POSTMASTER JOHN COMMON HAS A VERY CHOICE
RELIC IN THE FORM OF A CATALOG OF POSTOFFICES.
Speaking of old records and old books, Postmaster John Common has in his possession one ancient enough. It is a book listing all “The post offices of the United States with the names of the postmasters and the counties and states in which they are located and the distances from the city of Washington, and the capitals of the respective states.” Is that not some title? This book was issued by direction of the Postmaster General and printed in 1822.
While Andover was not old enough to be graced with a post office at that early date, the front page bears the name of C.R. Spicer, postmaster of Andover in 1832, which all indications point to as being Andover’s first postmaster.
There were but seven post offices in Allegany County at the time this book was issued. They were Alfred, Angelica, Centerville or South Nunda, Friendsville, Pike, Rushford and Short Track. There were three Andover’s listed but they were Andover, Hillsborough county, N.H., Andover, Essex county, Mass., and Andover, Tolland county, Ct.
RATES OF POSTAGE
1. In this postal directory the following is the rates for postage quoted.
2. “For single letters, composed of one piece of paper, any distance, not exceeding 30 miles, 6c; over 30 and not exceeding 80 miles, 10c; over 80 and not exceeding 150 miles, 12 1/2c; over 150 and not exceeding 400miles, 18 1/2c; over 400 miles 25c.
3. Double letters or those composed of two pieces of paper are charged with double these rates.
4. Triple letters, containing three pieces of paper are charged three times postage rates.
5. The mail is transported by stages, each day in the year, 10,121 miles. The mail is transported in sulkies and on horseback each day in the year 10,616 miles, making 20,737 miles per day.
7. The mail is transported by direct or corresponding line of stages from Anson in the state of Maine, via. Washington City, to Nashville, Tenn., a distance of 1,458 miles in a southwesterly direction. The mail is transported in a direct line of stages from St. Mary’s in Georgia to Highgate in Vermont, via. Washington City, a distance of 1,369 miles in a northern direction.
These remarks apply to March 1817.
from the research of & submitted by William A. Green of Andover; from ANDOVER NEWS APRIL 10TH, 1931