WESTERNEXPRESS Research Journal of Early Western Mails Vol. 67 No. 4 ¤ Whole No. 266 ¤ December 2017 ¤ Unit No. 14 , American Philatelic Society Quarterly Publication of the Western Cover Society TABLE OF CONTENTS President’s Message, etc................1 The San Francisco News Letter 1856-1858 By Scott R. Trepel.............................5 Top of the World: California’s Highest Post Office and Access to Yosemite’s High Country Ryan Baum.....................................17 Contents of the Cover By David F. New.............................35 Several Pages from a Western Express Exhibit By George Kramer..........................37 EXPRESS ¤ OVERLAND ¤ TERRITORIAL ¤ POSTAL RATES ¤ OCEAN MAIL ¤ POST OFFICES ¤ STATEHOOD ¤ POSTAL HISTORY Recent Awards APS StampShow 2009 (Pittsburgh, PA) - GOLD Chicagopex 2009 (Arlington Heights, IL) - GOLD MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION If you collect Western Express covers, Territorials, Town cancellations, or anything pertaining to the mails of the Old West, you are invited to join the Western Cover Society and enjoy meeting other collectors. Western Express (ISSN 0510-2332) is published quarterly (March-June-September-December) by the Western Cover Society, which is a not-for-profit 501 (C-3) tax exempt organization. Western Cover Society seeks to fulfill its charitable and educational mission through the publication of books and journals. All contributions above the basic subscription rate are tax deductible and will go to support publication of material. The annual membership in the society includes a subscription to Western Express. All who share an interest are invited to join. Annual membership is $35.00 per year. Membership application and back issues can be obtaining by contacting Robert Chandler at our web site, www.westerncoversociety.com. Claims for missing issues made within six months will be serviced free of charge. All photographs and published material are assumed to be the copyright of the Western Cover Society unless the copyright is retained by the author. Contact the Secretary for copyright permission or the author where noted. Photocopy permission for non- resale classroom usage is freely given. Western Cover Society does not accept responsibility for views expressed in articles or advertisements that appear in the pages of Western Express. It provides opportunities for publication of material that may represent ideas, judgments and opinions. The publication of articles or advertisements should not be construed to promote collecting or establish pricing of material that is in private hands. Send manuscripts to the editor for publication consideration. All manuscripts are subject to peer review. Lifetime Membership $500.00 one time Patron Membership $75.00 per year Sustaining Membership $50.00 per year Active Membership $35.00 per year Foreign Memberships require an additional $35.00 per year postage, in addition to any membership fee noted above Send application with appropriate check to: Western Cover Society Robert Chandler, Secretary 430 Ponderosa Court Lafayette, CA 94549 Please state your collecting interests. Your application will be acted upon at the next meeting of the Board of Directors. ————————————————————————————————————————————————————- Advertising rates, per issue: Full page $150.00, half page $85.00, quarter page $50.00 Four consecutive insertions, paid in advance: Full page $550.00, half page $300.00, quarter page $175.00 Submit ads to the General Editor: Ken Stach, PO Box 6; Letcher, SD 57359 ([email protected]) Copyright 2017 by the Western Cover Society ISSN 0510-2332 Western Express December, 2017 President’s Message Larry Rausch, #1561 Submitted by Michael Perlman Rochester, NY [email protected] This issue of the Western Express contains some great articles. We are fortunate that one of those Fish Colgate #1560 articles is a tremendous piece of original research by Ocean Isle Beach, NC Scott Trepel. “The San Francisco News Letter 1856 [email protected] -1858” is a full analysis of the history of the A member of the Postal Stationary Society and Newsletter as well as its publisher, Frederick loves collecting. Marriott. Like many of you, I have seen Newsletter covers come up in auctions and never realized the production changes that occurred with these folded Treasurer’s Report letters. Scott has done an amazing job of piecing Submitted by Ryan Baum together the story behind the covers. Nice job Scott. The Western Cover Society remains strong because While still five months away, I would like to remind of your continued membership and financial everyone that Westpex 2018 will be held on April support. We currently have over $67,000 in the 27th – 29th at the San Francisco Airport Marriott. bank. Shortly after you receive this journal, we will We will be holding our annual