California Covers - 3 Humboldt Co., 1 Mendocino

I got these over the past couple of days.

First is an envelope with an purple 1880 octagonal Mendocino postmark send to San Francisco.



The second and third are postcards send from Youngs, Humboldt Co to Dolson relatives. When I was a student in Arcata, Humboldt Co., the Dolson barn was still standing but is has since been replaced with apartments.









Finally, I have a cover from Eel Rock that I believe is a postmark not included in the Williams' book, California Town Postmarks. It is earlier than the illustrated postmarks and includes "A.M" which the others do not. I am tentatively giving this postmark the cat. no. HUM-1485, but since I'm still new at this I would love to hear some opinions.



Thanks for looking!

Ron

The purple octagonal postmark is interesting, I havent seen too many of those.

These are some nice covers Ron. Thanks for sharing.

Because I have most of them Doug! Didn't see these or we might have a different poster presenting them!

Hello Ron, Glad to see another collector of Humboldt and Mendocino counties. Nice group!

The purple octagon from Mendocino is Willians # Men 2350 Williams records use from Apr 14 1879 to Nov 21 1881. I have a cover to the same Capt Nelson dated Mar 28 1882




The two postcards from Youngs are very nice, and especially so with the photos they carry. This post office was open less than two years, and are much scarcer than the Williams rating of the 3 he gave it. I've been actively collecting Humboldt county for the almost 20 years and these are the first two postmarks from Youngs I've seen!
I wonder if that crane had anything to do with the railroad bridge construction project at Dyerville in fall of 1911. I have about 50 construction photos of that project.

I agree with you on the possible un reported Eel Rock postmark, but will add that the postmaster may have left the time indication out of the date slug of the CDS. It was a small office and probably only had one pick up and delivery per day.




For a lot more Humboldt and Mendocino Covers, check out this thread, I start posting around page 107. Enjoy!

Don

https://goscf.com/t/11887&whichpage=106

Differences in the 4 removable time/date slugs in the center of the Eel Rock device, Hum-1490, do not make a different device. The traced version likely has a more shallow slug as a non-printing space filler in the bottom position to hold the other 3 slugs tightly in place. AM/PM slugs were often omitted. The original poster's example of Oct 6, 1915 is just an earlier use than reported before.

Thanks for all the information!

I have a questions, is the effort of cataloguing the postmarks meant to identify devices, or usages? ie with and without time slug? John's comment makes perfect sense when talking about the device since the rest of the markings look the same (measurements, font spacing, etc.)

I'm still struggling with bidding for postal history items on ebay (mostly on postcards.) Several cards have gone for much more money than I thought they would go for. Maybe I am bidding against collector interested in the content of the picture rather than the postmark.

My primary focus is Humboldt and Alpine Counties in California, but I also have picked up others that interest me.

Speaking of Youngs postmarks, I recently won this one and am awaiting its delivery. Eldorado County this time, but it looks very similar.









Ron

Most postmarks catalogs list the parts of the device which are permanent to it and occasionally the progressive wear/damage - and pay little attention to the changeable parts such as mm/dd/yy slugs unless they have a special meaning, which might get a footnote at most. (such as using the old year date upside down in very early January to denote the new year until the new year slug arrives.) And likewise the usages or arrangement of the slugs are not individually cataloged in device listings - analysis to paralysis.

Postal history prices depend on many factors such as the postmark, stamp, rate, route, sender, recipient, any unusual routing or auxiliary markings, the contents, illustrated ads or views on postcards, etc. And then there are the intangible factors that defy the casual observer ... what would you bid for a cover addressed to your g-g-grandfather?

Wow. Nice to see these. I lived in various parts of Humboldt County from age 9 through college and have managed to collect a few Humboldt postal history items. I will try to post some scans or photos over the weekend. I also have a few items connected to my own family history. One of my great great (times?) grandfathers was among the original settlers of Amesbury, Mass. In my search for Amesbury-related items I found 2 19th century covers addessed to distant cousins.

Alpine County?
Used to go hunting there, early 60's.

littleriverphil, that is an interesting cancel. Is, or was that legal? Looks like the bank cancelled it's own mail?


Peter

Lol, That is a Wells Fargo Express cover. There are lots of them. Seems most wide spots in the road had a Wells Fargo agent, especially in advance of the U.S. Mail,in the Sierra foothills, all thru "Gold Country" like here, before Markleville had a post office. Same with San Andreas cover below, also to Charles Baily, but in Sandy Gulch.

Wells Fargo Express covers are relatively common and fun to collect. There are even Mexican Wells Fargo covers to and from many towns there as well so the company was quite large and filled a need to transport mails before government mail service was readily available. There are other less well known Express companies as well - for example below is a photo of a Pacific Union Express cover followed by a Langton's Pioneer Express cover. These are also fun to collect along with the Wells Fargo ones. And if you have a very large amount of spending money you can even get into the Pony Express covers. I wish I were that rich so I could do so. Below the Pacific Express cover is an example of a Pony Express cover - note the Pony Express "stamp" that it bears.

To get this thread back on track, here are express company usages in Humboldt County:
Busksport, this is Bucksport 2nd townmark about 1855, carried by Wells Fargo...Free Possibly because of the address?



Arcata Wells Fargo




Eureka Humboldt Bay Wells Fargo




And a Weaverville combined use, Wells Fargo and Greenhood & Neubuyer with an Arata corner card.

Very nice express company covers! It is definitely an area I am interested in.

Ron

Bucksport: The express charge was free (for some reason), the U.S. postage was 5 cents.

Four more Humboldt County covers in the mail today.

First one is a Registered one from Eureka, CA to Petrolia, CA dated Mar 21, 1895 with HUM-1750, new EKU based on William's book.



Second one is a Registered cover from San Francisco, CA to Eureka, CA dated Jan 18, 1901 with a HUM-1780 backstamp, new EKU. I am not sure of the San Francisco postmark but I think it is a SAF-2510, but several years late.





The third one is Registered cover from Briceland, CA to Eureka, CA dated Feb 21, 1907 with a HUM-840 Briceland postmark and a HUM-1820 registered Eureka backstamp. Both postmarks equal the EKU for those marks.





Finally, a cover sent from Swauger, CA to Locarno, Switzerland through New York, dated Nov 8, 1894.





Ron

Nice score Ron! Looks like someone's old California collection is coming to market. Real nice strikes of the EKU's. Really like the mixed use of the baby banknotes and the PSE. Great color combo.
You'll have fun collecting Humboldt (when you find 'em). The pieces that were in collection of non Western Cover Society Western Express readers are being recorded now. I have 36 updated Williams dates, both EKU's & LKU's.

John, the Bucksport cover was lot 607 in the Dec 4-6 2002 Schuyler Rumsey "The Tahoe Collection" and described as;

"Wells Fargo & Co./Ophir, blue oval handstamp (Leutz. 1-17) with matching "Free" in double line oval (Leutz. 7-7) on cover with "Bucksport, Cal." (Humboldt County) manuscript postmark of origin & manuscript "5" rate to Gold Hill with Masonic address, perhaps the reason Wells Fargo & Co. carried the cover free.
The Williams EKU for manuscript Bucksport (no ' and one word) is May 4 1855. The only 5c rate I find is the 1851 July 3000 mile 3c 5c Collect. April 1 1855 prepayment became compulsory. Dec 8 1854?

Maybe 39 Ron.