Smauggie's Minnesota Postal History

....furthermore, It is relatively easy to find the Minnesota territory covers as many people around here have fantastic collections of them. However it will be a little painfull on the wallet and the dollar boxes will not help you there. I have less than 30 Minnesota territorial covers and it is getting tough to find any under 50 bucks, which is a bit too much for me at this time. I don't think I have paid more than $30.00 for a Minnesota territorial and I got a bunch under $10, but that was years ago. I still find a couple a year I can afford. You have to be patient.

His information has proved unreliable on occasion. Take Mazeppa, MN. He has it in Aitkin county, when in reality it is in Wabasha county. He has it opening in 1908, but rural free delivery began in Mazeppa in 1902 and other sources give 1856 as the year the post office was opened in the town (my Mazeppa covers date 09/11/1889 and 01/08/1900).

New Ulm, MN - Founded 1854. Post office opened 1856.

That means this is not a particularly early cover, but I was happy to get it in any case. The letter was received in Winona on July 2, 1884. I can only guess the date it was mailed was July 1 (if not July 0 ).

Cottonwood, MN - Lyon County
This is an International model HD-1

Smaugie, Very cool stuff here. But there are 2 post with the same title. Could they be numbered to end any possible confusion?

or rename youre, "Smauggie's Minnesota Postal History".
Both nice threads, by the way

Cottonwood is an International model HD-1

I obliged on the title, though I believe mine was the first such thread.

Edit: Thanks Russ.

Forgive me as I am new to this. I appreciate you changing the name of your thread as I do not know how to do so. I have also learned that a thread is something other than what I know as thread.

I figure anytime I get a chance to give you a hard time is a chance worth taking.

You should buy your Minnesota covers in Wisconsin...we generally just clip the corners and soak 'em.





(Nice pix, actually...and I'm semi-serious. Wisconsin covers go for pretty nice money here at auction, and 'foreign' cover lots are discounted a bit.)

For my Wisconsin friend that wants to butcher Minnesota covers, here is a Wisconsin territorial folded letter, April 1, 1846.

Nice!

I promise not to clip the corner or soak it.

I must admit a predilection for covers from towns in western Wisconsin.