Maine Postcards

Like other stamp collectors, I also collect Postcards, well my favorites are from the wonderful state of Maine (that's where I live). Anyway this my first real post so I want to say the I belive not just learning history of the postage material but what is on it, so that's how I will set my posts up with the history of the item and whats featured on it.

The Casco Bay fleet or Casco Bay Lines is located in Portland Maine. First established as the Casco Bay steam Boat company, Later became the Casco Bay Lines. Today they are located at the Maine state pier, with five ships.

Welcome to Stamp Collecting Forum!

I, too, like to learn of the history of these postcards. Is your postcard used or mint? If used, it's always interesting to see the dated postmark. According to a quick internet search, other references for that linen postcard shown above (No. 42) has cancellations shown to be in the early 1950's (1953, to be exact).

I'm not sure how much earlier the postcard itself is dated until the point it was used though.

Nice card Drew and welcome to the forum

My understanding is that linen postcards were introduced in the U.S. in the early 1930s. Canada adopted them either in the late 30s or very early 40s.

They certainly can be a study all on their won.

Chimo

Bujutsu

Here is the address side of a Maine postcard which is interesting to me only because I have always wondered when looking at a map of Maine what lies in the interior of the state and this postcard references two place names for that part of Maine.

The received cancel is a very collectible Doanne duplex cancel. Nice card.

smauggie, Thanks for the info.

I just looked up the references to Shirley Mills and Kingsbury, Maine.

It seems Kingsbury, Maine has a current population of 7. The Kingsbury post office was in operation from 1839-1917 and again from 1931-1953.

It is interesting that Jim Forte's Postal History website shows that Shirley Mills, Maine had a post office in operation from 1850-1986, yet the USPS website shows that Shirley Mills, Maine still has an operating post office to this day.

I find Jim Forte's website invaluable, but sometimes small variations in the name will keep it from showing up on searches. Here is the current listing for that post office:

Shirley Mills Rur. Sta., Piscataquis County (?-Date)

Here's some additional curiosity about Shirley Mills, Maine post office.

It seems the USPS still refers to it as "Shirley Mills" even though the post office signage says "Shirley":

https://tools.usps.com/go/POLocator...=20&&&&&&&&&

Note the sign on this photograph shows "Shirley, Maine":



Someone on ebay is selling a rather beat up postcard showing this post office (circa 1918) at the right side of the card:



Compare it to a more contemporary photograph and the building hasn't changed very much:



And curiously the property (Post Office and General Store) appears to currently be for sale, although in this case it's referred to as in Shirley, Maine, even though it is the same address that the USPS currently lists as Shirley Mills, Maine:

http://www.loopnet.com/Listing/1791...-Shirley-ME/

It is described as follows:

wt1, you are quite the historian. I only add that the Foss Pond referenced on the card seems to be a favorite with sport fishermen.