Index and Registers of Substitute Mail Carriers, 1885-1903

• Introduction
• Background
• Index arranged by the Name of the City
• Records Description
• Numerical List of Cities

Introduction

On the single roll of this microfilm publication, M2076, are reproduced an index, 1891-1896, and registers, 1885-1903, of records of appointment of substitute mail carriers in first- and second-class post offices. These records are designated as Entries 87 and 88 in Preliminary Inventory (PI) 168, Records of the Post Office Department, (Washington, DC: National Archives, 1967), and are part of the Records of the Post Office Department, Record Group (RG) 28.

Background

The position of Postmaster General was created by the Second Continental Congress, July 26, 1775, and continued by the Confederation Congress following ratification of the Articles of Confederation, March 1, 1781. A temporary Office of Postmaster General was established in the Federal Government by the Post Office Act (1 Stat. 70), September 22, 1789; the permanent Post Office Department was established by the Post Office Act (1 Stat. 232), February 20, 1792. The Postmaster General was made a Cabinet member in 1829, but the Post Office Department was not elevated to Cabinet status until the Post Office Act (17 Stat. 283), June 8, 1872. The Post Office Department was abolished, effective July 1, 1971, by the Postal Reorganization Act (84 Stat. 719), August 12, 1970, and functions were transferred to the U.S. Postal Service (USPS).

As the Department performed more services, some functions of the Postmaster General were delegated to assistant postmasters. The Office of the Assistant Postmaster General was established under the Continental Congress and continued to be an integral part of the postal establishment under the Constitution. Over a long period it was known as the Bureau of the First Assistant Postmaster General, but its name was changed in 1950 to the Bureau of Post Office Operations.

Among the most important functions of the First Assistant Postmaster General and his successors were the following:

(1) general management of post offices, including rural-delivery and special-delivery services, and authorization of allowances for the hiring of clerks and city and village carriers;

(2) the establishment and discontinuation of post offices, changing names of post offices, and changing sites of fourth-class post offices;

(3) bonding and commissioning of postmasters, appointing postmasters at fourth-class post offices, and selecting and nominating postmasters at first-, second-, and third-class post offices; and

(4) handling unmailable and undeliverable mail matter.

Records Description

These records consist of two separate series. The first series (Entry 88) is a single leather-bound index covering the years 1891-96. The entries are arranged roughly alphabetically by the first two letters of the carrier's surname, and provide the following information for each person: date of appointment, post office (city) number, and remarks. The remarks generally indicate the date of the carrier's promotion, resignation, or removal. This index is incomplete; most of the carriers listed have surnames beginning with the letters A-M, but not all carriers are included. It also does not include carriers for all cities included in Entry 87. A list of the city numbers and their corresponding cities follows the index. If a carrier is listed in this index, additional information can be found in Entry 87.

The second series (Entry 87) consists of two leather-bound registers covering the years 1885-1903, with some overlap in time span between the two volumes. The second volume is labeled "Vol. 4,B" on its spine; the first volume has no numerical designation. It is unknown whether other such volumes ever existed; no other volumes were transferred to the National Archives and Records Administration. Entries in the registers are arranged roughly alphabetically by name of post office and thereunder chronologically by date of appointment. Each entry includes the substitute carrier's date of appointment, effective beginning date of service, date the post office received his bond and oath ("B & O"), and the "cause of change, with date," which usually refers to the date of the carrier's resignation or removal from office. The index described in the preceding paragraph is an index to part of this series. Some pages of volume 1 have the notation "transferred to cards" or "cards," but it is unknown to what cards this notation refers. The table of contents that follows lists the cities included in these two volumes.

Index arranged by the Name of the City

A B C D E F G H I J K L M 
N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z 
  

Table of Contents:

A

Adams, MA, volume II, page 190
Albany, NY, volume I, page 1
Allegheny, PA, volume I, page 4
Amherst, MA, volume II, page 191
Anaconda, MT, volume II, page 234
Andover, MA, volume II, page 239
Athol, MA, volume II, page 240
Atlanta, GA, volume I, page 8
Attica, IN, volume II, page 256

Baltimore, MD, volume I, pages 15-18
Barre, VT, volume II, page 229
Bellaire, OH, volume II, page 226
Belvidere, IL, volume II, page 192
Benton Harbor, MI, volume II, page 193
Bloomington, IN, volume II, page 194
Boone, IA, volume II, page 245
Boston, MA, volume I, pages 28-40, volume II, pages 490-497
Bristol, CT, volume II, page 224.
Brooklyn, NY, volume I, page 42-50,
volume II, pages 484-489, 590
Buffalo, NY, volume I, pages 56-58,
volume II, pages 500-501
Burlington, IN, volume II, page 195

