Appointment of Postmasters, 1832 - September 30, 1971
M841
On the 145 rolls of this microfilm publication, M841, are reproduced the Post Office Department record of appointment of postmasters for the approximate period 1832-September 30, 1971. These records are part of Records of the Post Office Department, Record Group (RG) 28.
- Background
- Records Description
- How to Locate the Microfilm Roll Number Relating to the Appointment of a Postmaster
- Abbreviations Appearing in the Record of Appointments
- Alphabetical Index to Microfilm Rolls Relating to a State (Territory, possession, etc.)
- Related Records
Background
This record was prepared in the office of the Junior Assistant to the Postmaster General from 1832 to January 2, 1835; Second Assistant Postmaster General from July 2, 1836, to 1851; First Assistant Postmaster General from 1851 to 1950; and the Bureau of Post Office Operations from 1950 to September 30, 1971.
Records Description
The record shows the dates of establishment and discontinuance of post offices, their changes of name, and the names of and appointment dates for their postmasters. Beginning in 1870, it shows the names of post offices to which mail from discontinued offices was sent. The record also shows the dates of Presidential appointments of postmasters and their confirmation dates by the Senate; usually the dates that post offices were authorized to issue money orders; and occasionally the dates on which the locations of offices were changed. Until 1844 the names of sureties for postmasters and the dates and amounts of their bonds are also given.
The record consists of 181 manuscript volumes divided along the approximate periods 1832-42, 1843-57, 1858-73, 1874-89, 1890-1929, and 1930-September 30, 1971. Each volume usually contains the record for more than one State or territory, but the States and territories are not usually listed alphabetically. The record for each of these periods is arranged by name of State (territory, possession, etc.), thereunder alphabetically by name of county (parish, district, etc.), and thereunder by name of post office. The post office names, with the exception of those for the period 1930-September 30, 1971, are arranged in two lists. The first list is arranged alphabetically by name of post office, the second chronologically by the date of establishment, change of name, change of State or county, or occasionally reestablishment of post office. For the period after 1930 the names are arranged alphabetically, one name on a page.
How to Locate the Microfilm Roll Number Relating to the Appointment of a Postmaster
In this publication the entire record (1832-1971) has been filmed in alphabetical order by State (territory, possession, etc,), and thereunder by county (parish, district, etc.). The record for post offices whose Counties are not shown precedes the alphabetical county sequence. Also, because of changes in political boundaries, information concerning some post offices is reproduced in the records for more than one territory, State, or county. Notable examples of this are the Indian Territory (Oklahoma) offices established in Arkansas, District of Columbia offices established in both Maryland and Virginia, and North and South Dakota post offices established in Dakota Territory.
To compile the history of a post office, first select the appropriate State roll and turn to the county in which the office was established. If the name of the office is in one of the chronological lists for the county, it can usually be presumed to be a new office. If its name or location had not been changed, or if the office had not been reestablished, its history is continued thereafter in succeeding frames in the alphabetical list for its county. If the earliest name of a post office is unknown, it can sometimes be found by beginning at the last frame for the county in which it is located and then successively viewing earlier frames for the county until another name or location is shown for that office. If the name of the office is in the first alphabetical list for its county, its earlier history is given in the record of appointment of postmasters for the period 1780-1832, which is also among the National Archives of the United States.
Errors and variants in spelling of names of States, counties, post offices, and postmasters occasionally occur in the records, and some entries are partly or wholly illegible. It is, however, sometimes possible to verify or to reconstruct these entries by referring to other postal records in the National Archives holdings.
A list of abbreviations and definitions of notations appearing in the record of appointments follows this introduction.
Record Group 28 also includes the Orders ("Journals") of the Postmaster General, 1835-1953, and other material relating to postmaster appointments that in large part duplicate the information given in this publication.
Abbreviations Appearing in the Record of Appointments
Abbreviation or notation, Definitions
- C. = Postmaster was later commissioned.
- C.H. = Courthouse (county seat).
- Ch'g'd or Changed = The name of the post office was changed or its site
was moved to another county by State.
