1976 Monongahela River PA Paquebot Sta. Cancel

Anybody know anything about this cover? Something to do with the Bicentennial?

I would say that is a good guess. Lots of towns held festivals during the bicentennial year. The cancel looks to be a rubber or vinyl hand cancel.

Given the importance of the Monongahela river in trade in the previous 150+ years it is no surprise. The river was navigable and extended past the Ohio to primarily bring coal from West Virginia and western Pennsyvania.

I have all the towns cancels that this trip made along with a newspaper clipping that tells the story. I will try to copy it to this post this weekend.

Thank you PJ I'll look forward to the Post.

I tried to scan the newspaper article but it is an old copy on thermal paper and it scans like mush. The article is from 9/13/76 in Linn's. I can read it. It was a reenactment commemorative deal for the Bicentennial that started September 14 in Fairmont West Virginia and ending in Pittsburgh on the 16th. There were 49 stops, each offering a cancellation from that town. A lot of them are cancelled on the front with the city of origin and Pittsburgh on the back as that was the final stop. The Pittsburgh cancellation is supposed to be on all of them, but I have some without. They used black, red, purple, green inks in various shades. Yours is unusual as it is addressed and on cover. Most were purely philatelic items that you requested from the post office and are unadressed as it's only real travel through the mail was under separate cover and they are usually postal cards. Ironically the only stop on the 14th was Fairmont and according to Linn's they did not have a special cancellation, But I have one from Fairmont. I have all the cities, colors and with and without the Pittsburgh receiving cancel. I don't remember where I got them and I know it was real cheap, but I did not put this together. Someone else did all the work

I forgot, yours was the 34th stop.

Pjs,

Thank you for the Info.