C

Calumet, MI, volume II, page 196
Camden, NJ, volume I, page 115
Chicago, IL, volume 1, pages 74-94, 410-413, volumes II, pages 506-526
Chicopee Falls, MA, volume II, page 233
Cincinnati, OH, volume I, pages 96-98, volume II, page 478
Circleville, OH, volume II, page 237
Cleveland, OH, volume I, pages 102-104
Columbus, OH, volume I, pages 108-109
Coshocton, OH, volume II, page 273

D

Dayton, OH, volume I, page 120
Denver, CO, volume I, pages 124-126
Detroit, MI, volume I, pages 128-130
Dubois, PA, volume II, page 197

E

F

G

H

I

J

K

L

M

N

Napa, CA, volume II, page 261
Nashville, TN, volume I, page 206
Neenah, WI, volume II, page 304
Newark, NJ, volume I, pages 210-212, volume II, page 578
New Haven, CT, volume I, pages 216-217
New Orleans, LA, volume I, pages 218-220
New Philadelphia, OH, volume II, page 229
Newport News, VA, volume II, page 257
New York, NY, volume I, pages 224-245, volume II, pages 472-475, 532-551
North Attleboro, MA, volume II, page 211
North Tonawanda, NY, volume II, page 278
Nyack, NY, volume II, page 291

O

Ocean Grove, NJ, volume II, page 218
Olneyville, RI, volume II, page 213
Omaha, NE, volume I, page 252
Orange, MA, volume II, page 283

P

Palestine, TX, volume II, page 263
Paterson, NJ, volume I, page 256
Penn Yah, NY, volume II, page 293
Petosky, MI, volume II, page 258
Philadelphia, PA, volume I, pages 261-282, volume II, pages 553-565, 570-571
Phillipsburg, NJ, volume II, page 225
Phoenixville, PA, volume II, page 271
Pittsburg, KS, volume II, page 281
Pittsburgh, PA, volume I, pages 284-287, 290, volume II, page 566
Pomona, CA, volume II, page 204
Pontiac, IL, volume II, page 251
Potsdam, NY, volume II, page 214
Portland, OR, volume I, pages 288-289
Providence, RI, volume I, pages 292-293

R

Racine, WI, volume II, page 1
Rahway, NJ, volume II, page 216
Raleigh, NC, volume II, page 2
Reading, PA, volume I, pages 310-311, volume II, page 3
Red Bank, NJ, volume II, page 269
Redlands, CA, volume II, page 260
Red Oak, IA, volume II, page 248
Red Wing, MN, volume II, page 4
Reno, NV, volume II, page 305
Richmond, IN, volume II, page 5
Richmond, VA, volume I, page 304, volume II, pages 6-7
Riverside, CA, volume II, page 167
Roanoke, VA, volume II, page 8
Rochester, MN, volume II, page 171
Rochester, NY, volume I, pages 308-309, volume II, pages 9-10
Rockford, IL, volume II, page 12
Rock Island, IL, volume II, page 13
Rockland, ME, volume II, page 14
Rockville, CT, volume II, page 205
Rome, GA, volume II, page 15
Rome, NY, volume II, page 16
Rutherford, NJ, volume II, page 235
Rutland, VA, volume II, page 17