- Dis. = Discontinued.
- Do. (ditto) = Continued from the line above.
- M.O. = Money order. The date when the office was authorized to issue
money orders is often given.
- N.B. (notice in bulletin) = Some mention of the office was made in the
Postal Bulletin, a publication of the Post Office Department.
Copies of these publications are in the Reference Library of the Post Office
Department, the Library of Congress, and the National Archives Building.
- Now in = The post office has been changed to another county or State.
The date of such a change is rarely given
- P = Appointed by the President.
- P&S = Appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate.
- Ps. (Papers) = When an office was discontinued, the mail for its former
patrons would thereafter be sent to a nearby post office.
- Reest. = Reestablished.
- Rescinded = An order of the Postmaster General establishing or
discontinuing a post office or appointing a postmaster was later withdrawn.
- Special or Private = An office that had a special or private source of
mail supply.
- [check mark] or x: These marks do not appear to have any research significance.
Index to Microfilm Rolls
Rolls are arranged alphabetically by State (Territory, possession, etc.), and thereunder by county (parish, district, etc.)AK AL AR AZ B CA Canton Island Caroline Islands CO CT Cuba Dakota Territory DC DE E FL GA Guam HI IA ID IL IN J KS KY LA MA Mariana Islands Marshall Islands MD ME MI Midway Islands MN MO MS MT NC ND NE NH NJ NM NV NY OH OK-Indian Territory OR PA Puerto Rico Q RI SC SD TN TX UT VA VT Virgin Islands WA Wake Island WI WV WY X Y Z
Index to Microfilm Rolls
Roll Number, State/Territory, County/Parish
Alabama
- Roll 1: Alabama: Autauga - Dale Counties
- Roll 2: Alabama: Dallas - Marengo Counties
- Roll 3: Alabama: Marion - Winston Counties
- Alaska: Alaska (boroughs or divisions not given)
- Hawaii: Hawaii - Oahu Counties
- Canton Island (Phoenix Group)
- Caroline Islands
- Guam (Agana)
- Mariana Islands
- Marshall Islands
- Midway Islands
- Samoa
- Wake Island
- Roll 5: Arizona: Arizona Territory, Counties unknown; Apache - Yuma Counties
- Roll 6: Arkansas: Arkansas - Dorsey Counties
- Roll 7: Arkansas: Drew - Lonoke Counties
- Roll 8: Arkansas: Madison - Sarber Counties
- Roll 9: Arkansas: Scott - Yell Counties
- Roll 10: California: Counties unknown, Alameda - Kern Counties
- Roll 11: California: Kings - Orange Counties
- Roll 12: California: Placer - Santa Cruz Counties
- Roll 13: California: Shasta - Yuba Counties
- Roll 14: Colorado: Colorado Territory; Adams - Kit Carson Counties
- Roll 15: Colorado: Lake - Yuma Counties
- Roll 16: Connecticut: Fairfield - Windham Counties
- Roll 17: Dakota Territory: Counties unknown, Armstrong - Yankton Counties
- Delaware: Kent - Sussex Counties
- Rhode Island: Bristol - Washington Counties
- District of Columbia: Alexandria - Washington Counties
- Virgin Islands
- Puerto Rico
- Cuba
- Roll 19: Florida: Alachua - Hendry Counties
- Roll 20: Florida: Hernando - Okeechobee Counties
- Roll 21: Florida: Orange - Washington Counties
- Roll 22: Georgia: Appling - Dawson Counties
- Roll 23: Georgia: Decatur - Houston Counties
- Roll 24: Georgia: Irwin - Putnam Counties
- Roll 25: Georgia: Quitman - Worth Counties
