[(via Memphis)] Armstrong Academy (Choctaw Nation) June 11 1860 manuscript postmark on 3c red Nesbitt entire addressed to Rev. Folsom, Washington, DC, without a route directive but it was carried via Fort Smith and then on the Memphis branch of the Butterfield route to Memphis, a rare origin marking and use, very fine

ex Kramer and Walske (Image)

[1851 Inbound to Santa Fe] Jerseyville, Illinois 26 March postmark and "10" due rate handstamp on 1851 folded letter addressed to "Dr. Saml. Woodhouse, Santa Fe, Texas, Attached to Capt Sitgreaves exploring party" with the Texas lined out, it would have reached Dr. Woodhouse before he left Santa Fe on 15 August 1851, he reached Ft. Yuma in November from Wikipedia: The Sitgreaves Expedition Down the Zuni and Colorado Rivers in 1851 was a combined American scientific and military mission to explore the Zuni River, the Little Colorado River and the Colorado River in 1851. Setting out from northern New Mexico, the expedition traveled west across Arizona and then south along the Colorado to Fort Yuma in California.

ex Vogel and Walske (Image)

[Auraria, Kansas Territory] (now Denver, Colorado), "June 15” manuscript “K.T.” Kansas Territory period postmark on 3c red Nesbitt entire to Pacific City, Iowa, the earliest recorded postmark of Auraria and carried on the "Phantom Contract" trip of L&PP Express, free of express charges, to Leavenworth on the June 17 L&PP coach from Denver

(MWE Figure 12-10), ex Risvold and Walske (Image)

[Auraria, Kansas Territory, Willis' Last Contract Mail], cover to Illinois with 3c dull red tied by "Auraria K.T., Aug 23 1859" two line postmark carried on Willis’ last "Auraria postmaster" contract run to Fort Kearney, long original letter, cover edge soiled

(MWE Figure 12-12), ex Risvold and Walske (Image)

[By Overland Mail] manuscript directive on cover to France, San Francisco Cal Dec 9 1859 Paid postmark and red crayon "15" rate, red New York Jan 8 exchange, French entry and transit backstamps

ex Noel and Walske (Image)

[C.O.C. & P.P. Express Label], the "Direct Your Letter Care" black on magenta label tied to 3c red Nesbitt entire with their Frank on back flap, by Denver City, K.T. Oct 30 1860 oval datestamp, the frank on reverse is atypically dated with "Oct 7" date, front with additional datestamp at left, handstamp, entered the mails with Leavenworth City Kas Nov 6 postmark, image of reverse here

(MWE Figure 12-18), ex Stach and Walske (Image)

[Camp Floyd, U.T.] August 17, 1860 postmark tying 3c dull red (#26) to cover addressed to a Lieut. Shunk, endorsed at bottom left "on the march from Camp Floyd, U.T. to Fort Leavenworth, K.T." original letter signed by Thomas Barrett includes "Lieut. Perkins had a fight with the Indians, 3 men of the Artillery wounded and 12 Indians killed & wounded," cover faults at top right The COC&PP collected the letter on its eastbound trip that left Placerville on August 29 and arrived in Salt Lake City around September 6. It was then transferred to the eastbound stage to St Joseph that left on Friday, September 7 and was delivered in transit at Fort Laramie around September 18

(MWE Figure 7-31) ex Risvold and Walske (Image)

[Central Overland Pony Express Company frank] on 10c Nesbitt entire to Utica, New York, a way use on September 15 trip, oval "St. Joseph COC&PP Express Co. Sep (2)6" arrival datestamp, entered the mails with St. Joseph, Mo postmark, the only reported example carried on #ET31 trip, Frajola Pony Express census #E20 only eight reported examples of the COPEC frank, most likely used from Virginia City, Nevada area

(illustrated on p72 of Pony Express book) ex Haas and Walske (Image)

