Southport Postal History

Southport Postal History
Lincoln County, Maine

last update for this page: 14 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.

During the history of the Southport, there have been six post offices.

Briefly, the history of these six is as follows:
1. Capitol post office opened on 7 April 1898, changed on 30 June / 1 July to Capitol Island post office, which changed on 31 May / 1 June 1960 to Capitol Island RS/CPO Boothbay Harbor, and closed in September 2004.
2. Mouse Island post office opened on 29 May 1878 and closed on 14 April 1917.
3. Newagen post office opened on 24 April 1900, changed on 18 October 1995 to Newagen CPO West Southport, and closed on 29 May 1998
4. Townsend post office opened on 17 January 1850 and changed on 17 January 1851 to Souuthport post offce, which closed on 30 August 1852 and re-opened on 9 March 1855. Southport post office changed on 21 June 1963 to Southport RB Boothbay Harbor, which closed on 29 November 1975.
5. Squirrel Island opened on 11 June 1872, closed on 3 March 1873, re-opened on 9 April 1880, and on 19 May 1967 changed to Squirrel Island RB/CPO Boothbay Harbor, which is still in operation.
6. West Southport post office opened on 8 April 1878 and is still in operation.

In 1914, there were sixone post offices in Southport: Capitol, Mouse Island, Newagen, Southport, Squirrel Island, and West Southport. (source: Post Route Map of the State of Maine 1914)

(click on image to enlarge)

Postmarks from the town of Southport include:

Capitol
Capitol Island

Mouse Island
Newagen

Southport
Squirrel Island

Townsend

West Southport

Capitol

1898 April 7:
   Capitol post office opened. (source: Maine Philatelic Society. 1995. The Post Offices of Maine: A Rarity Guide)

1908 August 4:
   The circular postmark is 28 mm in diameter.

      (click on image to enlarge)

1941 June 16:
   The circular postmark is 32–33 mm in diameter. The outside vertical height of the four bars to the right of the circle is 18 mm.

      (click on image to enlarge)

1941 June 30:
   The circular postmark is 33 mm in diameter.

      (click on image to enlarge)

1941 June 30 / July 1:
   Capitol post office was renamed as Capitol Island post office. (source: Maine Philatelic Society. 1995. The Post Offices of Maine: A Rarity Guide)

2004 September:
   Capitol post office closed. (source: Maine Philatelic Society. 1995. The Post Offices of Maine: A Rarity Guide)

Capitol Island

1941 June 30 / July 1:
   The former Capitol post office was renamed as Capitol Island post office opened. (source: Maine Philatelic Society. 1995. The Post Offices of Maine: A Rarity Guide)

1941 July 1:
   The circular postmark is 32 mm in diameter.

      (click on image to enlarge)

1942 August 26:
   The circular postmark is 32–33 mm in diameter. The outside vertical height of the four bars to the right of the circle is 18–19 mm.

      (click on image to enlarge)

1960 May 31 / June 1:
   Capitol Island post office changed to Capitol Iland RS/CPO Boothbay Harbor. (source: Maine Philatelic Society. 1995. The Post Offices of Maine: A Rarity Guide)

2004 September:
   Capitol Island RS/CPO Boothbay Harbor closed. (source: Maine Philatelic Society. 1995. The Post Offices of Maine: A Rarity Guide)

Newagen

1900 April 24:
   Newagen post office opened. (source: Maine Philatelic Society. 1995. The Post Offices of Maine: A Rarity Guide)

date:
   Newagen post office.

      (click on image to enlarge)

1936 August 24:
   The circular postmark is 32–33 mm in diameter. The outside vertical height of the four bars to the right of the circle is 20–21 mm.

      (click on image to enlarge)

1950 January 10:
   The circular postmark is 32–33 mm in diameter. The outside vertical height of the four bars to the right of the circle is 18–19 mm.

      (click on image to enlarge)

1998 May 29:
   Newagen post office closed. (source: Maine Philatelic Society. 1995. The Post Offices of Maine: A Rarity Guide)

Southport

1851 January 17:
   The former Townsend post office was renamed as Southport post office. (source: Maine Philatelic Society. 1995. The Post Offices of Maine: A Rarity Guide)

1852 August 30:
   Southport post office closed. (source: Maine Philatelic Society. 1995. The Post Offices of Maine: A Rarity Guide)

1855 March 9:
   Southport post office re-opened. (source: Maine Philatelic Society. 1995. The Post Offices of Maine: A Rarity Guide)

188- December 9:
   The circular postmark is approximately 24 mm in diameter.

      (click on image to enlarge)

year?:
   Southport post office. Building on the right in both images.

      (click on an image to enlarge)

1934 August:
   The circular postmark is approximately 32 mm in diameter. The outside vertical height of the four bars to the right of the circle is approximately 14 mm.

      (click on image to enlarge)

1963 June 21:
   Southport post office renamed as Southport RB Boothbay Harbor (source: Maine Philatelic Society. 1995. The Post Offices of Maine: A Rarity Guide)

2020:
   Southport post office.

      (click on image to enlarge)

today:
   Southport RB Boothbay Harbor closed.

Squirrel Island

1872 June 11:
   Squirrel Island post office opened. (source: Maine Philatelic Society. 1995. The Post Offices of Maine: A Rarity Guide)

1873 March 3:
   Squirrel Island post office closed. (source: Maine Philatelic Society. 1995. The Post Offices of Maine: A Rarity Guide)

1880 April 9:
   Squirrel Island post office re-opened. (source: Maine Philatelic Society. 1995. The Post Offices of Maine: A Rarity Guide)

1925 August 1:
   The circular postmark is 31–32 mm in diameter. The outside vertical height of the four horizontal bars to the right of the circle is approximately 18 mm. (image side of card)

      (click on image to enlarge)

1936 August 27:
   The circular postmark is 33–34 mm in diameter. The outside vertical height of the four horizontal bars to the right of the circle is 19–20 mm.

      (click on image to enlarge)

1949 through 1950 July 25:
   The circular postmark is approximately 33 mm in diameter.

      (click on an image to enlarge)

1957 May 16:
   The circular postmark is 32–33 mm in diameter. The outside vertical height of the four horizontal bars to the right of the circle is 19–20 mm.

      (click on image to enlarge)

1957 May 16:
   The outer circle of the postmark is 29–30 mm in diameter; the inner, 18–19 mm.

      (click on image to enlarge)

1965 September 22:
   The circular postmark is 32–34 mm in diameter. The outside vertical height of the four bars to the right of the circle is 19–20 mm.

      (click on image to enlarge)

1967 May 19:
   Squirrel Island post office became Squirrel Iland RB/CPO Boothbay Harbor. (source: Maine Philatelic Society. 1995. The Post Offices of Maine: A Rarity Guide)

today:
   Squirrel Island RB/CPO Boothbay Harbor is still operating. (source: Maine Philatelic Society. 1995. The Post Offices of Maine: A Rarity Guide)

West Southport

1878 April 8:
   West Southport post office opened. (source: Maine Philatelic Society. 1995. The Post Offices of Maine: A Rarity Guide)

date?:
   West Southport post office.

      (click on image to enlarge)

date?:
   West Southport post office.

      (click on image to enlarge)

ca. 1930:
   West Southport post office.

(click on image to enlarge)

today:
West Southport post office is still in operation.