La Posta January 2002 25
As the 21st century began, serious R.F.D. collectors
were taking note of and studying a vast array of often
overlooked, underestimated examples of ‘rural station’
markings, viewing them as a collectible cousin to early
R.F.D. material. Dealers are featuring more and more
cards and covers bearing rural station markings in their
stocks. This “extension station” phenominon has con-
tinued to evolve. Today, rural stations are often re-
ferred to as “branch offices.” For our generation, of
course, such markings are routinely seen on our daily
mail. Many are simply pretty postmarks occasionally
found and, if saved, are usually pitched into a box and
Figure 4 The Delta Junction, Alaska P.O. was established
forgotten.
on July 7, 1957. One of its rural stations was located at
Big Delta, established in the autumn of 1959. Closed
The question arises, “Will postal historians one hun-
tempo-rarily, it reopened on November 1, 1959.
dred years from now—the 2101 postal history gen-
eration—be collecting the same early R.F.D. material
that we seek today? Most certainly they will. I’m sure
that this collectible topic will be popular thoughout
the next century, and the 2101 folks will avidly seek
them just as we do today. I’m also certain that they
will just as enthusiastically be seeking the many ‘rural
station’ cancels that came into existence during the
mid-20th century. Hopefully, rural station cancellations
will have been catalogued, and collectors will have
adequate information about them.
But there is a specific category of rural stations that
will be especially desirable items collected 100 years
Figure 5 The Dot Lake Rural Station was part of the Delta
from now. They will be the non-military rural station
Junction P.O. in 1961. The Dot Lake post office was estab-
markings from Alaska and Hawaii near their 1959
lished on June 1, 1952, became a rural station of the Fair-
statehood dates, rural markings from the Trust Terri-
banks P.O. in 1954, and became part of the Delta Junction
tory of Guam along with other U.S. Pacific islands,
P.O. in the late 1950s.
and early 1960s rural stations from Puerto Rico. I
In 2101, Alaska will continue to be one of our most
also feel that our descendents will put a high premium
strategic states, serving as a vast military early warn-
on any foreign covers which were handled by U.S.
ing site manned by the Air Force, Coast Guard and
rural stations, either as destinations or forwarding
sites.
Figure 6 Postal stationery card handled at Halibut Cove,
Alaska on September 20, 1961. Note the large, circle-date
Figure 3 Ketchikan, Alaska’s Knudson Cove Rural Station,
cancellation. But within the month, Halibut Cove was a
located within the main post office’s serviced area. This
rural station of the Homer, Alaska P.O., as indicated by
remote spot was probably accessible only by boat.
the double circle-date cancellation dated October 20,
1961.
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