S

Sacramento, CA, volume II, page 18
Saginaw, MI, volume II, page 180
Saint Albans, VA, volume II, page 20
Saint Augustine, FL, volume II, page 268
Saint Cloud, MN, volume II, page 21
Saint Johnsbury, VT, volume II, page 22
Saint Joseph, MI, volume II, page 282
Saint Joseph, MO, volume I, page 313, volume II, page 23
Saint Louis, MO, volume I, pages 314-323, volume II, pages 24-29, 583
Saint Paul, MO, volume I, page 324-326, volume II, pages 30-32
Salem, MA, volume II, page 34
Salem, OH, volume II, page 35
Salem, OR, volume II, page 36
Salina, KS, volume II, page 37
Salt Lake City, UT, volume II, page 38
San Antonio, TX, volume II, pages 39, 183
San Bernardino, CA, volume II, page 87
San Diego, CA, volume II, page 40
Sandusky, OH, volume II, page 41
San Francisco, CA, volume I, pages 330-335, volume II, pages 42-46, 221-222
San Jose, CA, volume II, page 47
Santa Ana, CA, volume II, page 287
Santa Barbara, CA, volume II, page 48
Santa Cruz, CA, volume II, page 49
Santa Rosa, CA, volume II, page 50
Saratoga Springs, NY, volume II, page 51
Sault Ste. Marie, MI, volume II, page 262
Savannah, GA, volume II, page 52
Schenectady, NY, volume II, page 53
Scranton, PA, volume I, pages 338-339, volume II, pages 54-55
Seattle, WA, volume I, pages 340-341, volume II, pages 56, 149
Sedalia, MO, volume II, page 57
Selma, AL, volume II, page 58
Seneca Falls, NY, volume II, page 59
Shamokin, PA, volume II, page 60
Sharon, PA, volume II, page 61
Sheboygan, WI, volume II, page 62
Shelby, OH, volume II, page 302
Shelbyville, IN, volume II, page 151
Shenandoah, PA, volume II, page 63
Sherman, TX, volume II, page 64
Shreveport, LA, volume II, page 65
Sidney, OH, volume II, page 86
Sing Sing, NY, volume II, page 66
Sioux City, IA, volume II, page 67
Sioux Falls, SD, volume II, page 68
Sistersville, WV, volume II, page 280
South Bend, IN, volume II, page 69
South Bethlehem, PA, volume II, page 72
South Framingham, MA, volume II, page 174
South Norwalk, CT, volume II, page 70
South Omaha, NE, volume II, page 71
South Orange, NJ, volume II, page 303
Spartanburg, SC, volume II, page 259
Spokane, WA, volume II, pages 73, 150
Springfield, IL, volume II, page 74
Springfield, MA, volume II, pages 75, 179
Springfield, MO, volume II, page 76
Springfield, OH, volume II, pages 77, 178
Stamford, CT, volume II, page 78
Staunton, VA, volume II, page 79
Sterling, IL, volume II, page 80
Steubenville, OH, volume II, page 81
Stevens Point, WI, volume II, page 152
Stillwater, MN, volume II, page 82
Stockton, CA, volume II, page 83
Streator, IL, volume II, page 84
Sunbury, PA, volume II, page 238
Syracuse, NY, volume I, pages 342-343, volume II, pages 85, 300-301

T

Tacoma, WA, volume II, page 88
Tampa, FL, volume II, page 157
Tarrytown, NY, volume II, page 255
Taunton, MA, volume II, page 89
Temple, TX, volume II, page 206
Terre Haute, IN, volume II, page 90
Texarkana, AR, volume II, page 207
Tiffin, OH, volume II, page 91
Titusville, PA, volume II, page 92
Toledo, OH, volume I, pages 356-357, volume II, pages 93, 181-182
Topeka, KS, volume II, page 94
Torrington, CT, volume II, page 252
Towanda, PA, volume II, page 172
Traverse City, MI, volume II, page 250
Trenton, NJ, volume II, page 95
Trinidad, CO, volume II, page 96
Troy, NY, volume I, page 361, volume II, page 97
Troy, OH, volume II, page 153
Tucson, AZ, volume II, page 284
Tyler, TX, volume II, page 105
Tyrone, PA, volume II, page 158

U

Uniontown, PA, volume II, page 98
Urbana, IL, volume II, page 177
Urbana, OH, volume II, page 99
Utica, NY, volume II, pages 100, 175

V

Vallejo, CA, volume II, page 296
Valparaiso, IN, volume II, page 104
Van Wert, OH, volume II, page 253
Vicksburgh, MS, volume II, page 101
Victor, CO, volume II, page 293
Vincennes, IN, volume II, page 102
Vineland, NJ, volume II, page 103

