Essays on Sussex County and New Jersey Postal History

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Len Peck ~ SNUFFTOWN [SUSSEX COUNTY] EXPLAINED!Fig. 2. A later cover addressed to George Walther in Snufftown, Sussex County, New Jersey.The only problem is, there never was an official Post Office established for Snufftownin Sussex County, New Jersey, although I had heard several different times that a post officedid exist there at one time when William S. Longstreet was Postmaster. 3 So what doesexplain the confusing references?A letter which recently came into my possession solves the whole problem. (see Figure3). Transcribed, this letter reads:To The Postmaster GeneralAppointment Office, Washington, D.C.Stockholm P.O., Sussex County, N.JerseyFebruary 20, 1877Sir; I will now introduce myself as Postmasterto the above Office from July 1st 1871 to July 1st, 1874 and would wish to present to you the presentsituation of our Post Office. Hoping you will make a change of our Postmasters that is to sayappoint A. M. Holden in place of William S. Longstreet. First when Mr. Longstreet was appointedPostmaster he was keeping store, his store was just one-quarter of a mile from the Stockholm Depoton the New Jersey Midland R.Road. He kept the office in his store for one year and nine months ortill April 1st 1876. Then he quit keeping store and moved to Snufftown and there keeps a Hotel - ofnot a high grade - and without the consent of the people, moved the Postoffice to that place, distanceabout three-quarters of a mile from the Depot. While the Office was kept at Mr. Longstreet’s storeand by himself the people were satisfied but after he moved without leave, he threw the Post Officeinto the hands of James M. Lewis, a man the people have very little confidence in regard to hishonesty, a thorough Copperhead Democrat, this man has the whole charge of receiving andforwarding mails, I believe, with the exception of Registering letters which is done in a filthybarroom where rum is sold by W. S. Longstreet. The sworn assistant Frank Hamilton is now, Ibelieve, in New York State in a Telegraph Office. The mails are kept open within reach of anyonewho chooses to go behind the counter and handle them. I have a package sent from Mason City,Vol. 33/No. 2NJPHWhole No. 15863May 200554
SNUFFTOWN [SUSSEX COUNTY] EXPLAINED! ~ Len PeckIowa dated January 11 th , 1877, and received it February 17 th ; other packages started same timecome on time, this he withheld all that time. I speak from my own knowledge that when I have sentfor my mail and acknowledged the persons to them as my carriers, they have asked for my mail andit has not been sent or my mail has been withheld, not once. This has happened many times.-- Acustomer to his store is waited upon before and in preference of people after mail. J. M. Lewis sayshe gets nothing for attending to the mail and his customers must have the preference. A. M. Holdenwas a Soldier nearly all through the war and is a thorough Republican; he keeps store about twohundred yards from Stockholm Depot; if he gets the office it will relieve the Post Office Departmentfrom carrying the mail as the RailRoad will have to deliver it, which will be a great save.--The mailcertainly was carried as set forth in the accompanying Petition; I have carried it myself for the sakeof getting my mail without waiting.At or close to the Stockholm Depot is the most central place to accommodate the wholepeople getting their mail at Stockholm Post Office. Hoping you will act upon this matterimmediately, I remainYoursHiram H. Strait 4So it is clear from this letter that while Longstreet was the official postmaster atStockholm, he had, without permission, removed the office to Snufftown, a mile away, whenhe moved his business to that location. Such unofficial moves were no doubt undertaken moreoften than we understand.Apparently, this letter had very little influence at Postal Headquarters because therecords show that Mr. A. M. Holden was never appointed as Postmaster at Stockholm and thatWilliam S. Longstreet continued to hold the position as postmaster at Stockholm whileoperating out of Snufftown until he was replaced by Edward Kincaid in 1883. Kincaid wasthen followed by James M. Lewis in 1886, the same Lewis who Hiram Strait was criticizing inhis letter. Lewis was replaced by Kincaid again in 1889 and he then replaced Kincaid again in1894. (Note--Changes of this kind occurred often when postmaster appointments were apatronage matter and the controlling political party changed at election time.)It was during Hiram Strait’s tenure as postmaster that the shortest lived post office inNew Jersey (maybe even the country) came into existence. The name of that Post Office wasPetauket which was established March 18, 1873 and discontinued on March 24, 1873, a matterof only one week. The change had to be requested by Hiram Strait but the records at PostOffice Headquarters in Washington have no record of the reason for either its establishment orits quick demise.Not only do the records show that James M. Lewis served twice as Postmaster atStockholm but his wife Josephine as well as his son, George also served as Postmasters atStockholm from 1906 through 1914.In any event, the mystery of a post office in Snufftown has been solved by this letter.NJPH 64Vol. 33/No. 2May 2005 Whole No. 15855
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ByLeonard PeckPublished inThe Pages
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PREFACE:Leonard Peck is a long-time
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LEN PECK - CENTENARIAN!“We ate a
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CHRONOLOGICAL LIST OF SUSSEX POs ~
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Page 42 and 43: DEVELOPMENT OF SUSSEX POs: Hamburg
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Page 70 and 71: RURAL FREE DELIVERY ~Len PeckRURAL
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Essays on Sussex County and New Jersey Postal History

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