[Completion of the Railroad, Nine Mile Gap Mail] San Francisco May 6 (1869) postmark on unpaid folded letter to Cognac, France, this letter would have transited by rail to Corinne, UT and then by Wells Fargo stage for 9 miles to the railhead at Indian Creek, UT to the eastern railhead, the rail link was completed on 10 May 1869 (this first through trip departed San Francisco Monday, May 8), letter departed New York on 15 May 1869 departure of French Packet Lafayette, French Line departure date postmark and French transit and arrival backstamps

ex Walske (Image)

[Denver City Tombstone Postmark, Aug 23 1860, Temporary Contract Period] and matching cancel tying 3c dull red to cover to Ohio docketed as having enclosed a August 16, 1860 letter from the Nevada City mines, "Hinckley & Co.’s Express Denver City August 23," manuscript "8" (cents) express rate for carriage to Denver carried by the COC&PP to St. Joseph under a temporary U.S. mail contract, postmarked type in use only at end of August

(MWE Figure 12-21), ex Bauer and Walske (Image)

[Desert Dispatch "via San Diego" to Fort Yuma, 1855] cover addressed directly to Lieut. Barry at Fort Yuma, California, with "Via San Diego" directive applied by sender, prepaid 10c rate with three 3c dull red (#11) and single 1c blue (#9), West point, New York Sep 14 postmark Early mail reached Fort Yuma, California overland from San Diego via the “Desert Dispatch,” a military courier service across the Colorado Desert. This route was a necessary precursor to portions of later southern overland contract routes.

(MWE Figure 9-3) ex Jessup, Haas, Beals, Kramer and Walske (Image)

[Desert Dispatch to Fort Yuma, 1855] cover originally addressed to Lieut. Barry at Benicia, California, prepaid 10c rate with three 3c dull red (#11) and single 1c blue (#9) tied by Philadelphia Jun 19 postmarks, sent to the care of the quartermaster in Benicia, remailed from Benicia with "Fort Yuma via San Diego, Cala" directive, as well as Lt. Hardie charge box paid note, Benicia Jul 31 postmark and "Paid 3" handstamp Early mail reached Fort Yuma, California overland from San Diego via the “Desert Dispatch,” a military courier service across the Colorado Desert. This route was a necessary precursor to portions of later southern overland contract routes.

ex Jessup, Haas, Beals, Kramer and Walske (Image)

[Earliest known letter from the Denver gold mining region, 1858], letter datelined “South Platte Near the Rocky Mountains” on October 28, 1858, prepaid 3¢ (#26), letter from "Pinky" Stout to Cherry Fork, Ohio mentions, “An officer of the army at Fort Kearny who came out with us returns tomorrow,” entered the mails with December 4 postmark of Pacific City, Iowa, further details see page here

(MWE, Figure 12-3) ex Baughman, Risvold and Walske (Image)

[Eastbound Pony Express], COC&PP dateless oval at left, San Francisco Running Pony "Jan 12" blue oval origin datestamp on 10c green Nesbitt entire to New Hampshire, "Chips" endorsed at left, endorsed in pen "1/4" indicating $2.50 prepaid pony express fee for a one-quarter ounce letter, oval "2 Feb St. Joseph COC&PP Express Co." arrival datestamp, entered the mails with St. Joseph, Mo postmark, the only reported example carried on this #ET65 trip, Frajola Pony Express census #E53, a condition rarity

ex Dale Lichtenstein and Walske (Image)

[Eastbound Pony Express to Confederate Virginia], Wells Fargo franked 3c Nesbitt entire addressed to Col. Wm. H. Caruthers at Orange Court House, Virginia, $2 Pony express adhesive (repaired tear at left where cover opened) tied by May 1 San Francisco Running Pony Express datestamp, entered the mails with green May 14 St. Joseph, Missouri postmark, Virginia was admitted to the CSA on 7 May 1861, Frajola Pony Express census #E71

ex Walske (Image)

[First Eastbound Trip Overland Mail Company], San Francisco Cal Jun 29 1861 postmark on unpaid double rate cover to France, "30" due handstamp, New York 23 July exchange datestamp, carried by Cunard Line steamer Canada from Boston on 24 July, red French entry at Calais 6 August datestamp, "16" decimes due, carried on the first OMC contract trip that departed Placerville 1 July and Atchison, Kansas on 20 July

ex Noel and Walske (Image)

