Wells Fargo/Pacific Union Express Covers

Two new additions to my fledgling collection of early western US covers.





This California express company was formed by the owners of the Central Pacific Railroad, which operated between San Francisco, Sacramento and Reno in Nevada Territory. Pacific Union Express was created under exclusive contract to carry mail and gold for the C.P.R. in direct competition with Wells Fargo & Co., whose stagecoach line was already faltering due to the expansion of both the C.P.R. and the Union Pacific Railroad.
The company only lasted from July 1,1868 till December 1869 when it was sold to Wells Fargo for $5 million. a princely sum at that time.

The 1872 register for Butte Co. list a Richard Fort Piatt, age 42, born Wyandotte Twp. Ohio, occupation miner. I suppose this could be him...






An uncanceled Wells Fargo cover to Oregon Ranch near Marysville, Yuba City CA. I'm not able to tell if the title is Mr. or Mrs. but I found some info on the Eichs.
John Eich was a native of Pennsylvania who came to California about 1851 via Cape Horn and thereafter turned is attention to mining. He bought a 700 acre ranch in the hills near Yuba City and married Catherine Knecht, born about 1844 in Darmstadt, Germany. -Yuba Co. biographies.

I have to thank wt1 for showing me how to look beyond the cover and search a bit for information. It certainly makes the material more meaningful.

-Bill

I'd say it's Mister.

http://familytreemaker.genealogy.co...E4-0001.html

Great research!




A bit more on the first cover. You are probably right on your research. A look at Forbestown, California suggests it was nearly a ghost town after the miners left. Today the population is only 320.

I did a US Census lookup and found a R.F. Piatt listed in the 1880 Census at Napa City, California (likely he moved there after the mining boom at Forbestown?)

Anyway it refers to the family as:

R.F. Piatt age 54, Born: Ohio, Occupation: Farmer;
F.M. Piatt, age 41, wife, Born: NH; Occupation: "Keeping House"
R.H. Piatt, age 17, son, Occupation: Post Office Clerk;
Ida Piatt, age 14, daughter, Occupation: At School.

I suspect it's the same family.

Bill, nice example of western express covers. Nice U2 laid paper on the Wells Fargo.

Great covers and stories Bill. These kind of stories is why I love stmap collecting.

Thanks for sharing them with us.

Dianne

Great covers and history!


Luciano