The source I chose to talk about this week for the 52 ancestors in 52 weeks theme of "Unusual Source" is called "U.S., Appointments of U. S. Postmasters, 1832-1971". These records can be found in more than one repository, I found these records on Ancestry.com.
I'm not sure if this is an unusual source to everyone, but when I found it I was very intrigued.
The description of the source on Ancestry.com is
This collection of 181 volumes of post office appointments and vacancies stretches from 1832 until 1971. The records show the date of establishment and discontinuance of post offices, changes of names of post offices, and names and appointment dates for their postmasters. The database also includes dates of Presidential appointments of postmasters and their confirmation dates by the Senate. Starting in 1870, the records contain names of post offices where discontinued post office’s mail was sent.
From 1832 until 1950, these records were kept by assistants to the Postmaster General. From 1950 to 1971, the Bureau of Post Office Operations compiled the records. Up to 1930, the records are arranged by location and then alphabetically by name of post office. After 1930, there are two types of records. They are arranged alphabetically by name of post office and alphabetically by the appointment’s name. The records include:
- Name
- Appointment date
- Vacancy cause
- Vacancy date
- Post office location
- State
- County
- Volume
I stumbled across this source when researching my 2nd great grandmother's second husband Asahel Atherton.
Asahel Atherton and my 2nd great grandmother Sarah Ann Healy married late in life, after the death of Sarah's first husband, my 2nd great grandfather, William Hawley. Sarah and Asahel were married on October 30th, 1919 In Beaverton, Gladwin, Michigan. I write more about their marriage in my blog post "How Did They Meet?". When Sarah and Asahel married he was 75 and she was 68. They had both been widowed. After their marriage they resided in the community of Hardy in Mitchell Township, Alcona County, Michigan.
16 Years before Sarah and Asahel got married, Asahel was appointed the postmaster of the Moffatt Post Office in Alcona County, Michigan.
As I mentioned, this source provides information on not only the person appointed as postmaster, but also the post office itself. The record provides the following information for Asahel Atherton:
Name: Asahel Atherton
Appointment Date: 10/31/1903
Vacancy Cause:
Vacancy Date:
Post Office Location: Moffatt
State: Michigan
County: Alcona County
Volume: 91
The record also has a notation of "Dis" and a note that says "No Papers" and "Eff Feb. 28, 1907 Feb. 26, 1907"
My assumption is that the "Dis" notation indicates that the post office was discontinued. The "Eff" could indicated an effective date. I'm not sure why there are two dates within a couple days of each other. My assumption is that the "No Papers" comment meant that there was no mail at the Moffatt post office to be transferred to another post office.
I was unable to find a specific location for the Moffatt post office. Based on the information I do know, My assumption is that it was located near Hardy which is located in the unincorporated community of Curran in Mitchell Township, Alcona County, Michigan. All indicators point to this post office being very small and serving the people of a very small community. Asahel Atherton seems to be the first, last and only postmaster for this small post office.
The marriage of Sarah and Asahel is still somewhat of a mystery to me. I know when and where they were married and I think I know how they met. But after that, they seem to fade off into history. I haven't been able to find them on the 1920 census or any other records. Sarah passed away on December 31st, 19254, only five years after they were married, and seven months later Asahel passed away on July 9th, 1925.
Do you have any ancestors that served as a postmaster?
Sarah Anne Healy was my second great grandmother. She was born around 1851 in Ireland. Sarah immigrated to the US from Ireland when she was in her late teens in order to avoid being sent to a convent. This story was told to me by Edna Jean (Burt) McKenzie, my Paternal Grandmother and the Granddaughter of Sarah Anne Healy
I have no additional information about her parents, immigration or at which port she arrived. On May 15, 1872, she married William Hawley in Alpena, Michigan. On October 30, 1919, she married Asahel Atherton in Beaverton, Gladwin, Michigan. Sarah passed away on December 30, 1924, at her home in Mitchell Township, Alcona County, Michigan, after a long illness.
- Ireland
- Long Rapids, Alpena, Michigan
- Wilson, Alpena, Michigan
- Rust, Montmorency, Michigan
- Hillman, Montmorency, Michigan
- Ossineke, Alpena, Michigan
- Bellflower, Los Angeles, California
- Beaverton, Gladwin, Michigan
- Mitchell, Alcona, Michigan
More information about Sarah can be found on her personal page where you will find a timeline of her life
Outstanding Questions:
- Who were Sarah's parents?
- Where in Ireland was Sarah born?
- When and where did she land in the United States?
- Was William Hawley the biological father of Ellen Hawley? If not, who was?
On the same marriage register that Asahel and Sarah's marriage was recorded, there was a marriage record for Henry Estes and Mrs. Ida Livingston. Their marriage was officiated by Elder George W. Burt, who was also my paternal great-great-grandfather (the father of Ernest N. Burt and father-in-law of Sarah's daughter Lavina).
I always wondered... How did Asahel and Sarah meet? I also always questioned why Elder George W. Burt would not have officiated Asahel and Sarah's marriage. It just seemed logical to me. They were family and they were living in the same area.
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Although, this is only my version of how I believe Asahel and Sarah met, I am going to share it anyway. It makes sense to me. Let me paint you a picture...
Mrs. Sarah Hawley, a widow since 1914, moves to Beaverton to be near her daughter Lavina and her family. The family attends the Latter Day Saints Church, where her son-in-law is a member of the priesthood. Mary (Atherton) Albertson and her husband George are also members of the L.D.S. church. Mary's father, Asahel Atherton, is also widowed in June 1918. So Asahel and Sarah were married by Asahel's son-in-law (George F. Albertson) and the witnesses were Asahel's daughter (Mary E. (Atherton) Albertson) and his granddaughter (Dorthy E. Albertson)I can just imagine, Lavina and Mary, talking at church and deciding to play matchmaker, both with a recently widowed parent. I believe that this is how Asahel and Sarah met and got married, with a little bit of assistance from their matchmaking daughters. |
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Lesson Learned: Always remember to do cluster research when you are looking for that hard-to-find ancestor or when you just want to learn a little bit more about the story.
Disclaimer: I cannot say with certainty that this is what actually happened. But it helps me to answer a long outstanding question. Whether Asahel and Sarah met while attending the same church or had some help from their daughters, I'm sure that this connection is the answer to my question... How did they meet?