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Plunge into the past, learn about the future. |
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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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Library Corporate Information and Archival Programs United States Postal Service 475 L'Enfant Plaza SW Washington, DC 20260-1540 The Postal Service's 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 Corporate Information and Archival Programs 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 Offices, 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.archives.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 nearly six 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") |
