Tuesday, September 20, 2011

An Interesting 1868 Cover
Stockton California to Port Colborne Ontario




The above cover was mailed from Stockton, California to Port Colborne, Ontario. The letter was prepaid at the 6 cents per one-half ounce rate to Canada. The stamps were cancelled on June 30, 1868. The cover was 16 days in transit before its receipt at the Port Colborne post office. The cover was subsequently redirected to Welland via the Welland Railway.

Overland Stage Coach from California

The cover would have gone overland on the daily mail stage coach from Placerville, California, to Atchison, Kansas a distance of 1913 miles.

Rail Kansas to Canada

From Atchison the letter would probably have been transported by train to Chicago then to Canada.
Unfortunately there are no U.S. transit markings.

Ontario transit

Several Ontario postmarks were applied to the cover.



Paris Station

The first Canadian cancel was applied at Paris, Ontario, west of Port Colborne, on July 15, 1868:



Port Colborne

The letter arrived at Port Colborne on July 16, 1868:



Redirection to Welland



On July 20, the letter was redirected to Welland:


Port Colborne, July 20, 1868


Welland Railway

The Welland Railway ran from Port Colborne on Lake Erie to Port Dalhousie on Lake Ontario (Down):




Welland Rail Road transit


Welland Railway DOWN
July 20, 1868


Welland

A partial Welland receiver was applied.