Arkansas Postal History

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Second example of the Type 1 Little Rock Shield comes to light

A beautiful example of the Little Rock Shield Town mark in its Type 1 state has come on the market. Long thought to be unique, the first example of the Type 1 was used September 9, 1830 on a cover front only. The next reported usage of a Shield was on September 30 1830 and was the smaller Type 2 Shield struck in red ink; the type 2 Shield was the only one used thereafter. The new find was mailed September 16, 1830 to the American Bible Society in New York City. The strike is Outstanding and the cover is nearly intact, although without contents. The cover is available for sale from Labron Harris well known postal history dealer. This is a major advance in Arkansas Postal History.

Updated 2015-04-15

Cover images from the Arkansas History Commission now on this site

In February 2014 I drove to Little Rock the weekend before the APS Ameristamp Expo. I spent 4 days at the Arkansas History Commission going through their Manuscript collections and their microfilm of 19th century correspondences. Unfortunately, they do not allow digital photography, so I had to be content with black and white flat Xerox images on paper, and B&W printed images from Microfilm. I have since then been scanning and uploading these images. Most are from the stampless period, but there are many from the period after stamps and envelopes began to be used. The naming of each image will have AHC at the beginning. I believe I have scanned over 95% of all important postal history markings at the Arkansas History Commission. Click here to go to their web site.

Updated 2015-05-13

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Welcome To the Arkansas Postal History Website

This site is dedicated to the accumulation and dissemination of information about the Postal System in Arkansas and in Indian Territory. The site is still under construction so many pages are blank, but will be filled as time goes on.

The main menu pages are active as well as the subpages that appear when you click on a main menu, so look both places. You will find sections about:

1) Arkansas History.
2) 19th Century Postal History
    a. Territory-Non-Little Rock Covers
        *Little Rock Shield usages
        *Little Rock Non-Shield covers
    b. State 1836-1845
       *1836-45 Little Rock Covers
       *1836-45 Non-Little Rock Covers
    c. State 1845-1851
        * US 1847 Adhesive usages
    d. State 1851-1861
        *1850s Stampless Covers
        *2nd Adhesive Issue (1851)
        *3rd Adhesive Issue (1857)
      *1st Embossed Envelope Issue(Nesbitt)
        *2nd Embossed Envelope Issue(Star Die)
        *Butterfield Overland Mail
    e. Independent Statehood and CSA in the US system.
    f. Confederate Arkansas
        *CSA Postoffices
        *CSA Stampless Covers
        *CSA Adhesive uses
        *Postmaster Provisonal Uses into Arkansas
        *CSA Patriotics to and from Arkansas
       *Transmississippi Express Covers
    g. Union Occupation-1862-65
    h. State 1865-1899
        * 1869 Adhesive Issue
    i. Inland Waterways
    j. 19th Century Fancy Cancels
3) Award winning Arkansas Postal History Exhibits
4) 20th Century Arkansas Postal History
    a. RFD Cancels
    b. Doane Cancels
    c. Arkansas Precancels
    d. Air Mail
        -Air Mail Week
        -First Flights,
        -Crash Covers,
        -Air Port Dedications
    e. 20th Century Fancy Cancels
    f. First Day Covers & Cachets
5) Railway and Highway Post Offices
6) Auction records and scans of significant Arkansas Postal History Items.
7) References and Bibliography for Arkansas Postal History
8) Links to useful web sites
9) Award winning Arkansas Postal History Exhibits - NEW 4/25/08. Pages can be viewed one at a time (best resolution) or as a slide show. Check this out!

The site is still being built. Visit often for updates. Updated 2013-05-21 Bruce Roberts, Knoxville, Tennessee

Acknowledgments

The following firms and individuals have generously granted me permission to use cover images from their auctions, stock, or collections. This site would be much less useful without their assistance. Those with active websites can be clicked to link to their website.

Brian Green
Bruce Fisher
Cherrystone Auctions
Chris Records
Chris Winters, MD (dec)
Conrad L. Bush
Deane Briggs, MD
Don Tocher
Douglas Weisz Covers
Elwyn Doubleday
Galen Harrison
Garry Hendershott
George Kramer
Gerald Leverant
James Milgram, MD
James Monroe
Jeremiah Farrington
Jerry Palazolo
Jerry Wells
Joe Crosby
John W.Kaufmann, Inc.
John Kimbrough, MD
John Walker, England
Kenneth A. Pitt
Labron Harris
Larry Baum
Leonard H. Hartmann
Mark Scheuer
Pam Owens
Regency-Superior Auctions
Richard Frajola
Robert Crossman
Robert Siegel Auctions
Rod Kelly
Schuyler Rumsey Philatelic Auctions
Stephen T. Taylor, England
Tony Crumbley
Trish Kaufmann
Willam Shulleeta

Updated 2014-11-10