Edison First Day Brings High Price! - New Jersey Postal History ...

Bruce Mosher ~ NJ PRIVATE EXPRESSES: OFFICES IN NEWARK, PART 6BThe last office (1875) for Traders’ Express was at 182 Market in Newark. Maybe, not toocoincidentally, the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Express (DLWX) moved into that sameaddress according to the 1876 Newark directory. This creates speculation that the DLWXacquired Trader’s Express and its assets late in 1875 or early in 1876. Perusal of the 1876Monitor Guide to Post Offices and Railroad Stations in the United States and Canada 4 revealsthat the DLWX was operating on the Morris & Essex Division of the DL&W railroad in 1876, soapparently they did take over Traders’ Express as speculated.Other Newark Express CompaniesOther Newark expresses, in addition to those listed in Tables 6-I and 6-II, have come to ourattention and are now discussed. The early (pre-1882) express companies discussed below werenot found in the 1844–82 Newark city directories.Ewins Dispatch Express (ca. 1848–52)The Ewins Dispatch Express operated from Adams & Co.’s Express office at 16 Wall Streetin New York. Its only known label (Figure 6-15) contains a short list of offices at Providence,Philadelphia, Newark, and Brooklyn. The label itself is black on red and measures 40 x 33.5 mmat the outer perimeter of its ornamental border. The cited Newark office was at 314 Broad, thesame address used by William Lewis for his express office in 1848–49. This Newark address mayhave been used by the semiautonomous New York–Newark expresses that were related to Adams& Co. operations. Interestingly, no reference was found (unless we missed it) to Ewins Express inthe 1845–55 Newark city directories. There was one close entry in the 1851 Newark directory for“Ewens ____(sic), express 295 Broad,” but this was deemed not to be related.(EWND-L1 label)(From ex-Hahn cover)Figure 6-15. Ewins Dispatch Express labeA few dating clues exist about Ewins Dispatch Express. The folded letter that hosts theillustrated label was owned by the late Cal Hahn and he described it as “Sent from New York viarail to Providence Ca. [circa] 1852.” There are no other visible markings on the front of thisfolded letter, so we can only guess that Cal’s information came from contents within the letter.Wilson’s 1848 New York City Directory lists “Ewins & Co. 16 Wall” under ‘Expresses.’ Basedon the evidence at hand, Ewins Dispatch (aka Ewins & Co.) Express is estimated to haveoperated from 1848 to 1852, but perhaps it started sooner and maybe it lasted longer.Vol. 33/No. 2NJPHWhole No. 15879May 2005