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Rest in Peace
United States
7097 Posts |
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I am always looking out for classic covers with addresses from either my hometown and my current town. While I was browsing around I came upon this curious cover with a very curious postmark. Can anyone shed a little light on this place? Thank you for having a look! MEGARITY'S HEGARTY'S CROSSROADS Pa. <-?   EDIT: Correction of crossroad name.
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| Edited by I_Love_Stamps - 08/03/2013 1:19 pm |
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Valued Member
United States
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Pillar Of The Community
United States
521 Posts |
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Bedrock Of The Community
United States
12128 Posts |
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Some history on the addressee shown on the scanned cover, D. W. McCurdy, Esq., of Clearfield, Pennsylvania:  |
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Pillar Of The Community
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Here's the authority's (Jim Forte) listing:
Pennsylvania Clearfield County
Hegarty's Cross Roads (1863-1886)
although the OP's cancel reads "Cross Rds," I believe. Jim would probably want to see that image, as it's certainly a significant variety. |
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Bedrock Of The Community
United States
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Quote: although the OP's cancel reads "Cross Rds," I believe. Jim would probably want to see that image, as it's certainly a significant variety. The OP cover is shown on Jim Forte's website as being for sale. The only cover from that location that has a handstamped postmark -- all of the others are manuscript cancels. |
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Pillar Of The Community
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OK, good detective work. So I am a little puzzled about the point of the inquiry... |
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Bedrock Of The Community
United States
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I also took this example of a cover from Jim Forte's Postal History Website:  I think it's quite unique to see the pre-printed return address showing the name "Hegarty's X Roads"! In fact, the return address is Samuel Hegarty and he was, in fact, the Hegarty's Cross Roads Postmaster as documented below:  So we now have documented for a little section of a town at least four different versions of the post office name: Hegarty's Crossroads Hegarty's Cross Roads Hegarty's X Roads Hegarty's Cross Rds. |
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Rest in Peace
United States
7097 Posts |
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That image is from Jim's site. That's why I was asking about it because I want to buy it. I just never heard of this place?
Edit: after reading the rest of the posts I figure I would add this-
I've asked at least 3 people up here in Clearfield and they never hear of the place. I'm going to buy this but wanted to know more about it. I don't see what the big deal is I never said it was mine. I was browsing covers and I spotted this one from Clearfield and it puzzled me. It carries a 35.00 price tag so that also perked my interest? So who better to ask? |
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| Edited by I_Love_Stamps - 07/24/2013 06:17 am |
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Rest in Peace
United States
7097 Posts |
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I might have to buy both now! I really need to find this place up here but so far no one knows what I'm talking about or, of course, where it is? These are people that have lived here there whole lives and it's not a huge place so leaves me scratching my head a bit? |
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Pillar Of The Community
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Rest in Peace
United States
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Thank you. I done the same thing with Google Maps but that and actually finding it is another story all together. There is nothing out that way but trees anymore. It's about 20 minutes S.E. of me. Odd that this little place had a post office? Unless there was train tracks up there someplace which, at the moment, I cannot see? I think I'll nick these 2 covers when I get home this weekend.
edit:
This place along with 2 other small mining communities is now collectively known as simply "Coalport". Everyone seems to know where that is or at least heard of it. I have to wonder why there was a post office out there? There may have a "temporary" mine workers community there at the time. like Lumber city only the residents stuck around and the town grew.
P.S. Thank you for all your help and sorry for the confusion. I just didn't want anybody to buy it out from under me since it will be a few days until I can pull the trigger on these. -Jeff |
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| Edited by I_Love_Stamps - 07/24/2013 08:14 am |
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Bedrock Of The Community
United States
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Rest in Peace
United States
7097 Posts |
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That's really neat. I'll have to do some digging at the records office and local library about what was out that way? I'm guessing a coal mine? |
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Bedrock Of The Community
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It would seem that by the early 1900s (1903 shown here) the Hegarty family's business was referenced as Coalport:  Here's an old map:  I believe the cemetery shown on the map still exists under the name of the Crossroads Cemetery Association. Further, the Samuel Hegarty property, once known as the Hegarty Mansion has become a local Halloween haunted house attraction now known as the Ravenwood House. It's supposed to be well known in the area and thus the location at Hegarty's Crossroads should be as well. |
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| Edited by wt1 - 07/24/2013 12:34 pm |
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Rest in Peace
United States
7097 Posts |
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Hmm..The haunted house alone should be a big deal around here being it so close to Pittsburgh and the all the humungous Halloween celebrations up this way. Maybe I just asked the wrong people? Like I said, People know "Coalport" but not the Crossroads name. Neat stuff! |
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Replies: 33 / Views: 7,595 |
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