W

Wabash, IN, volume II, page 208
Waco, TX, volume II, page 106
Wakefield, MA, volume II, page 146
Walla Walla, WA, volume II, page 107
Wallingford, CT, volume II, page 215
Waltham, MA, volume II, page 108
Warren, OH, volume II, page 109
Warren, PA, volume II, page 110
Warrensburg, MO, volume II, page 277
Washington, DC, volume I, pages 368-372, volume II, pages 111-115,186-187
Washington, IN, volume II, page 265
Washington, NJ, volume II, page 209
Washington C.H., OH, volume II, page 173
Washington, PA, volume II, page 115
Waterbury, CT, volume II, page 116
Waterloo, IA, volume II, page 117
Watertown, MA, volume II, page 243
Watertown, NY, volume II, page 118
Watertown, WI, volume II, page 154
Waterville, ME, volume II, page 155
Waukegan, IL, volume II, page 145
Waukesha, WI, volume II, page 143
Wausaw, WI, volume II, page 120
Waverly, NY, volume II, page 119
Wayne, PA, volume II, page 306
Waynesboro, PA, volume II, page 276
Weatherford, TX, volume II, page 297
Webster City, IA, volume II, page 288
Wellington, KS, volume II, page 121
West Bay City, MI, volume II, page 122
Westboro, MA, volume II, page 227
West Chester, PA, volume II, page 123
Westerly, RI, volume II, page 124
Westfield, MA, volume II, page 125
West Hoboken, NJ, volume II, page 285
West Medford, MA, volume II, page 232
West New Brighton, NY, volume II, page 126
West Saginaw, MI, volume II, page 19
West Superior, WI, volume II, page 127
West Troy, NY, volume II, page 128
Wheeling, WV, volume II, page 129
White Plains, NY, volume II, page 270
Wichita, KS, volume II, page 130
Wilkes-Barre, PA, volume II, page 131
Williamsport, PA, volume II, page 132
Willimantic, CT, volume II, page 144
Wilmington, DE, volume I, page 378, volume II, page 133
Wilmington, NC, volume II, page 134
Winchester, MA, volume II, page 135
Winchester, VA, volume II, page 272
Winfield, KS, volume II, page 136
Winona, MN, volume II, page 137
Winsted, CT, volume II, page 289
Winston-Salem, NC, volume II, page 147
Wobum, MA, volume II, page 138
Woonsocket, RI, volume II, page 140
Wooster, OH, volume II, page 141
Worcester, MA, volume I, pages 374-375, volume II, pages 142, 217

X

Y

Yankton, SD, volume II, page 156
Yonkers, NY, volume II, page 163
York, PA, volume II, page 164
Youngstown, OH, volume II, page 165
Ypsilanti, MI, volume II, page 166

Z

Numerical List of Cities

These numbers correspond to the city number used in the preceding index. Roll 1, Target 2

1-50

City Number 1 - New York, NY
City Number 2 - Philadelphia, PA
City Number 3 - Boston, MA
City Number 4 - Brooklyn, NY
City Number 5 - Saint Louis, MO
City Number 7 - Cincinnati, OH
City Number 8 - Washington, DC
City Number 10 - Louisville, KY
City Number 12 - Jersey City, NJ
City Number 13 - Albany, NY
City Number 18 - Rochester, NY
City Number 19 - Chicago, IL
City Number 21 - Detroit, MI
City Number 23 - San Francisco, CA
City Number 27 - Saint Paul, MO
City Number 30 - Lowell, MA
City Number 33 - New Haven, CT
City Number 34 - Reading, PA
City Number 35 - Salem, MA
City Number 36 - Trenton, NJ
City Number 37 - Troy, NY
City Number 38 - Utica, NY
City Number 40 - Worcester, MA
City Number 44 - Syracuse, NY
City Number 45 - Toledo, OH
City Number 50 - Richmond, VA

67-167

City Number 67 - Savannah, GA
City Number 70 - Springfield, MA
City Number 76 - Springfield, IL
City Number 81 - Saint Joseph, MO
City Number 90 - Denver, CO
City Number 91 - Springfield, OH
City Number 92 - Portland, OR
City Number 93 - Sacramento, CA
City Number 94 - Terre Haute, IN
City Number 95 - Topeka, KS
City Number 109 - Richmond, IN
City Number 114 - Taunton, MA
City Number 121 - Racine, WI
City Number 122 - San Antonio, TX
City Number 123 - Youngstown, OH
City Number 126 - Saginaw, MI
City Number 131 - Rockford, IL
City Number 132 - Williamsport, PA
City Number 135 - South Bend, IN
City Number 137 - Sandusky, OH
City Number 138 - York, PA
City Number 141 - Wilkes-Barre, PA
City Number 147 - Watertown, NY
City Number 150 - Wilmington, NC
City Number 154 - Yonkers, NY
City Number 167 - Raleigh, NC

168-198

City Number 168 - San Jose, CA
City Number 169 - Sealalia, MO
City Number 170 - Sioux City, IA
City Number 171 - Waterbury, CT
City Number 173 - Saratoga Springs, NY
City Number 177 - Salt Lake City, UT
City Number 186 - Rutland, VT
City Number 187 - Winona, MN
City Number 188 - Wichita, KS
City Number 189 - Rock Island, IL
City Number 190 - Stockton, CA
City Number 197 - Stamford, CT
City Number 198 - Sioux Falls, SD

