Post Offices That No Longer Exist

Hi all! Who knows about Post Offices that no longer exist? These 2 cancels are from Monroe County, Iowa. I believe that they were just "Pop-ups" from coal mining towns. So, if anyone knows of any good books or websites I could check out, please let me know. I thank you in advance.

Try the "U.S. Post Offices" link at left side of Jim Forte's website to get to a list of post office opening/closing data:

https://www.postalhistory.com/

To obtain exact dates, then use this website for "postal bulletins":
http://www.uspostalbulletins.com/pd...oup=48&id=48

Thank you, John Becker! I appreciate your help.

I'm one of those metal detecting guys, and I know so ething about those kind of post offices. Back around the 1800s and way-early 1900s, a lot of little hamlets had their own post offices. In fact, a lot of railroad stops were named after the post office fledgling town. Mind you, this was during pioneer times (think Little House on the Prairie), and the post office back then was at the general store,feed store, places like that. But as 20-30 years went by and the railroads became more prominent and more people moved
d in, the towns grew significantly and the people voted for different names or the US Postal Service got involved for different names and all that.

Ir sometimes, the towns just became ghost towns and things petered out.

Still, you have a local-interest item that your town or county or state might be interested in because really, your item on,y has local historical value, it seems. If I were you, I'd contact them.

STTScott, I have about 35 of the old local post office cancels on postcards. At least half of them are ghost towns. If you take a country cruise to where some of these places were, you can see ruins of these places.

My area of New South Wales is quite similar. Post Offices popping up in fleeting mining towns or navvie camps when the railways were constructed. Some open only for a few weeks or months.

It's as fascinating as it is romantic

To paint with a broad brush, I suspect for Iowa and much of the midwest, that many of the discontinuances (especially those c1900-1915) were for conversions to RFD routes out of adjacent towns.

Morning BakerJ and all,

Google up maps of Iowa from the era of your post offices. Especially look for an old Rand McNally Shipper's Guide map which contains every little berg with info on the railroad lines that serve it. Should be a fruitful search.

Bump

We often associate place names that no longer exist as being rural, but here's an example of an urban change. West Hoboken, NJ cancel across the postage dues. West Hoboken was rolled into a newly created Union City back in 1925 via a merger with Union Hill. I have been unable to ascertain a date on the postcard. I do not know if the actual West Hoboken post office from 1925 still exists in Union City, or closed after the merger.

« Cher Georges,
Nous avons su par ta mère que tu étais aller les voir. Nous sommes très heureux de tes succès et serions content d'avoir de tes nouvelles et une photo de toi. Raymond me charge de t'embrasser de tout cœur. Claire »

"Dear Georges,
We have learned from your mother that you went to see them. We are very happy with your successes and would be happy to hear from you and a picture of you. Raymond tells me to kiss you with all my heart. Claire"

Just because it's beautiful!!

There's a few Post Offices in greater Sydney that no longer exist.

This PO closed in the early 1930s but the business was still there in the early 1990s. It may have been closed as a result of Sydney being awarded the 2000 Olympics, as this part of Sydney underwent some serious redevelopment.

Homebush Bay Abattoirs

That's a great cancel.

Alie, thank you for the translation !!

Je vous en prie!

The translation allows to better appreciate this beautiful post card!!