Sale 55: United States Postal History

Lot 31    

[Indians] "Quindaro May 9th" (Kansas Territory), manuscript postmark on cover bearing 1852, 3¢ dull red, rich color, tied by "Steam" straightline handstamp on buff cover addressed to Long Island, N.Y.; couple tiny edge repairs and flap mostly missing, Fine and unusual use.
Scott No. 11    Estimate $150 - 200.

Quindaro Brown was the Wyandott Indian woman who married Abelard Guthrie. When a new town on the Missouri River was platted by Guthrie he named it Quindaro for his wife. This cover entered the mail at Quindaro, evidenced by the manuscript townmark. However, the postmaster handed it to the captain of a non-contract steamboat headed east. At St. Louis, it was delivered to the post office, receiving that town's "Steam" marking and again entered the mail system for Long Island.

Realized: $525

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Lot 32    

[Indians] "Sante Fe, N.M., Nov 1st", manuscript postmark and matching "5" rating on datelined 1851 folded letter to Liberty Mo., letter written by Abraham R. Woolley, an Indian Agent who recently had been posted to Anton Chico on the Picos River in New Mexico Territory, addressed to Col. John Dougherty who was a former postmaster at Fort Leavenworth, Indian Agent on the Upper Missouri River, trader and suttler at Fort Kearny, Very Fine.
Estimate    $750 - 1,000.

THIS IS THE LATEST RECORDED USE OF THE MANUSCRIPT SANTE FE POSTMARK AND TRAVELED THE ENTIRE ROUTE OF THE SANTE FE TRAIL TO LIBERTY MO.

Realized: $1,900

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Lot 33    

[Indians] "White River, March 12, 1807", dateline on folded letter addressed to the United States Indian Factor in Arkansas, letter was written by James B. Waterman, a sub-agent to the Cherokees in what is now Western Arkansas, he says the Indians are selling their pelts to other traders but promise to reserve all future skins for the government factor, he asks for trade goods to exchange for their furs, since there was no mail service in this area, letter was carried privately to Arkansas Post, docketed as received Mar. 24th; aging and some paper loss, Fine.
Estimate    $300 - 400.

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Lot 34    

[Indians] 1801-1860s Indian Trade and Official Offices, collection mounted on pages housed in one binder, group of 8 covers and one letter, starts with 1801 letter from fur trader to Montreal mentioning Mr. Astor (John Jacob Astor) having left for Montreal and fur prices of raccoon, otter and beaver; 1811 folded cover from Indian Trade Office posted at Georgetown; 1822 St. Louis letter from John O'Fallon who married Francis Clark the sister of the brothers involved with the Lewis & Clark Expedition and O'Fallon ran a trading post at Council Bluffs; John C. Calhoun free frank as Sec. of War who started the Bureau of Indian Affairs; 1832-36 Elbert Herring free frank as Commissioner of Indian Affairs; 1827 letter by Samuel S. Hamilton as commissioner of Indian Affairs; 1857 official corner card cover with letter free franked by Charles E. Nix as acting commissioner of Indian Affairs; 1839 Indian Affairs (Dept. of Interior) cover free franked by A.B. Greenwood as commissioner with letter; and 1861-65 William P. Dole free frank on Office Indian Affairs cover; some faults, Very Fine and interesting assemblage.
Estimate    $600 - 800.

Realized: $750

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Lot 35    

[Indians] 1831-1856 Indian Agencies, group of 6 covers with most addressed to Indian Agencies comprising 1831 Quartermaster Generals Office folded letter to Camp on Black Creek, Choctaw Agency in Miss.; 1850 docketed cover from Col. Lea as Indian Agent for the Delawares in regards to surveying the Wyandotte land purchased from the Delawares to Sub-Agent for Indian Affairs in Kansas Mo.; 1826-31 letter from William Lee Treasury Dept. to John F. Hamtranick who served as Osage Indian Agent, sent in care of Wm. Clark in St. Louis; 1839 Springfield Ill. from W.L.D. Ewing, later Ill. Gov., addressed to Gen. John M. Street "at the New Agency on the Des Moines River, Iowa Terr."; 1837 St. Louis quartermaster general office use to Capt. Ethan Allen Hitchcock, Supt. Dis: District Agent In. Dept, St. Louis Mo.; and 1856 legal size cover bearing #11A pair tied by St. Louis Mo. cds addressed to Sac. & Fox. Agency, Kansas Terr. with manuscript "Sioux City Apl 1/56, Missent & Ford." postmark and "Ford 6" rating, faulty; F.-V.F.
Estimate    $300 - 400.

Realized: $230

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Lot 36    

[Indians] 1833-1848 Indian Missions, group of 11 folded letters used from Indian Missions including extensive group from Westport Mo. including 1833 letter datelined "Shawnee Jackson Co. Mo" to Genl. William Clark in St. Louis, Shawnee was later sold and renamed Westport in 1834, 1839 letter from Daniel Yoacham who was the first settler of Westport in 1827; 1837 and 1838 Westport Mo. letters from young missionary Dr. Andrew Chute to Fryeburg Me. proposing marriage (he would die at age 27 in 1838); 1838 letter from Rev. William Hamilton from Iowa Indian Agency to the Presbyterian Missionary Society in New York City; 1840 letter from Otoe Baptist Mission entered mails at Fort Leavenworth Mo.; and 1847 letter datelined "Cherokee, Cherokee Na." entered mails at Boonsboro Ark. to New York City; and 1848 letter datelined "Ind. M.L. School (Indian Manual Labor School) entered mails at Westport Mo. to Weston Mo.; etc., some interesting content, F.-V.F., an important and interesting group.
Estimate    $1,000 - 1,500.

Realized: $1,400

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