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24 January 2002 La Posta
Figure 1 Ketchikan, Alaska - Myers Chuck Rural Station - postal stationery postmarked
November 1, 1961, to Illinois. Located near the southernmost boundary with Canada and the
U.S., Ketchikan was the major Alaskan mail outlet for the small, surrounding islands in its
vicinity.
A Postal Pot Of Gold For The Future
Part 2: Rural Station Markings
By Michael Dattolico
ver since the rural free delivery postal system
home town post office, Fort Myers, Florida, provided
was instituted in 1896, R.F.D. markings have
service to a number of nearby rural stations through-
Ecaptivated American collectors. As the 20th
out the 1950s & ’60s.
century ended, covers and cards with rural free deliv-
ery markings were still highly popular postal history
topics. They are plentiful, affordable, and thanks to
the research published by Edith Doane, Harold Richow
and others, information about most of the known
R.F.D. cancellations is accessible. Unknown cancel-
lations are still being found.
Most collectors know the the rural free delivery story.
Far from established town post offices were isolated
farm families who did not receive home mail
delivery. The new R.F.D. system provided mail ser-
vice by postal carriers along specified country routes.
As the 20th century moved on, former rural areas
around established town post offices became more
urban but not large enough to justify having their own
post offices. The result was that these embryonic sub-
urbs were treated as rural stations by the servicing
Figure 2 Map showing location of Myers Chuck, a
offices. Thus, the ‘rural station’ markings became
Ketchikan rural station, in 1961. Located north-
common as the century progressed. I recall that my
northwest of Ketchikan, one can assume that some of
Ketchikan’s rural stations received their mail by boat.
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