MGJ Postal History

Letter to merchant John Morrill placing an order for leather to be used for buggy seats.  John J. Morrill was owner of a general store and a prominent citizen of Gilford, NH.  This is one of four letters to him we are offering asking his advice or placing an order for merchandise. Outstanding blue Concord strike and numeral 5 strike.  

Clean stampless folded letter with light blue postmark including 5 in circle. Brief note to insurance company regarding customer policy.

Full WAshington DC Free double circle postmark on free franked cover signed R E Fenton mc.  Reuben Eaton Fenton (July 4, 1819 – August 25, 1885) was an American merchant and politician from New York. In 1840, he was named commander of the New York Militia's 162nd Infantry Regiment with the rank of colonel. He was elected as a Democrat to the 33rd United States Congress, and served from March 4, 1853, to March 3, 1855. He left the Democratic Party to help organize the Republican Party, and was later elected, as a Republican, to the 35th, 36th, 37th and 38th United States Congresses, and served from 1857 to 1865. He was Governor of New York from 1865 to 1868. In 1868, he was among the candidates to be Vice President. In January 1869, he was elected a Senator from New York and served from 1869 to 1875. He was known as "The Soldiers' Friend" for his efforts to help returning Civil War veterans. He worked to remove tuition charges for public education, helped to establish six schools for training teachers, and signed the charter for Cornell University. The town of Fenton, NY, is named for him. His former home in Jamestown is the site of the Fenton History Center. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972.  After his death, a building at The State University of New York at Fredonia, Fenton Hall, was named in his honor because he had attended the previous incarnation of the school, the Fredonia Academy. Fenton Avenue in the Bronx, is named for him.

Rare cover from a sparsely populated alaskan village.  Strip of four Scott #557 stamps used to frank cover.  Backstamps indicated it went through New York Foreign mail route. Includes Bokenas receiver.The town's original Russian name, Seldevoy, translates to "Herring Bay", as there was a significant herring population prior to rampant overfishing early in the 20th century.  Until the development of a more complete road system in Alaska, Seldovia was an important "first stop" for ships sailing from Seward, Kodiak and other points outside Cook Inlet. At one time Seldovia was home to over 2,000 residents, but today fewer than 300 persons reside year round.