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American Philatelic Research Library
100 Match Factory Place
Bellefonte, PA 16823-1367
www.stamplibrary.org
The American Philatelic Research Library, the library of the American Philatelic Society, is the largest public philatelic library in the United States. The library publishes a quarterly journal, Philatelic Literature Review.
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Want More Postal History Resources?
See Publication 119
(HTML) | (PDF)
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Corporate Library
United States Postal Service
475 L'Enfant Plaza SW
Washington, DC 20260-1540
The Postal Service's Corporate Library has a collection of historical material, including the Annual Report of the Postmaster General since 1789, Postal Laws and Regulations since 1794, the United States Official Postal Guide from 1874 to 1954, and the Postal Bulletin since 1880. (Exact titles vary.) While the library does not lend out its historical materials, its collection is open to the general public during regular business hours. The library also has many secondary sources on postal history.
Historian
United States Postal Service
475 L'Enfant Plaza SW
Washington, DC 20260-0012
The Historian maintains Postmaster Finder, the Postal Service's national historic record of Postmasters by Post Office, online at www.usps.com/postmasterfinder. The Historian's staff can provide guidance in researching specific aspects of postal history. Upon request, the Historian's staff can provide the names and appointment dates of Postmasters who have served at particular Post Office™ locations, Post Office establishment and discontinuance dates, and the dates of any Post Office name changes. Response time varies with the number of requests received.
Library of Congress
101 Independence Avenue SE
Washington, DC 20540-0002
www.loc.gov
The Library's Geography and Map Division has early post route, railroad, and other historical maps. Some of these maps have been digitized and can be viewed or downloaded from their Web site. From www.loc.gov, search for “map collections.”
National Archives and Records Administration
700 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20408-0001
www.nara.gov
The National Archives houses postal records prior to 1971. Some of the records most useful in researching local postal history have been reproduced on microfilm, including National Archives Microfilm Publication M1131, Record of Appointment of Postmasters, October 1789–1832; Publication M841, Record of Appointment of Postmasters, 1832–September 30, 1971; and Publication M1126, Post Office Department Reports of Site Locations, 1837–1950. For more information on these and other records, write to the National Archives or visit its Web site.
National Personnel Records Center
Civilian Records Facility
111 Winnebago Street
St. Louis, MO 63118-4126
The Civilian Records Facility has personnel records for many postal employees whose service ended after 1910. Researchers should provide as much identifying information as possible about the former employee and his/her place and dates of employment. The Civilian Records Facility also houses rural route cards, filed by Post Office, which provide details on rural routes and carriers.
National Postal Museum
Smithsonian Institution
2 Massachusetts Avenue NE
Washington, DC 20002-9997
www.postalmuseum.si.edu
The National Postal Museum offers exhibits tracing the history of the postal system in the United States. It houses more than 13 million postal-related items — mostly stamps, but also postal stationery, greeting cards, covers and letters, mailboxes, postal vehicles, handstamps, metering machines, patent models, uniforms, badges, and other objects related to postal history and philately. The museum’s library, with more than 40,000 volumes and manuscripts, is open to the public by appointment.
Railway Mail Service Library
117 East Main Street
Boyce, VA 22620-9639
www.railwaymailservicelibrary.org
The Railway Mail Service Library has artifacts, mail route schedules, schemes of mail distribution, and publications relating to the Railway Mail Service/Postal Transportation Service. The library is open by appointment but handles most requests by mail.
Pony Express Resources
Lexington Historical Museum
112 South 13th Street
Lexington, MO 64067-1402
Pony Express Museum
914 Penn Street
St. Joseph, MO 64503-2544
www.ponyexpress.org
Patee House Museum
1202 Penn Street
Post Office Box 1022
St. Joseph, MO 64502-1022
St. Joseph Museum Library
3406 Frederick Avenue
Post Office Box 8096
St. Joseph, MO 64508-8096
www.stjosephmuseum.org
The Huntington Library
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, CA 91108-1218
www.huntington.org
The Wells Fargo Bank History Museum
420 Montgomery Street
San Francisco, CA 94104-1205
www.wellsfargo.com (search for "museum")
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