New Online Highway Post Office Catalog

I am in-process in developing an online catalog of all HPO (Highway Post Office) First Trip and Last Trip covers. Each First/Last Trip is illustrated with a cover scan (front and back), vintage maps which illustrate each route, and other route details. My wife and I will be busy over the next few weeks completing data entry but the underlying code is all in place. Given the total number of routes and trips (about 1,110), we are missing about 40-45 covers, I am interested in buying these covers or at least getting scans of them for inclusion in the catalog. Once the catalog is complete it will be published on Stamp Smarter free of charge. Please see the bottom of this post for 'want list'.

I find the HPO Highway Post Office (1941-1969) a very interesting part of postal history technology. Growing out of RPO (Railroad Post Office) history, improvements of the national highway system gave the Post Office an opportunity to improve efficiencies for mail stream processes. By processing mail en route and making more of a 'straight line' connection between post offices, HPO mail is a fascinating part of our postal history.




Want List

Don

Neat idea Don!

I have several central PA HPOs and would like to know more about them so I'm glad for the info. I think I have the Harrisburg, Pa. items. I will advise tomorrow.

Hal

Don,

I don't know if this is a first trip cover but it predates what you show in the thread, so I'm providing it.

Sorry, Don...

I have three Trip 1 - Lancaster, PA to Washington, DC Jan 17 1949
Hal

Don:

A huge and time consuming project and a real contribution to collecting HPO covers. Thank you for doing it and making it available to us all at no cost.

Don

Indeed, quite a few HPO covers

Don

Hi
Do you happen to have information about cachet designers of HPO covers If so, please see my post here:
http://goscf.com/t/67040
Thanks.

I only collect HPOs from Indiana, and see that you need some of the same ones I also need.
But I do have one that you need, Route 122B Princeton & St.Louis Trip 2. It's odd that it doesn't have a complete address, but the cancellation is correct.

I can't seem to find a Route 2A South Bend & Indianapolis Trip 2. If you have one of these, we could swap them.

51Studebaker,
Have you checked the Mobile Post Office Society lately for HPO covers you need? There's a link here for "MPOS HPO Covers for sale to members only":
https://www.eskimo.com/~rkunz/mposhome.html
I just received several from them, all at a dollar apiece.

Yes, I am a member but I have been covered up (pun intended) developing the new catalog. Hopefully over the next few weeks I will be able to finish up and turn my attention back to collecting.
Don

I've just bought a lot of 800 or so HPO covers. I'll be searching through them soon to see if any are on your want list. I've also have some facing and pouch slips as well. I've also come across a 2-3" stack of those slips, but they are mixed with RPO slips and maybe some related to air mail. It's a mix of a mess right now.

Battlestamps, I thought I'd add my HPO need list (all Indiana):

Need First Trip Covers for:
HPO-2A, South Bend & Indianapolis, Trip 2, November 1, 1958
HPO-121A, Louisville KY & Evansville, Trip 1, September 1, 1953, (canceled "LOU & OWENS")
HPO-121A, Louisville KY & Evansville, Trip 2, September 1, 1953, (canceled "LOU & OWENS")
HPO-293, Indianapolis & Champaign IL, Trip 8, November 22, 1965

Need First Trip Postcards for:
HPO-98, Cincinnati & Indianapolis, Trip 1, July 1, 1952
HPO-113, Indianapolis & Decatur, Trip 2, August 25, 1952

Need Last Trip Covers for:
HPO-2, South Bend, Peru & Indianapolis, Trip 2, October 31, 1958
HPO-114, Indianapolis & Peoria, Trip 1, February 4, 1961
HPO-217, Nashville and St. Louis, Trip 92, October 14, 1966

Need Indiana State Fair HPO Covers for:
1965
1966

I sorted them and found nothing from your list or Don's. I had quite a few that made the same trip, but they were different dates or Trip #s. No fair covers either. I didn't see any of those kind, but I came across HPOs that are also FDCs for the stamps which is new to me.

Battlestamps,
I just sent you an email with a link to my draft online catalog (still populating some images).
Don

Morning Don and all,

I have a few Indiana HPO's but none on your list. I do not think I have ever seen a registered cover with an HPO marking? Has anyone?

Russ

Haven't seen one that's registered, but I just picked up this 10th anniversary cover for South Bend, Peru and Indianapolis, Trip 2 that I'm pleased with.