- Roll 26: Idaho: Idaho Territory, Counties unknown; Ada - Washington Counties
- Roll 27: Illinois: Adams - Douglas Counties
- Roll 28: Illinois: Du Page - Johnson Counties
- Roll 29: Illinois: Kane - Marion Counties
- Roll 30: Illinois: Marshall - Saint Clair Counties
- Roll 31: Illinois: Saline - Woodford Counties
- Roll 32: Indiana: Adams - Fountain Counties
- Roll 33: Indiana: Franklin - Lagrange Counties
- Roll 34: Indiana: Lake - Putnam Counties
- Roll 35: Indiana: Randolph - Whitley Counties
- Roll 36: Iowa: Adair - Davis Counties
- Roll 37: Iowa: Decatur - Jefferson Counties
- Roll 38: Iowa: Johnson - Plymouth Counties
- Roll 39: Iowa: Pocahontas - Yell Counties
- Roll 40: Kansas: Kansas Territory, Counties unknown; Allen - Douglas
Counties
- Roll 41: Kansas: Edwards - Lyon Counties
- Roll 42: Kansas: McPherson - Riley Counties
- Roll 43: Kansas: Rooks - Wyandotte Counties
- Roll 44: Kentucky: Adair - Carter Counties
- Roll 45: Kentucky: Casey - Graves Counties
- Roll 46: Kentucky: Grayson - Knott Counties
- Roll 47: Kentucky: Knox - Marshall Counties
- Roll 48: Kentucky: Martin - Pike Counties
- Roll 49: Kentucky: Powell - Woodford Counties
- Roll 50: Louisiana: Acadia - Grant Parishes
- Roll 51: Louisiana: Iberia - Sabine Parishes
- Roll 52: Louisiana: St. Bernard - Winn Parishes
- Roll 53: Maine: Androscoggin - Lincoln Counties
- Roll 54: Maine: Oxford - York Counties
- Roll 55: Maryland: Allegany - Frederick Counties
- Roll 56: Maryland: Garrett - Worcester Counties
- Roll 57: Massachusetts: Barnstable - Hampden Counties
- Roll 58: Massachusetts: Hampshire - Worcester Counties
- Roll 59: Michigan: Alcona - Eaton Counties
- Roll 60: Michigan: Emmet - Lapeer Counties
- Roll 61: Michigan: Leelanau - Oakland Counties
- Roll 62: Michigan: Oceana - Wexford Counties
- Roll 63: Minnesota: Counties unknown, Aitkin - Faribault Counties
- Roll 64: Minnesota: Fillmore - McLeod Counties
- Roll 65: Minnesota: McPhail - Rice Counties
- Roll 66: Minnesota: Rock - Yellow Medicine Counties
- Roll 67: Mississippi: Adams - Itawamba Counties
- Roll 68: Mississippi: Jackson - Quitman Counties
- Roll 69: Mississippi: Rankin - Yazoo Counties
- Roll 70: Missouri: Counties unknown, Adair - Clay Counties
- Roll 71: Missouri: Clinton - Iron Counties
- Roll 72: Missouri: Jackson - Montgomery Counties
- Roll 73: Missouri: Morgan - St. Clair Counties
- Roll 74: Missouri: St. Francois - Wright Counties
- Roll 75: Montana: Counties unknown, Beaverhead - Lake Counties
- Roll 76: Montana: Lewis and Clark - Yellowstone Counties
- Roll 77: Nebraska: Counties unknown; Adams - Douglas Counties
- Roll 78: Nebraska: Dundy - Madison Counties
- Roll 79: Nebraska: Merrick - York Counties
- Roll 80: Nevada: Counties unknown, Churchill - White Pine Counties
- Roll 81: New Hampshire: Belknap - Sullivan Counties
- Roll 82: New Jersey: Atlantic - Mercer Counties
- Roll 83: New Jersey: Middlesex - Warren Counties
- Roll 84: New Mexico: Counties unknown, Bernalillo - Otero Counties
- Roll 85: New Mexico: Quay - Valencia Counties
- Roll 86: New York: Albany - Cortland Counties
- Roll 87: New York: Delaware - Herkimer Counties
- Roll 88: New York: Jefferson - Onondaga Counties
- Roll 89: New York: Ontario - Schoharie Counties
- Roll 90: New York: Schuyler - Tompkins Counties
