Bowdoin Postal History
Sagadahoc County, Maine
last update for this page: 27 November 2020
Maine Postal History
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Waterville Stamp Club
Thank you for the contributions to this page from James Husson.
During the history of the town of Bowdoin, there have been three post offices.
Briefly, the history of these three is as follows:
1. Bowdoin post office opened on 17 July 1809, closed on 28 March 1814, re-opened on 30 December 1817, and closed on 21 September 1877.
2. Bowdoin Centre post office opened on 26 March 1844 and closed on 30 April 1910.
3. West Bowdoin post office opened on 17 July 1856 and is still operating.
In 1914, there was only post offices in Bowdoin: West Bowdoin. (source: Post Route Map of the State of Maine 1914)
(click on image to enlarge)
Postmarks from the town of Bowdoin include:
Bowdoin Center
1844 March 26:
Bowdoin Center post office opened (as Bowdoin Centre). (source: Maine Philatelic Society. 1995. The Post Offices of Maine: A Rarity Guide.)
1848 September 26:
Manuscript postmark.
(click on image to enlarge)
1897:
Spelling changed from Bowdoin Centre to Bowdoin Center.
1910 April 30:
Bowdoin Center post office closed. (source: Maine Philatelic Society. 1995. The Post Offices of Maine: A Rarity Guide.)
West Bowdoin
1856 July 17:
West Bowdoin post office opened. (source: Maine Philatelic Society. 1995. The Post Offices of Maine: A Rarity Guide.)
1949 December 19:
The circular postmark is 32–33 mm in diameter. The horizontal bars to the right of the circle are approximately 6 mm apart on center.
(click on image to enlarge)
today:
West Bowdoin post office is still in operation.