201-265

City Number 205 - Tampa, FL
City Number 214 - Vincennes, IN
City Number 218 - Waterloo, IA
City Number 222 - Winfield, KS
City Number 234 - Waltham, MA
City Number 238 - West Saginaw, MI
City Number 240 - Scranton, PA
City Number 241 - Vicksburgh, MS
City Number 255 - Rome, NY
City Number 262 - Steubenville, OH
City Number 263 - Tiffin, OH
City Number 264 - Wooster, OH
City Number 265 - Xenia, OH

266-375

City Number 266 - Salem, OR
City Number 273 - Warren, PA
City Number 274 - West Chester, PA
City Number 275 - Westerly, RI
City Number 276 - Woonsocket, RI
City Number 278 - Sherman, TX
City Number 281 - Staunton, VA
City Number 289 - Streator, IL
City Number 290 - Sterling, IL
City Number 293 - Shreveport, LA
City Number 298 - Stillwater, MN
City Number 307 - Sheboygan, WI
City Number 309 - Seattle, WA
City Number 310 - Selma, AL
City Number 311 - San Diego, CA
City Number 315 - Rochester, MN
City Number 323 - Schenectady, NY
City Number 329 - Tacoma, WA
City Number 330 - Springfield, MO
City Number 348 - Rome, GA
City Number 350 - Salina, KS
City Number 351 - Salem, OH
City Number 358 - Titusville, PA
City Number 363 - Waco, TX
City Number 369 - West Troy, NY
City Number 375 - Woburn, MA

391-496

City Number 391 - Red Wing, MN
City Number 392 - Rockland, ME
City Number 393 - Roanoke, VA
City Number 394 - Spokane, WA
City Number 395 - Saint Albans, VA
City Number 396 - Walla Walla, WA
City Number 397 - Warren, OH
City Number 407 - Sing Sing, NY
City Number 408 - Urbana, OH
City Number 409 - Ypsilanti, MI
City Number 411 - South Omaha, NE
City Number 412 - South Norwalk, CT
City Number 413 - Trinidad, CO
City Number 430 - Saint Cloud, MN
City Number 431 - Saint Johnsbury, VT
City Number 432 - Wausaw, WI
City Number 433 - Westfield, MA
City Number 445 - Santa Rosa, CA
City Number 446 - Washington, PA
City Number 454 - Shenandoah, PA
City Number 470 - Santa Barbara, CA
City Number 471 - Santa Cruz, CA
City Number 472 - West New Brighton, NY
City Number 494 - South Bethlehem, PA
City Number 495 - Sharon, PA
City Number 496 - Shamokin, PA

497-617

City Number 497 - Vineland, NJ
City Number 498 - West Superior, WI
City Number 499 - West Bay City, MI
City Number 500 - Waverly, NY
City Number 516 - Towanda, PA
City Number 517 - Washington Court House, OH
City Number 525 - Uniontown, PA
City Number 526 - Willimantic, CT
City Number 527 - Winston-Salem, NC
City Number 540 - Riverside, CA
City Number 541 - Valparaiso, IN
City Number 548 - Sidney, OH
City Number 549 - South Framingham, MA
City Number 550 - Waukegan, IL
City Number 551 - Waukesha, WI
City Number 559 - Tyler, TX
City Number 593 - Shelbyville, IN
City Number 594 - Stevens Point, WI
City Number 595 - Troy, OH
City Number 597 - Waterville, ME
City Number 598 - Yanktown, SD
City Number 611 - Tyrone, PA
City Number 613 - Urbana, IL
City Number 615 - Amherst, MA
City Number 616 - Belvidere, IL
City Number 617 - Benton Harbor, MI

618-633

City Number 618 - Bloomington, IN
City Number 619 - Burlington, NJ
City Number 620 - Calumet, MI
City Number 621 - Dubois, PA
City Number 622 - Englewood, NJ
City Number 623 - Great Falls, MT
City Number 625 - Jamaica, NY
City Number 626 - Laconia, NH
City Number 627 - Marshall, TX
City Number 628 - Pomona, CA
City Number 629 - Rockwille, CT
City Number 629 - Hammond, IN
City Number 630 - Temple, TX
City Number 631 - Washington, NJ
City Number 632 - Wabash, IN
City Number 633 - Texarkana, AR

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Compiled by Claire Prechtel-Kluskens and Courtney Rubin

A descriptive pamphlet will not be published.

Funds for this microfilm publication were provided by genealogists' contributions to the Malcolm H. Stern-NARA Gift Fund (formerly the Genealogical Coordinating Committee)

The Malcolm H. Stern-NARA Gift Fund and the National Archives and Records Administration 1997

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