- Roll 91: New York: Ulster - Yates Counties
- Roll 92: North Carolina: Alamance - Cleveland Counties
- Roll 93: North Carolina: Columbus - Iredell Counties
- Roll 94: North Carolina: Jackson - Polk Counties
- Roll 95: North Carolina: Randolph - Yancey Counties
- Roll 96: North Dakota: Adams - Mercer Counties
- Roll 97: North Dakota: Morton - Williams Counties
- Roll 98: Ohio: Adams - Defiance Counties
- Roll 99: Ohio: Delaware - Knox Counties
- Roll 100: Ohio: Lake - Pickaway Counties
- Roll 101: Ohio: Pike - Wyandott Counties
- Roll 102: Oklahoma-Indian Territory: Counties unknown, Adair - Garvin
Counties
- Roll 103: Oklahoma-Indian Territory: Grady - Oklahoma Counties
- Roll 104: Oklahoma-Indian Territory : Okmulgee - Wyandotte Nation
- Roll 105: Oregon: Counties unknown, Baker - Lake Counties
- Roll 106: Oregon: Lane - Yamhill Counties
- Roll 107: Pennsylvania: Adams - Bradford Counties
- Roll 108: Pennsylvania: Bucks - Clearfield Counties
- Roll 109: Pennsylvania: Clinton - Franklin Counties
- Roll 110: Pennsylvania: Fulton - Lehigh Counties
- Roll 111: Pennsylvania: Luzerne - Perry Counties
- Roll 112: Pennsylvania: Philadelphia - Tioga Counties
- Roll 113: Pennsylvania: Union - York Counties
- Roll 114: South Carolina: Abbeville - Greenwood Counties
- Roll 115: South Carolina: Hampton - York Counties
- Roll 116: South Dakota: Armstrong - Jones Counties
- Roll 117: South Dakota: Kingsbury - Ziebach Counties
- Roll 118: Tennessee: Anderson - Grainger Counties
- Roll 119: Tennessee: Greene - Monroe Counties
- Roll 120: Tennessee: Montgomery - Wilson Counties
- Roll 121: Texas: Counties unknown, Anderson - Cass Counties
- Roll 122: Texas: Castro - Ellis Counties
- Roll 123: Texas: El Paso - Harris Counties
- Roll 124: Texas: Harrison - Lamar Counties
- Roll 125: Texas: Lamb - Newton Counties
- Roll 126: Texas: Nolan - Stonewall Counties
- Roll 127: Texas: Sutton - Zawala Counties
- Roll 128: Utah: Counties unknown, Beaver-Weber Counties
- Roll 129: Vermont: Addison - Windsor Counties
- Roll 130: Virginia: Accomack - Buckingham Counties
- Roll 131: Virginia: Cabell - Floyd Counties
- Roll 132: Virginia: Fluvanna - Jefferson Counties
- Roll 133: Virginia: Kanawha - Nansemond Counties
- Roll 134: Virginia: Nelson - Rockbridge Counties
- Roll 135: Virginia: Rockingham - York Counties
- Roll 136: Washington: Counties unknown, Adams - Lewis Counties
- Roll 137: Washington: Lincoln - Yakima Counties
- Roll 138: West Virginia: Barbour - Greenbrier Counties
- Roll 139: West Virginia: Hampshire - Marshall Counties
- Roll 140: West Virginia: Mason - Raleigh Counties
- Roll 141: West Virginia: Randolph - Wyoming Counties
- Roll 142: Wisconsin: Adams - Grant Counties
- Roll 143: Wisconsin: Green - Pierce Counties
- Roll 144: Wisconsin: Polk - Wood Counties
- Roll 145: Wyoming: Albany - Yellowstone National Park
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Bibliographic note: Web version based on National Archives Microfilm Publications Pamphlet Describing M841, Record of Appointment of Postmasters, 1832 - September 30, 1971. National Archives Trust Fund Board, Washington, DC: National Archives and Records Administration, 1977, reprinted 1997. 8 pages.
Note: Web version may vary from the printed version.