Lot 84
(Missouri) "Kansas Mo., Sepr 7th", manuscript postmark with matching "Paid 5" rating on cover to Sarah E. Harrison at Glasgow Mo.; edge tear, Very Fine, The post office for the town of Kansas was established in a general store owned by W. M. Chick at Westport Landing located on Grand Avenue at the Missouri embankment. The mail service from St. Louis came by stage coach.Estimate $100 - 150.
Realized: $260
Lot 85
(Missouri) "Mine a Breton", 1800 (Dec. 10), dateline on folded letter addressed to St. Genevieve Mo. and concerning the sale of 645 pounds of lead to the American firm of Bryan & Morris, no postal markings, Fine and rare Spanish Colonial letter.Estimate $200 - 300.
Realized: $625
Lot 86
(Missouri) "Mine a Burton, March 23", manuscript postmark with matching "10" rating on folded letter datelined "Washington March 23, 1814" to William Clark, the Governor of Missouri Territory at St. Louis, Very Fine.Estimate $600 - 800.
THIS IS THE ONLY RECORDED COVER USED FROM THE MINE AU BRETON POST OFFICE.
Mine au Breton was founded by Moses Austin on his land grant from the Spanish government in 1797. It was named for Francis Breton, who had discovered lead ore outcroppings there about 1760. In 1812, the adjoining town of Potosi became the county seat and Mine au Breton was gradually swallowed up by the new town. The post office was established in 1811. For some inexplicable reason, the postmaster wrote the town name as Mine au Burton.
William Clark was the youngest brother of George Rogers Clark. He was co-leader, with Meriwether Lewis, of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. In 1807, he was appointed Brigadier General for the Territory of Louisiana and in 1813 was appointed Governor of Missouri Territory, retaining that office until Missouri became a state in 1821. In 1822, he was made Superintendent of Indian Affairs in St. Louis and served in that capacity until his death in 1838.
Realized: $2,700
Lot 87
(Missouri) "New Madrid Mo. T., 1 Octr. 1819", manuscript postmark with matching "Paid 25" rating on folded letter to New Orleans La. from the Cox-Heins correspondence; some paper loss at top edge and flap, some fold wear, Fine and scarce, This is the latest recorded use in the A.S.C.C.Estimate $300 - 400.
New Madrid is on the Mississippi River, 275 miles south of St. Louis. It was first settled in 1780; the post office was established in 1805. In 1811-1812, it was near the epicenter of the great earthquakes that shook the area and gave its name to the fault that caused them.
Cox was on his way from New Orleans to St. Louis and describes the perils of the trip: "We had the misfortune some days since to get our vessel aground by which accident we lost eight days otherwise we should have been at St. Louis. It is yet distant about two hundred & fifty miles and without further accident we shall reach there in eight or ten days…I am yet quite nervous from a late attack of the fever Our Distress from Sickness my dear Girl has been greater than you can imagine we have buried nine put ten on shore very ill and have yet some sickness on board though no dangerous cases…".
Realized: $575
Lot 88
(Missouri) "Parkville, May 25", manuscript postmark ties 1852, 3¢ dull red on folded letter to Coonville Ia., datelined "On Board Steam Boat Robert Campbell, at Parkville about 40 miles below Weston, May 24th 1852", original "5" cent due rating crossed out, some interesting content including, "…the emigrants have all left St. Joseph and Weston but there was a great many near Kanesville and I think they will suffer much a crossing the plains…", Very Fine, an interesting Missouri River steamboat use.Estimate $150 - 200.
Realized: $260
Lot 89
(Missouri) Platte City Mo "Apr 26", sharp strike of cds with manuscript date and matching "Old Stamp" and "Due 3" ratings on 1861, 3¢ red Star Die entire addressed to Weston Mo.; some flaws and wear, Fine and scarce old stamps not recognized.Estimate $300 - 400.
Realized: $425
Lot 90
(Missouri) "Princeton Mo, December 17", manuscript postmark with matching "10" rating on long circa 1846 folded letter from Mormon Ransom R. Potter to his family in Naugatuh Conn., lengthy letter mentions of leaving Nauvoo Ill. just after the great Mormon exodus to Missouri, "…We went from New Haven to Nauvoo and as the church was going west nothing would do but we must go to so we started to California with rest went as far as Garden Grove a distance of nearly 200 miles there we stopped through the Summer; built a house planted about 5 Acres of corn…The people here are kind to us very kind indeed. Most of them well off; since the mob drove the last company from Nauvoo there is many that's poor and distressed at the camp their property take and they left to sufer. I do think those that have comfortable home had better not leave at present this is to go to California"; cover splitting archivally taped, Fine, ex-Risvold.Estimate $300 - 400.
Ransom Robert Potter was born on March 4, 1807 in Waterbury, Conn. and died November 15, 1884 in Albion, Cassia County, Idaho. He married his first wife, Rhoda Emmaline Farrell, in 1825 at Cheshire Ct. and she later died in Albion. A new religion was formed "the Mormon Church" in 1830 and some of its members moved to Northern Ohio. It was here that the Potter family and Mormonism crossed paths. Ransom embraced the faith and was baptized in November of 1837. By 1840 the main body of the Mormon Church had moved further westward, but the 1840 census shows that Ransom was still living in Burton, Ohio. By 1840, they moved to Quincy Ill. On September 29, 1841, Ransom sold his farm to Johnson F. Welton and returned to Connecticut. He remained there until September of 1845 when he moved to Nauvoo, Illinois. We know he was in Illinois in early 1846 as Ransom, Rhoda and Emeline received their temple ordinances in the Nauvoo Temple. By summer they were in Mercer County, Missouri where they had built a cabin and planted 5 acres of corn. As with many families, they stayed and worked in the area until they could purchase the necessary equipment and supplies to move on. They are recorded living here in the 1850 census. Ransom R. Potter moved to Utah with the James McGaw Company in 1852. He would later marry a second, plural wife: Agnes Myrtle Milross while in Utah.
Realized: $375
Lot 91
(Missouri) "Rossville M.T., 2d Febry 1817", manuscript postmark with matching "Paid 37½" rating on 1817 folded letter addressed to the Circuit Court of Livingston County Kentucky, the enclosed deposition gives the details of a purchase of Negro slaves from a half breed Indian "who lived in the Cherokee Town on white river in this Territory…"; file folds and soiling, Fine.Estimate $500 - 750.
ONE OF ONLY TWO RECORDED ROSSVILLE USAGES KNOWN.
There is no record of this town in the archives, though this letter is a disposition given in New Madrid County. There was a ferry across the Mississippi River diagonally south of Cairo, Ill. operated by John Ross. It was called Ross' Point and was then in New Madrid County, though the site is now in Mississippi County. It is believed that this was Rossville.
Realized: $1,050
Lot 92
(Missouri) "Savannah M, Nov 21", manuscript postmark and matching "Free" rating on 1848 folded letter from B.M. Atherton to Rt. Revd. Bishop Chase, Postmaster at Robins Nest Ill., Mr. Atherton places an order for a special book and complains about the delays; light stain and file fold wear, F.-V.F., ex-Risvold.Estimate $300 - 400.
Realized: $270
Lot 93
(Missouri) "St. Charles, Feb. 28, 1818", manuscript postmark and manuscript "Paid 25" rating on cover to Marietta Oh., non-contemporary docketing indicates origination at Portage de Sioux on February 22, it was carried by private or military express to St. Charles where it entered the mails, Very Fine and scarce.Estimate $400 - 600.
Realized: $475