[Fort Bridger, U.T. Straight Line] bold "March 1 1858" dated two line postmark tying 3c dull red (#26) to fresh cover from Genl. Fitz Porter to his wife in New York City, signed by Stanley Ashbrook in 1949 who correctly notes, "A very RARE Cover in superb Condition," one of two known of this marking and the only one with an adhesive, a highlight of the collection

(MWE Figure 7-13) ex Baughman, Risvold and Walske (Image)

[Fort Bridger, Wyoming, 1857] manuscript December 1 (1857) postmark while Utah Territory on legal size, Capt. Jesse Gove correspondence cover to his wife at Concord, New Hampshire, double rate prepaid with pair 3c orange brown (#11) with matching pen cancels, cover with original wax seal on reverse, refolded at both sides, a rare marking

(MWE Figure 7-12) ex Risvold and Walske (Image)

[Fort Laramie N.T. (Nebraska Territory)] July 15, 1853 blue postmark and "Paid 3" rate on folded letter to New York, letter in German from a private in the 6th US Infantry who was later killed in August 1854 Grattan massacre, letter (translation) includes, "On the 15th of this month we were sent under danger of life in a small canoe across the extremely swollen Platte River against about 2,000 Sioux Indians who had fired on one of our noncommissioned officers ... 5 had to pay with their lives and about 4 with deadly wounds - we made 2 prisoners.....," address leaf aged and some discoloration

ex Risvold and Walske (Image)

[Fort Laramie O.R. crude "Oregon Route"] postmark, with negative "5" due rate and "JUN 15" handstamps on 1852 cover to Michigan, 5 due positioned in the middle of the postmark, on June 1, 1852 mail left Salt Lake City 12 days late, reached Fort Laramie around June 23, Woodson mail carrier collected this letter enroute and reached Independence around July 8

(MWE Figure 7-4), ex Risvold and Walske (Image)

[Fort Laramie to Benicia] cover from Fort Laramie addressed to Lt. James McPherson at San Francisco, perpaid 10c rate with three copies 3c dull red (#25) tied with 1c blue (#24" by blue Fort Laramie, Nebraska Territory January 12 postmarks, manuscript "Missent" and Benicia February 7 postmark, cover lightened edge stain at foot

(MWE figure 7-5) ex Walske (Image)

[Fort Laramie, DT, 1866], Fort Laramie Dakota Territory September 5 1866 Dakota Territory period postmark on "Head Quarters District of the Plains" imprint cover to New York, two copies 3c rose (#65) with matching target cancels, light edge age spot

ex Kramer (Image)

[Frank of The Central Overland California & Pike's Peak Express Company], Denver City, K.T. dateless frank on 3c red Nesbitt entire to Newton, Iowa, another Jun 14 dated strike applied when it was carried by COC&PP Express, entered US mails at Saint Joseph, Missouri with blue June 21 1860 postmark, unusual with frank on front

ex Barkhausen, Vogel and Walske (Image)

[From Argentina Fourth Westbound OMC], small cover from Argentina to Milpitas, California, posted prepaid in Buenos Ayres on April 27, 1861, sent via Spain to London on June 14, Inman steamer Etna left Liverpool June 19 and arrived in New York on July 1, carried on fourth OMC stagecoach from Atchison on July 4,- postmarked on July 23 1861 in San Francisco with the "Paid" postmark arrival

ex Noel and Walske (Image)

[from London, too late for the Pony Express] letter to San Francisco headed "London, 2 November 1861" (image here) and "p (Cunard Steamer) Niagara & Pony Express" and with additional "p Pony Express" endorsement on the address leaf of letter sent under separate cover via a forwarding agent in New York City, at New York City they realized the Pony Express had just stopped running (Wells Fargo announced the termination of the Pony Express on 26 October) and they corrected the address leaf endorsement to read "Overland Mail via St. Joseph Mo," letter posted by the forwarder with 10c Green, Type I (#62B) tied by New York 18 November postmark

ex David New (Image)