Saturday, June 6, 2015

Sherburne Center (Late Killington)

I recently purchased this unusual straight-line emergency cancel for Sherburne Center (Rutland County),  Vermont

The late Leon White explained the handstamp in the February 1993 issue of The Vermont Philatelist.

"On July 28, 1926 the Post Office of Sherburne. Vt. was changed to Killington as it was easily confused by the mail service with Shelburne, Vt. But many of the patrons of the former named office were not too excited about having their mail delivered to an office named after the nearby mountain. They contacted their representatives and senators to have the name changed back to Sherburne, so on
December 1, 1926, after a little more than five months, the office name became Sherburne Center, Vt.

"This caused an emergency at the Post Office, as a new cancel was not at hand so they used, for a short time, an unusual cancel in straight line reading 'SHERBURNE CENTER VT / (Late Killington)'.

"I (Leon White) have two covers from the new office canceled Dec. 2, 1926…..

"Many years later the ski industry became the thing. The office of Sherburne
Center again became Killington, Vt. on Dec. 1, 1961."

As you can see my example is dated Jan 5 which must be Jan. 5, 1927.  So at least 3 examples the emergency cancel exist.


I am assuming the date is in 1927, but there is a 1928 Christmas seal on the back, so perhaps the cancel was used for a longer period of time.

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