Vermont Doane Cancels

Fellow collector Bill Lizotte and I are beginning to work on a website dealing with Vermont Doane cancels.

Doane cancels were issued to small post offices between 1903 and 1906. Here's a basic primer about the 3 types of Doanes.

All Doanes have a number in the killer bars. The number represents the amount of business the post office had done in the previous year. The examples below were chosen because they illustrate well the differences between the Types.

Type 1 Doanes are easy to identify since they all have 5 killer bars with a number in the center.

Type 2 and Type 3 Doanes both have only 4 killer bars with a number in the center.

Type 2 bars are hollow, but can deceive since they can be filled as they were used more and more.

Type 3 bars were issued completely filled. There are other differences between Types 2 and 3 but these are the most obvious.

1st "FIRST DAY OF SALE" cancel in Vermont

A few years ago, the USPS introduced "FIRST DAY OF SALE" cancels at any post office that was willing to purchase one. Beginning in 2007, the Postal Service agreed to allow new stamps to be sold nationwide on the First Day of Issue. Stamps would still be officially issued at one post office designated by the USPS and that post office would have a "FIRST DAY OF ISSUE" cancel.

A local stamp collector arranged for the Bethel Vermont post office to acquire one of the special cancels.

A word about the cachet on this cover. Calvin Coolidge became president while he was visiting his father at Plymouth, Vermont in 1923. He and Chester Arthur are the 2 men born in Vermont who have served at president of the United States.

Sutton Post Office Closes

On Friday, August 27, 2010, word began circulating around the Vermont philatelic community that the Sutton (Caledonia County) post office would be closing at the end of business that day. There had been a small news story the previous evening on WCAX TV (Channel 3, Burlington).

The news reports also said that the lease on the premises which housed the Sutton office would run out at the end of August, 2010 and would not be renewed. A USPS facility person said that the he had found not acceptable alternative sites in Sutton.

Immediately, collectors contacted the Sutton PO and the officer-in-charge, Barbara Pine. One was successful in getting 20 last day cancels on postal cards. Another made the long trip from central VT to the Sutton PO. Sutton is one of the communities in the North East Kingdom that you "can't get there from here". He was able to get 20 envelopes cancelled on the last day.

The Sutton patrons were only notified a few days previous to the closure. Those with post office boxes were now assigned to the West Burke PO. West Burke is 4 miles to the East on US Route 5.

According to a news report in the local paper, the Sutton PO office cost the USPS $45,000 to run but only generated $24,000 income in a year. That's about $250.00 a week.

Sutton was originally established on May 30, 1811 as "Billymead". There is one example known from the Billymead timeframe. According to postal records the Post Office name was changed to Sutton sometime in 1817 although the Vermont legislature changed the name of the town to Sutton in 1812.

"VERMONT" Ovals

A few post offices in the later 1800s used ovals. Since I collect the 2c Brown stamp canceled by Vermont postmarks, these fit right into that collection

Williston is in Chittenden County and today is a bedroom suburb of Burlington. It's one of the fastest growing areas of the state, home to many box stores and condos. Today's population is about 7700. In the 1880's it was a small farming community. The historic village section is in the center of town, the box stores and other commercial development is to the west.

South Shaftsbury was a post office in the Town of Shaftsbury in Bennington County. Shaftsbury was once the home of poet Robert Frost as well as Jacob Merrit Howard, one of the founders of the Republican Party. The South Shaftsbury post office existed from 1831 to 1961.

Both of these ovals have the full name "VERMONT" for the state name rather than VT usually sound on postmarks.

Home Made Star Cancels

You can almost find anything to suit your interests in 19th Century postal history. I find STAR CANCELS very interesting. Below are 2 examples which look like they are home made star cancels.

The Ludlow (Windsor County) example has a negative star in the center of the positive star.

This example below from McIndoes Falls (Caledonia County) is probably home made also. It was used in the 1860s.

July 2010 Pictorial Cancels

Joe's Pond in Danville, Vt has an ice out contest every winter. A block is placed in the center of the pond which connects to a clock. When the ice melts and the block falls through the clock stops. The person guessing closest to the actual time of ice-out wins $100s.
The first boy scout troop in the US was formed in Barre in 1909, even before the Boy Scouts of America was formed. In November 2009, there was also a pictorial cancel.
Every year, the town of Jamaica holds an Old Home Day celebration. Jamaica is in southern Vermont on the Massachusetts border. There have been many cancels over the past few years.
The National Speleological Society is a not for profit organization dedicated to the study, conservation, exploration and knowledge of caves. Looks like the Lake Champlain Monster is pictured in the lower right of the cancel. The cancel comes with August 2-6 dates.

For the last few years, there has been a pictorial cancel at the Lamoille County Field Days in northern Vermont.

A Few More B/W Photos from the late 50s and early 60s

Isle LaMotte (Grand Isle County)

Richford (Franklin County)

Post Office and Customs House

Dorset (Bennington County)