Sherman Postal History

Sherman Postal History
Aroostook County, Maine

last update for this page: 17 July 2021

Maine Postal History ------ Waterville Stamp Club

Thank you for the contributions to this page from James Husson, Kelvin Kindahl, the Strout family collection, and Al Tieman.

During the history of the town of Sherman, there have been five post offices.

Briefly, the history of these five is as follows:
1. Coral post office opened on 3 May 1880 and closed on 26 June 1896.
2. East Sherman post office opened on 30 August 1904 and closed on 29 June 1907.
3. Goldenridge post office opened on 22 July 1868, closed on 27 March 1871, re-opened on 22 June 1874, closed on 7 April 1876, re-opened on 28 November 1881, and closed on 14 December 1918.
4. Number Three post office opened on 7 September 1839 and was renamed on 30 March 1864 as West Sherman post office. This was renamed on 6 May 1864 as Sherman (2) post office, which closed on 29 February 1952.
5. Sherman (1) post office opened on 7 April 1864 and was renamed on 5 May 1864 as Sherman Mills post office, which was renamed on 1 October 2003 as Sherman (1) post office. Sherman (1) post office is still operating.

In 1914, there were three post offices in Sherman: Goldenridge, Sherman (2), and Sherman Mills. (source: Post Route Map of the State of Maine 1914)

(click on image to enlarge)

Postmarks from Sherman include:

Coral
East Sherman

Goldenridge
Number Three

Sherman (1)
Sherman (2)

Sherman Mills

West Sherman

Coral

1880 May 3:
   Coral post office opened. (source: Maine Philatelic Society. 1995. The Post Offices of Maine: A Rarity Guide)

1888 March 27:
   The octagonal postmark is 27 mm between parallel sides.

      (click on image to enlarge)

1896 June 26:
   Coral post office closed. (source: Maine Philatelic Society. 1995. The Post Offices of Maine: A Rarity Guide)

Goldenridge

1868 July 22:
   Goldenridge post office opened. (source: Maine Philatelic Society. 1995. The Post Offices of Maine: A Rarity Guide)

1871 March 27:
   Goldenridge post office closed. (source: Maine Philatelic Society. 1995. The Post Offices of Maine: A Rarity Guide)

1874 July 22:
   Goldenridge post office re-opened. (source: Maine Philatelic Society. 1995. The Post Offices of Maine: A Rarity Guide)

1876 April 7:
Goldenridge Mills post office closed. (source: Maine Philatelic Society. 1995. The Post Offices of Maine: A Rarity Guide)

1881 November 28:
   Goldenridge post office re-opened. (source: Maine Philatelic Society. 1995. The Post Offices of Maine: A Rarity Guide)

1906 August 14:
   The circular postmark is approximately 29 mm in diameter. The outside vertical heigh of the four horizontal bars to the right of the circle is approximately 18 mm.

      (click on image to enlarge)

1911 December 27:
   The circular postmark is approximately 33 mm in diameter. The outside vertical height of the four horizontal bars to the right of the circle is approximately 19 mm.

      (click on image to enlarge)

1918 May 16:
   The circular postmark is approximately 33 mm in diameter.

      (click on image to enlarge)

1918 December 14:
   Goldenridge post office closed. (source: Maine Philatelic Society. 1995. The Post Offices of Maine: A Rarity Guide)

Number Three

1839 September 7:
   Number Three post office opened. (source: Maine Philatelic Society. 1995. The Post Offices of Maine: A Rarity Guide)

1848 October 16:
   Manuscript postmark.

      (click on image to enlarge)

1854 December 11:
   Theodore Trafton appointed Postmaster.

1864 March 30:
   Number Three post office was renamed as West Sherman post office. (source: Maine Philatelic Society. 1995. The Post Offices of Maine: A Rarity Guide)

Sherman (1)

1864 April 7:
   Sherman (1) post office opened. (source: Maine Philatelic Society. 1995. The Post Offices of Maine: A Rarity Guide)

1864 April 7:
   Spaulding Robinson appointed Postmaster.

1864 May 5:
   Sherman (1) post office was renamed as Sherman Mills post office. (source: Maine Philatelic Society. 1995. The Post Offices of Maine: A Rarity Guide)

2003 October 1:
   Sherman Mills post office was renamed as Sherman (1) post office.

2003 November 1:
   Wiliam P. Mehrhoff appointed Postmaster.

2005 August 29:
   The circular postmark is 24 mm in diameter.

      (click on image to enlarge)

2008 March 14:
   The circular postmark is 34 mm in diameter.

      (click on image to enlarge)

2012 September 3:
   The postmark (Sherman “Old Home Days Station”) is 39 mm x 87 mm.

      (click on image to enlarge)

2013 June 18:
   Desiree Harrison appointed Officer-in-Charge.

2014 July 26:
   Sherman (1) post office was converted to a Level 6 (6-hour) Remotely Managed Post Office under the direction of the Postmaster of the Patten post office.

2016 August 29:
   The circular postmark is 30 mm in diameter.

      (click on image to enlarge)

2016 August 29:
   The circular postmark is 30 mm in diameter.

      (click on image to enlarge)

2020:
   Sherman (1) post office. 11 Woodbridge Corner Road; Sherman, Maine  04776. Lat./Long.: N 45°52′19″ x W 68°23′08″

      (click on image to enlarge)

today:
   Sherman (1) post office is still in operation.

