Postal history of Oregon facts for kids
The story of mail delivery in Oregon began in 1847. This was a year before the Oregon Territory was officially created. The United States Postal Service started a system to send mail from the East Coast to the West Coast. Mail traveled all the way across Panama to reach its destination.
The first post offices west of the Rocky Mountains were set up in Astoria and Oregon City. In 1849, the Pacific Mail Steamship Company started ship routes along the West Coast from Panama. The very first mail items with postmarks from Astoria and Oregon City appeared in 1849.
People who study stamps and postal history, called philatelists, have written many books about Oregon's mail system. For example, Oregon Post Offices by Richard W. Helbock lists many post office locations. Other books, like Oregon Postmarks, show the different postmarks used in the 1800s.
Today, the main post office building in Astoria is very important. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places because of its history.
Mail from the Oregon Territory
Oregon Territorials are special mail items. They come from the time when Oregon was a U.S. territory. This period lasted from the first mail deliveries until Oregon became a state on February 14, 1859.
These items include mail from areas north of the Columbia River. This was before the Washington Territory was formed in 1853. When the Oregon Territory was first created, it was much larger. It included land that later became the states of Washington and Idaho. It also included part of western Montana.
After the first post offices in Astoria and Oregon City opened, more followed. In 1849, new post offices were set up in Portland and Salem.
