Athens Postal History
Somerset County, Maine

last update for this page: 4 February 2021



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


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

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During the history of the town of Athens, there have been three post offices.

Briefly, the history of these three is as follows:
1. Athens post office was established on 9 January 1819 and is still operating.
2. East Athens post office operated from 17 June 1889 until 30 November 1900.
3. West Athens post office operated from 22 March 1870 until 30 June 1903.


In 1914, there was only the Athens post office in the town of Athens. (source: Post Route Map of the State of Maine 1914)
      
      Click on image to enlarge.

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Postmarks from the town of Athens include:

Athens

East Athens

West Athens

Athens

1819 January 9:
   Athens post office opened. (source: Maine Philatelic Society. 1995. The Post Offices of Maine: A Rarity Guide.)

1819 January 9:
   Zebulon Gilman appointed Postmaster.

1820 February 21:
   Caleb Leavett appointed Postmaster.

1821 June 7:
   George Bixby appointed Postmaster.

1833 December 26:
   Henry W. Priest appointed Postmaster.

1835 December 22:
   David P. Palmer appointed Postmaster.

1841 September 2:
   Samuel Jewett appointed Postmaster.

1844 October 2:
   Manuscript postmark. (notation; letter)
      

1844 October 16:
   L. D. P. Palmer appointed Postmaster.

1851 October 30:
   Ebenezer Hutchinson appointed Postmaster.

1853 April 28:
   Gilbert L. Palmer appointed Postmaster.

1856 September 15:
   Wingate Bradbury appointed Postmaster.

1857 April 6:
   Leonard Bradbury appointed Postmaster.

1858 January 7:
   Caleb Leavitt appointed Postmaster.

1862 March 19:
   George A. Kimball appointed Postmaster.

1871 April 21:
   Edmund S. Dutton appointed Postmaster.

1884 August 1:
   Myron L. Marr appointed Postmaster.

1885 November 11:
   Albert C. Wade appointed Postmaster.

1887 October 26:
   The circular postmark is 26–27 mm in diameter.
      

1887 December 9:
   Charles F. Dore appointed Postmaster.

1889 March 29:
   Henry W. Bartlett appointed Postmaster.

1891 May 19:
   James W. Bixby appointed Postmaster.

1893 April 22:
   Albert C. Wade appointed Postmaster.

1897 January 7:
   LaForrest C. Williams appointed Postmaster.

1933 October 2:
   The circular postmark is 30–31 mm in diameter. The four horizontal bars to the right of the circle are approximately 6 mm apart on center. Unlike the bars on later cancellations, these bars are even with each other at both their left and their right ends.
      

1935 September 10:
   Edgar J. Fox appointed Acting Postmaster.

1935 November 13:
   Edgar J. Fox appointed Postmaster.

1949 December 30:
   The circular postmark is 32–33 mm in diameter.
      

1958 November 30:
   Richard W. Poland appointed Acting Postmaster.

1960 January 22:
   James B. Scott appointed Postmaster.

1981 February 6:
   Marlene F. Roach appointed Officer-in-Charge.

1981 March 7:
   Marlene F. Roach appointed Postmaster.

1992 May 8:
   Kevin L. Taylor appointed Officer-in-Charge.

1992 June 19:
   Lorraine L. Dumont appointed Officer-in-Charge.

1993 Febuary 8:
   Diane Von Oesen appointed Officer-in-Charge.

1993 July 1:
   Diane Dunham appointed Officer-in-Charge.

1994 June 11:
   Loretta M. McNichol appointed Postmaster.

2001 February 8:
   Wendy Yoos appointed Officer-in-Charge.

2001 June 30:
   Laurie M. Wilbur-Stewart appointed Postmaster. (Her surname changed to Stewart on 13 March 2003, and to Boardman on 21 August 2004.)

2006 April 5:
   Andrew G. Sawlivich appointed Officer-in-Charge.

2006 June 10:
   Susan L. Molley appointed Postmaster.

2013 April 20:
   Athens post office was converted to a Level 6 (6-hour) Remotely Managed Post Office under the direction of the Postmaster of the Skowhegan post office.

today:
   Athens post office is still in operation.