Sherman (2)

1864 May 5:
   The former West Sherman post office was renamed as Sherman (2) post office. (source: Maine Philatelic Society. 1995. The Post Offices of Maine: A Rarity Guide)

1864 May 5:
   Theodore Trafton appointed Postmaster.

1868 June 15:
   Moses Palmer appointed Postmaster.

1869 June 15:
   Theodore Trafton appointed Postmaster.

1878 October 2:
   Theodore Trafton appointed Postmaster.

1883 October 18:
   Joseph Merriam appointed Postmaster.

1891 July 22:
   Lydia S. Merriam appointed Postmaster.

1896 September 1:
   James Mullen appointed Postmaster.

1901 November 21:
   Margaret Boober appointed Postmaster.

1906 February 2:
   The circular postmark is 30–31 mm in diameter.

      (click on image to enlarge)

1914 December 14:
   The circular postmark is 32 mm in diameter.

      (click on image to enlarge)

1921 January 13:
   Nina C. Trafton appointed Postmaster.

1923 January 19:
   Carrie A. Grant appointed Postmaster.

1929 December 30:
   Margaret M. Boober appointed Postmaster.

1948 February 29:
   Isaac Mahon appointed Acting Postmaster.

1948 April 9:
   Isaac Mahon appointed Postmaster.

1942 September 29:
   The circular postmark is 32 mm in diameter.

      (click on image to enlarge)

1949 June 11 through 1950 March 13:
   The circular postmark is 32–33 mm in diameter. The four horizontal bars to the right of the circle are approximately 6 mm apart on center.

      (click on an image to enlarge)

1949 August 22:
   Carlton Huntley appointed Acting Postmaster.

1951 March 6:
   Richard C. Huntley Jr. appointed Postmaster.

1952 February 29:
   The circular postmark is 33 mm in diameter. Note that this card was postmarked on the last day of operation of Sherman (2) post office.

      (click on image to enlarge)

1952 February 29:
   Sherman (2) post office closed. (source: Maine Philatelic Society. 1995. The Post Offices of Maine: A Rarity Guide)

Sherman Mills

1864 May 5:
   Sherman Mills post office opened. (source: Maine Philatelic Society. 1995. The Post Offices of Maine: A Rarity Guide)

1864 May 7:
   Spaulding Robinson appointed Postmaster.

1879 November 30:
   Leonard H. Caldwell appointed Postmaster.

1879 September 18:
   Edward A. Jackman appointed Postmaster.

1884 March 17:
   The circular postmark is 25 mm in diameter.

      (click on image to enlarge)

1890 November 18:
   John W. Caldwell appointed Postmaster.

1893 June 15:
   Alva P. Leavitt appointed Postmaster.

1897 June 30:
   John W. Caldwell appointed Postmaster.

1906 October 16:
   The circular postmark is 29 mm in diameter.

      (click on image to enlarge)

1914 October 16:
   Isaac T. Maddocks appointed Postmaster.

1917 December 14:
   The circular postmark is 32 mm in diameter.

      (click on image to enlarge)

1922 February 14:
   The circular postmark is 29 mm in diameter.

      (click on image to enlarge)

1931 November 11:
   Travis Maddocks appointed Acting Postmaster.

1932 July 15:
   Philip B. Seavey appointed Postmaster.

1935 August 1:
   Ada M. Rand appointed Acting Postmaster.

1936 February 14:
   Philip B. Seavey appointed Postmaster.

1941 January 17:
   The circular postmark is 27 mm in diameter.

      (click on image to enlarge)

1943 December 30:
   Marjorie C. Tilley appointed Acting Postmaster.

1945 June 20:
   George M. Evans appointed Postmaster.

1949 August 1 through 1950 May 24:
   The circular postmark is approximately 26 mm in diameter.

      (click on an image to enlarge)

1968 February 16:
   Susie B. Corliss appointed Acting Postmaster.

1968 May 17:
   Roxanna B. Elwell appointed Acting Postmaster.

1968 July 26:
   Susie B. Corliss appointed Officer-in-Charge.

1970 December 19:
   Susie B. Corliss appointed Postmaster.

1973 January 19:
   Bernard W. Unterreiner appointed Officer-in-Charge.

1973 August 25:
   Bernard W. Unterreiner appointed Postmaster.

1987 May 29:
   Hilma D. Ambrose appointed Officer-in-Charge.

1987 August 29:
   Dianne M. London appointed Postmaster.

1996 October 11:
   The deformed circular postmark is 30 mm wide and 34 mm high.

      (click on image to enlarge)

2003 April 3:
   William P. Mehrhoff appointed Officer-in-Charge.

2003 August 22:
   Danielle London appointed Officer-in-Charge.

2003 September 30:
   The circular postmark is 34 mm in diameter. Note that this postmark was made on the last day of this post office’s operation.

      (click on image to enlarge)

2003 October 1:
   Sherman Mills post office was renamed as Sherman (1) post office.

West Sherman

1864 March 30:
   The former Number Three post office was renamed as West Sherman post office. (source: Maine Philatelic Society. 1995. The Post Offices of Maine: A Rarity Guide)

1864 March 30:
   Theodore Trafton appointed Postmaster.

1864 May 6:
   West Sherman post office was renamed as Sherman (2) post office. (source: Maine Philatelic Society. 1995. The Post Offices of Maine: A Rarity Guide)