November 5, 1816 Libbeus Hascall became Ticonderoga’s first Postmaster.
November 5, 2016 ~ The Ticonderoga Post Office, with assistance from the Ticonderoga Stamp Club and the Ticonderoga Historical Society, commemorated the 200th anniversary of postal service to Ticonderoga, NY.
James Madison, 4th President of the United States
Mr. Hascall, was one on Ticonderoga’s earliest attorneys to practice here at the Upper Falls. His appointment to this position was during the administration of James Madison, our fourth elected president.
Ticonderoga Post Office – 200th Commemoration Cancellations
TICONDEROGA POST OFFICE ESSEX COUNTY, NEW YORK
NameTitleDate AppointedLibbeus HascallPostmaster11/05/1816Lemuel H. WickerPostmaster06/28/1819Isaac KelloggPostmaster01/03/1820Joseph WeedPostmaster11/03/1823Richard D. ArthurPostmaster11/10/1832Melancton W. BlinPostmaster09/28/1833John H. MorePostmaster05/03/1836Mason A. PerkinsPostmaster05/19/1837John H. MorePostmaster03/24/1838Francis J. ArthurPostmaster12/31/1840George R. AndrewsPostmaster06/22/1841Moses T. CloughPostmaster07/24/1845Alfred WeedPostmaster04/14/1849William A. G. ArthurPostmaster05/13/1853Alanson M. PondPostmaster03/21/1861Frederick WeedPostmaster06/20/1864Thomas A. RileyPostmaster12/02/1886Alexander H. WeedPostmaster12/09/1890Thomas A. RileyPostmaster01/23/1895Eldie T. WilcoxPostmaster03/03/1899Albert WeedPostmaster01/04/1900Richard F. HayesPostmaster05/24/1916Walter B. GunningPostmaster11/17/1921Thomas F. CunninghamPostmaster08/27/1935John W. J. McCaughinActing Postmaster12/27/1965John W. J. McCaughinPostmaster07/27/1966Thomas F. HayesOfficer-In-Charge06/27/1972Thomas F. HayesPostmaster02/17/1973Herman J. GordonOfficer-In-Charge12/29/1978Patricia M. LawsonOfficer-In-Charge06/07/1979Frederick A. WendellPostmaster11/03/1979Rowena AlbertOfficer-In-Charge07/01/1985John E. MichalakPostmaster09/14/1985Dorothy L. AllenOfficer-In-Charge10/01/1992Dorothy L. (Allen) StullPostmaster01/23/1993Kenneth E. HintzOfficer-In-Charge11/04/1996Roger F. CurtisOfficer-In-Charge04/03/1997Robert S. ArmstrongOfficer-In-Charge07/10/1997Linda C. OsbornePostmaster10/11/1997Paul G. ZimolkaOfficer-In-Charge06/11/2009Paul G. ZimolkaPostmaster08/29/2009Jody M. EdsonOfficer-In-Charge07/03/2012Jody M. EdsonPostmaster10/06/2012
Streetroad Post Office
(Located in the Johnson Brothers General Store)
Chilson Post Office
(Window Registration Book – 1961 to 1964)
Postal Box Receipt
Postal History
Benjamin Franklin was the first Postmaster General. Postal Career – Franklin was appointed postmaster of Philadelphia by the British Crown Post in 1737. Newspaper publishers often served as postmasters, which helped them to gather and distribute news. Postmasters decided which newspapers could travel free in the mail — or in the mail at all. Then British Postmaster General, Elliott Benger, added to Franklin’s duties by making him comptroller, with financial oversight for nearby Post Offices. Franklin lobbied the British to succeed Benger when his health failed and, with Virginia’s William Hunter, was named joint postmaster general for the Crown on August 10, 1753. Franklin surveyed post roads and Post Offices, introduced a simple accounting method for postmasters, and had riders carry mail both night and day. He encouraged postmasters to establish the penny post where letters not called for at the Post Office were delivered for a penny. Remembering his experience with the Gazette, (his newspaper) Franklin mandated delivery of all newspapers for a small fee. In 1757, while serving as joint postmaster general. Franklin went to London to represent Pennsylvania’s government. In 1763, back in the colonies. he traveled 1,600 miles surveying post roads and Post Offices from Virginia to New England. In 1764, Franklin returned to London, where he represented the interests of several colonial governments. In 1774, judged too sympathetic to the colonies, he was dismissed as joint postmaster general.
In 1775, Franklin served as a member of the Second Continental Congress, (John Hancock, was this Congress’ President), which appointed him Postmaster General on July 26 of that year. With an annual salary of $1,000 and $340 for a secretary and comptroller, Franklin was responsible for all Post Offices from Massachusetts to Georgia and had authority to hire postmasters as necessary. In 1776, Franklin worked with the committee that created the Declaration of Independence, then left for Paris to secure French support for the war with England. The treaty of alliance he negotiated in 1778 was vital to the success of the American Revolution. ~ USPS History.
From “Ticonderoga Patches and Patterns from its Past” – there is referenced to some early postal history: “.. One writer referring to primitive Vermont, paints a picture that would probably closely portray conditions here. He says, “The post offices were for the most part a shelf in the tavern bar or a drawer in the village store into which the infrequent letters and few newspapers were promiscuously tumbled to be searched through on demand of each inquirer.”
Mail was first carried on horseback up and down the Champlain Valley on the Vermont side. In summer it was transported via the lakes as a rather lively business existed between Montreal and the cities of the lower Hudson. As roads improved, horse-drawn coaches carried both people and mail up and down the valley. About 1816 Peter Comstock of Whitehall established a stage route from that place to Vergennes. This served the Vermont towns between those points with mail three times per week. It seems significant that the first record of postal service at Ticonderoga was also in 1816. On November5 of that year Libbeus Hascall, an attorney of Ticonderoga received a Federal appointment as post-master here. We can readily surmise that the regular mail service to Shoreham (VT) sparked regular from Shoreham to Ticonderoga and thus necessitated a post-master. A post office was established at Larrabee’s Point (VT) in 1831, and this would indicate that mail was also then coming by boat as was attested by an Add to dictionary the Whitehall Democrat in 1856. This Public Notice calls attention to a new mail stage from Rochester, Vermont, to Ticonderoga. This run was arranged to intercept a Boston to Burlington stage at Brandon (VT) and the Champlain steamer at Chipman’s Point (VT). This schedule was also for the trip one way. Where the post office was, or rather where the postal facilities were at this period cannot with certainty be determined. Possibly they were in some general store or tavern. The use of postage stamps begun in 1847. The postage on most mail up to 1850 was paid as the addressee received it. Many account books reflect this. Edward McCaughin noted in his accounts of 1837 that John Thompson owned him 12 1/2 cents postage on two letters from Salim (sic) (Salem, Washington County, NY). Two letters from back home in Ireland cost Mr. McCaughin 40 cents in 1838.”
As the holiday season is fast approaching and you are considering your gift giving list ~ visit our “Olde Post Office Book and Gift Shop” ~ for that something special you are looking for. While there take a close look at our early postal collection archived from surrounding post offices.
“Olde Post Office Book & Gift Shop” Hancock House
Congratulations to all of the employees of the Ticonderoga Post Office on your 200th Anniversary. We thank you and all those that you followed for the dedicated service to our community we call home.
11/6/16 wgd