Bucksport Postal History
Hancock County, Maine

last update for this page: 5 July 2021



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


Thank you for the contributions to this page from James Husson and from the Strout family collection.

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During the history of the town of Bucksport, there have been eight post offices.

Briefly, the history of these four is as follows:
1. Buck’s Mills post office opened on 29 March 1858, closed on 24 January 1867, re-opened on 27 June 1870, closed, on 11 April 1872, re-opened on 6 January 1873, and closed on 14 October 1903.
2. Bucksport center post office was established, as Bucksport Centre, on 14 April 1851, and closed on 31 August 1906.
3. Buckstown post office was established on 28 December 1797, and it was renamed on 13 July 1816 as Bucksport post office, which is still operating.
4. East Bucksport post office operated from 25 August 1856 to 31 July 1920.
5. Millvale post office operated from 19 January 1898 to 15 October 1914.
6. North Bucksport post office operated from 20 May 1828 to 31 August 1906.
7. Santiago post office operated from 13 July 1899 to 14 October 1903.
8. Small’s Mills post office operated from 31 August 1886 to 4 October 1887.


In 1914 there were three post offices in Bucksport: Bucksport, East Bucksport, and Millvale. (source: Post Route Map of the State of Maine 1914)
      
      (click on image to enlarge)

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Postmarks from the town of Bucksport include:

Buck’s Mills Bucksport

Bucksport Center Buckstown

East Bucksport Millvale

North Bucksport Santiago

Small’s Mills

Bucksport

1816 July 13:
   Bucksport post office opened. (source: Maine Philatelic Society. 1995. The Post Offices of Maine: A Rarity Guide.)

1852:
   Postmaster: William G. Chase. (source: Maine Register and State Reference Book. 1852.)

year? August 28:
   The circular postmark is approximately 30 mm in diameter.
      
      (click on image to enlarge)

1876 November 30: [year determined from reverse]
   The circular postmark is 23–24 mm in diameter.
      
      (click on image to enlarge)

1886 June 7 through 1893 April 5:
   The circular machine postmark is approximately 27 mm in diameter.
         
      (click on an image to enlarge)

1934 May 17 through 1941 October 9:
   The circular postmark is 20–21 mm in diameter. The outside vertical height of the six wavy lines to the right of the circle is approximately 16 mm.
         
      (click on an image to enlarge)

1939 December 5:
   The circular postmark is 29–30 mm in diameter.
      
      (click on image to enlarge)

1980 February 6:
   The circular postmark is 20–21 mm in diameter.
      
      (click on image to enlarge)

2020:
   Bucksport post office. 6 Mechanic Street; Bucksport, Maine 04416. Lat./Long.: N 44°34′21″ x W 68°478′46″.
      
      (click on image to enlarge)

today:
   Bucksport post office is still in operation.


Bucksport Center

1851 April 14:
   Bucksport Center post office opened (as Bucksport Centre). (source: Maine Philatelic Society. 1995. The Post Offices of Maine: A Rarity Guide.)

1869 September 28:
   The circular postmark is approximately 26 mm in diameter.
      
      (click on image to enlarge)

date?:
   Spelling changed to Bucksport Center.

1906 August 31:
   Bucksport Center post office closed. (source: Maine Philatelic Society. 1995. The Post Offices of Maine: A Rarity Guide.)


East Bucksport

1856 August 25:
   East Bucksport post office opened. (source: Maine Philatelic Society. 1995. The Post Offices of Maine: A Rarity Guide.)

1911 November 21:
   The circular postmark is approximately 32 mm in diameter. The outisde vertical height of the four bars to the right of the circle is 14–15 mm.
      
      (click on image to enlarge)

1920 July 31:
   East Bucksport post office closed. (source: Maine Philatelic Society. 1995. The Post Offices of Maine: A Rarity Guide.)


Millvale

1898 January 19:
   Millvale post office opened. (source: Maine Philatelic Society. 1995. The Post Offices of Maine: A Rarity Guide.)

1909 May 29:
   The circular postmark is 29󈞊 mm in diameter. The outside vertical height of the four horizontal bars to the right of the circle is 13 mm.
      
      (click on image to enlarge)

1914 October 15:
   Millvale post office closed. (source: Maine Philatelic Society. 1995. The Post Offices of Maine: A Rarity Guide.)


North Bucksport

1828 May 20:
   North Bucksport post office opened. (source: Maine Philatelic Society. 1995. The Post Offices of Maine: A Rarity Guide.)

1898 December 17:
   The circular postmark is approximately 28 mm in diameter. The diameter of the “killer cancel” is approximately 18 mm.
      
      (click on image to enlarge)

1906 August 31:
   North Bucksport post office closed. (source: Maine Philatelic Society. 1995. The Post Offices of Maine: A Rarity Guide.)


Santiago

1899 July 13:
   Santiago post office opened. (source: Maine Philatelic Society. 1995. The Post Offices of Maine: A Rarity Guide.)

1902 May 12:
   The circular postmark is 28.5 mm in diameter.
      
      (click on image to enlarge)

1903 October 14:
   Santiago post office closed. (source: Maine Philatelic Society. 1995. The Post Offices of Maine: A Rarity Guide.)