board meeting on be sending the membership renewals for 2018. You Friday evening and our presentation will be on may wish to consider "joining for life" so that you Saturday morning. Our speaker this coming year need not ever pay again! For our members located outside the United States, please remember the will be Scott Prior, who has written a number of additional USD $50 annual fee to cover postage, terrific articles for us. Please plan your travel even for our fellow collectors in Canada and arrangements in advance. It would be a shame to Mexico. Our base membership dues offset journal miss the premiere show in Philately. printing costs and the additional international mailing fee covers the additional postage. Also, as a favor, please reply to the first dues renewal notice Secretary’s Report since that will save postage and printing for second Submitted by Robert Chandler or third notices. Under John Drew’s leadership, WCS members The year has gone by so quickly, I didn't have as gather on the last Friday of the month at the much opportunity to visit historic sites as I had Marines’ Memorial at 609 Sutter Street, San wanted. I was able to spend Veterans Day with my Francisco. The last gathering on Friday, October 27 son, his friend, and the friend's father visiting had the following in attendance: Dale and Edie Columbia, California. If you haven't visited, it is a Eggen, Schuyler Rumsey, John Carpenter, Bob and fun state park with restored shops and buildings as it Sue Chandler, Mike Serdy, Ken Harrison, John was 150 years ago. The Wells Fargo office is Drew, Matt Kewriga, and Dennis Hassler. Please famous for its second story balcony and bold Wells try to attend if you are in the area! Fargo name painted on the inside back wall. When its doors are open, it presents an inviting view of We are delighted to welcome three new members: what an express office actually was. It was the father who was most interested. He had never Gary Clarke, #1562 panned for gold. On our way home, we stopped by Prince George , BC, Canada Knights Ferry on the Stanislaus River and [email protected] panned. Despite being downstream of a reservoir, Collecting Interest: BC Express mail and Gold we were able to find two pinpoint size grains of Rush mail gold. He was hooked! My goal for next year is to get him to join Western Express. 1 Western Express December, 2017 Despite my not getting to many locations this past forty years of collecting the area, I’ve yet to find a fall, I was able to spend some time at home reading type that he did not record. Furthermore, it has only and doing some research. I would like to hear more been within the last year that I’ve actually seen two of your research and interests. Ken Stach can of the varieties he documented in his 1988 article. I always use more material for content. I can vouch was beginning to wonder if they really existed! that he makes the submission process easy and is a master at making the material and content look My aim has been to research Clarke’s and the other wonderful. I hope you are willing to share your Black Hills expresses from original source research soon with us, too. documents and properly write it all up. I’ve found this task easier said than done. I grew bleary eyed a Best wishes for the Holiday Season and the year ago looking at and copying/printing microfilm upcoming New Year! of early Black Hills newspapers at the State Archives in Pierre. I’ve hired a research helper in the Nebraska State Archives to garner me what Editor’s Message information could be found from “their Submitted by Ken Stach side” (Clarke’s Express ran from Sidney, Nebraska into the Black Hills of Dakota Territory). One of my years-long projects has been to research the expresses that ran into the Black Hills of my I expect all this to culminate in an appropriate home state, South Dakota. Len Persson wrote an article for Western Express sometime this winter article for Western Express that appeared in our (likely during one of our famous prairie blizzards). July, 1988 issue entitled “The Franks of Clarke’s While there may not be a blizzard this winter in Centennial Express,” Clarke’s being one of the your part of the world, I hope that you find the time expresses that ran into the Black Hills during the to write up your favorite topic for our journal. We gold rush of the 1870s. Len’s article focused welcome a variety of articles, as evidenced by this primarily on the colorful, informative and elaborate issue. Please submit your draft article directly to printed franks of entrepreneur Henry Tefft Clarke. me, or to the appropriate section editor noted on the And, Len did a great job of documenting the various following page. Thanks, and have a wonderful types of printed franks used by Clarke. In fact, in Holiday Season! One of your editor’s favorite covers.