The return address on this envelope belongs to Professor Edward S. Morse, indicating that a member of his family sent this letter while Morse was visiting an acquaintance at Whitney Camp in Upper Dam, Andover, Maine. The letter was dispatched from Salem, Massachusetts, and bears an acceptance stamp dated AUG 29 at 3 PM, 1894. Remarkably, the letter reached its destination the following day, as evidenced by the postmark on the back of the envelope, which is stamped AUG 30 at 3 PM, Andover, ME. This signifies that it took exactly 24 hours to reach its intended destination at the postal station in Andover.
The distance from Andover to Upper Dam is more than 50 miles on dirt roads, requiring a full day's trip by horse and buggy. One might wonder if this piece of mail was actually delivered to a camp in Upper Dam or if it was held at a post office in Andover. It's challenging to imagine timely delivery to such a remote location.
Upon studying these antique envelopes, one can't help but be amazed at how efficiently letters reached their destinations in a relatively short time, especially considering the limited transportation options, particularly in small towns with predominantly dirt roads. Unlike today, where mail often passes through central 'hubs,' it appears that in the past, most mail went directly to the designated towns.
It seems that Morse had left the camp before this letter reached him, as evidenced by its return to his Salem address. The acceptance stamp from Andover, Maine, dated SEP 3, 1894, is clearly visible. However, the postmark from the receiving post office in Salem also appears to indicate the date SEP 3 at 6:30 PM, 1894. If indeed it is SEP 3, this would be an impressive feat in terms of the speed at which the letter traveled from Andover, Maine, a somewhat isolated location with the nearest train station being 15-20 miles away in Rumford.
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