Simmons, The Dorchester” Clay’s Covers Curt J. Lamm Donald T. Smith Louis Cohen Eliot A. Landau Rev. Fred K. Smyithe Stephen E. Cohen Russell Lang Al Soth Giles R. Cokelet Robert M. Langer John W. Spangler David C. Collyer Peter Larson Gus Spector M.D. Philip C. Cooley Howard Lee Duane Spidle Bruce L. Corey James E. Lee Stanley Spurgiesz Joe H. Crosby Arnold A. Leiter Uncle Sam S&C Ken Stach Rod Crossley Brian P. Levy Thomas E. Stanton Raymond A. Currier Richard A. Long Randy Stehle Richard F. Curtin Robert Lorenz Seymour B. Stiss Matt Dakin Thomas H.. Luellen Robert Stoldal Doug DeRoest Dr. Dennis J. Lutz W. L. Strauss Carl R. Ditsch Millard Mack Bob Summerell Lee Drickamer Larry Dean Maddux P.L.S. Robert A. Svoboda Joseph E. DuBois Howard A. Mader John & Nina Swanson Robert M. Ebiner Richard Malmgren Stephen T. Taylor Bernard J. Eddy Oscar R. Marsh Robert Tepe Craig Eggleston Peter Martin The Postal History Foundation Stephen W. Ekstrom Bernard D. Mayer Jr. Donald G. Thompson Jim Elin Thomas C. Mazza Don Tocher Mike Ellingson Larry McBride Thomas K. Todsen David M. Ellis David R. McCord Allan Tomey Roland H. Ensz R.J. McEwen William Jay Treat Alyce & Don Evans William T. McGreer Ron Trosclair Arthur R. Everett Robert G. Metcalf Joseph A. Turek Richard Farquhar Jewell L. Meyer Mort D. Turner Ronald W. Finger Steven Miedziak James O. Vadeboncoeur Sidney Fingerhood Lynn I. Minneman Tonny E. Van Loij La Posta March 2002 3 PUBLISHER'S PAGE An Exciting End to 2001 The big question everyone must answer when faced Cath and I closed out the old year with a good deal with a bushfire is do we stay more excitement and discomfort than we had antici- and fight it to save our home, pated. On Christmas Eve a very hot dry wind began or do we evacuate well in to blow from the west turning our surrounding euca- advance and save what we lypt forests into tinder dry, oil-saturated kindling. Light- consider irreplaceable? In ning strikes from a dry electrical storm the night be- rural New South Wales all fore ignited the bushlands some 25 miles to our north. the firefighters, with only a As we watched in amazement a huge gray plume of few minor exceptions in smoke began to billow skyward somewhere to our some of the larger towns, north up the coastal range. are volunteers. They are The temperatures climbed to well over 35C (95F) that wonderful, giving men and day. Christmas Day was a carbon copy. Suddenly the women who risk their lives without pay to save, in television news was giving round-the-clock coverage order of announced priority, their neighbors lives, prop- to the bushfire emergency that had broken out in the erty and whatever else is in danger. They recommend Blue Mountains some 50 miles inland from Sydney. that residents remain with their property and prepare Conditions in Sydney and elsewhere in New South to fight the fire until asked by the local bushfire bri- Wales were as bad or worse than they were here, gade to evacuate. Cath and I decided that we would and fires started by both natural and manmade causes follow their recommendation, but I must confess that were beginning to pop up in many places. on Saturday I packed up six cartons containing those On Boxing Day, the day after Christmas, fires had sections of my postal history collections I felt I abso- begun burning dangerously close to homes in some of lutely could not bear to see destroyed. This, by the the outer Sydney suburbs. Our local fires continued way, was a really interesting exercise that has since to burn out of control in national park and state forest caused me to question why I am still hanging on to lands to our north. We were plagued by a thick, chok- bits and pieces of postal history that I could bear to ing smoke at night when the winds died down, but see destroyed. Saturday evening we drove down to were otherwise not in danger. the Chatsworth Island General Store. The storekeep- ers and a few neighbors were gathered around a pic- Day after day during the week between Christmas nic table beside the North Arm of the Clarence watch- and New Years the situation got worse. The interna- ing the fire burn through forest lands on a hill just across tional news media picked up the story and we sud- the river. That hill was the next hill to the north of our denly began getting emails from concerned family and hill, and the fire was burning just two to three miles to friends. Thanks, friends, it was reassuring and won- our north.