TABLE OF CONTENTS
Overview
Agency
History
Scope and Contents of the Records
Arrangement of the
Records
Restrictions
Index Terms
Related Material
Administrative Information
Description of Series
Department of
State Post Office records,
1836-1846, undated,
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Texas (Republic). Department of State:
An
Inventory of Department of State Post Office Records at the Texas State
Archives,
1836-1846, undated
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Creator: |
Texas (Republic). Dept.
of State. |
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Title: |
Department of State Post Office
records |
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Dates: |
1836-1846, undated
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Abstract: |
Records of the
post office were created as a result of the establishment and daily management
of the postal service of the Republic of Texas, and document the legal,
financial, and administrative activities of the office. These records consist
of correspondence; vouchers, receipts, and other accounting records; lists of
post offices, postmasters, and mail routes; and related documents of the
Republic of Texas Post Office, dating 1836-1846, undated. |
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Quantity: |
3.72 cubic ft., 1
reel microfilm |
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Language: |
These materials are written predominately in
English. |
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Repository: |
Texas State Archives
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The Provisional Government of Texas established a provisional
Post Office Department by an ordinance and decree of December 12, 1835. The 1st
Congress of the Republic of Texas created the Post Office Department by an act
approved December 20, 1836. Legislation over the next few years frequently
dealt with the Republic’s postal service.
On January 18, 1841, Congress
approved an act abolishing the office of Postmaster General, and requiring the
Secretary of State to establish a bureau to be called the General Post Office;
the Secretary of State appointed and supervised the chief clerk. This same act
required the Postmaster General to deliver to the Secretary of State all books,
documents and papers of the Post Office.
The Secretary of State is a
constitutional officer of the executive branch of state government, appointed
by the governor and confirmed by the senate for a term concurrent with the
governor's (a two-year term at first, a four-year term since 1974). The office
was first created by the Constitution of the Republic of Texas in 1836 (Article
VI, Section 10), and has been continued by each succeeding Constitution. On May
9, 1846, the 1st Legislature approved an act “to define the duties of Secretary
of State,” which among other things required the Secretary of State to
"arrange and preserve all books, maps, parchments,
records, documents, deeds, conveyances, and other papers belonging to the
State, that have been or may be properly deposited there."
An act
of February 11, 1854 created a Board of Commissioners composed of the Secretary
of State, the Comptroller, and the Attorney General, "to superintend the arranging and filing of the archives of
the late Republic of Texas and of the State Legislature, and also the recording
of the Journals of the said Congress and State Legislature ... to be deposited
in the General Land-office of the State." An act of December 14, 1863
made the Secretary of State "the custodian of the
records of the Senate and House of Representatives." And an act of March
25, 1887 provided that "the entire archives of the
late Republic of Texas, ... together with the records, books, and journals of
said Congress" would be "deposited in the
Office of the Secretary of State," and "declared to be Archives of said office."
(Sources include: the
Secretary of State Republic of Texas records
appraisal report
(December 1998); and the enabling legislation
(1836-1887).)
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Records of the post office
were created as a result of the establishment and daily management of the
postal service of the Republic of Texas, and document the legal, financial, and
administrative activities of the office. These records consist of
correspondence; vouchers, receipts, and other accounting records; lists of post
offices, postmasters, and mail routes; and related documents of the Republic of
Texas Post Office, dating 1836-1846, undated. The correspondence includes
letters from the Postmaster General or chief clerk to the Congress, the
Executive Department (including annual and quarterly "State of the Department" reports to the President),
the Secretary of State, the Auditor, etc., 1836-1846; plus two letter books,
containing copies of outgoing letters of the Postmaster General and the Chief
Clerks, 1840-1846. Accounting records include payments for mail transportation,
expenditures, appropriations, and general receipts, 1836-1846; and three
volumes containing an account of contractors and post offices, a journal
account of expenditures, and a day book of daily accounts and summaries of
accounts due, 1840-1842. Lists of post offices, postmasters, and mail routes
date 1836-1842 and 1844. Other documents (mostly legal) include mail contracts,
route schedules, appointments and applications, oaths, affidavits, and powers
of attorney.
A published calendar of these papers is available:
Post Office Papers of the Republic of Texas,
1836-1846, 2 volumes, compiled by James M. Day and published by the
Texas State Library in 1966-1967. Copies are available in the Archives search
room and in academic libraries throughout the state.
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Arrangement of the
Records |
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These records are arranged by State Archives staff in two
groups, corresponding to the periods before and after the Secretary of State’s
office assumed those duties. Within each group arrangement is roughly by type
of record, and therein chronological. Oversize boxes and volumes are listed at
the end. |
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Restrictions on
Access
Materials do not circulate, but may be used in the State
Archives search room. Materials will be retrieved from and returned to storage
areas by staff members.
Restrictions on Use
Most records created by Texas state agencies are not copyrighted and may be
freely used in any way. State records also include materials received by, not
created by, state agencies. Copyright remains with the creator. The researcher
is responsible for complying with U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17 U.S.C.).
Technical
Requirements
Microfilm readers are available in the Lorenzo de Zavala
State Archives and Library Building. Ask staff members for exact
locations.
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The terms listed here were used to catalog the
records. The terms can be used to find similar or related records. |
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Subjects: |
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Postal service--Texas. |
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Places: |
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Texas--Politics
and government--1836-1846. |
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Document Types: |
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Correspondence--Texas--Postal
service--1836-1846. |
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Financial records--Texas--Postal
service--1836-1846. |
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Contracts--Texas--Postal
service--1836-1846. |
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Functions: |
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Managing
mail service. |
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The following materials are offered as possible sources of
further information on the agencies and subjects covered by the records. The
listing is not exhaustive. |
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Texas State Archives |
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General
correspondence of the Department of State, Republic of Texas, 1822-1859, undated, bulk
1835-1846, 4.96 cubic ft., 4 reels microfilm (especially Home letters)
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Financial
Records of the Department of State, Republic of Texas, 1837-1845, 0.3 cubic
ft., 1 reel microfilm
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Publications |
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Day, James M. (ed.),
Post Office Papers of the Republic of Texas,
1836-1839 and 1839-1840, Texas State Library, 1966-1967, 2 volumes
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Binkley, William C. (ed.),
Official Correspondence of the Texas
Revolution, 1835-1836, New York, D. Appleton-Century Co., 1936, 2 volumes.
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Jenkins, John H. (ed. and comp.),
Papers of the Texas Revolution,
1835-1836, Austin, Presidial Press, 1973, 10 volumes
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(Identify the item), Texas Department of State Post Office records. Archives
and Information Services Division, Texas State Library and Archives
Commission.
Accession numbers: 1905/007, 1932/002
These records were transferred to the Texas Department of Insurance,
Statistics, and History (a predecessor of the Texas State Library and Archives
Commission) by the Texas Secretary of State on November 10, 1905; and to the
Texas State Library and Historical Commission by the Texas Secretary of State
on September 28, 1932.
Processed by State Archives staff, dates unknown
Finding aid encoded by Tony Black in EAD Version 2002 as part of the TARO
project, June 2010
Authority name and other changes by Tony Black, February 2011.
Texas State Archives staff completed an appraisal of the
Texas Secretary of State holdings already in the custody of the Texas State
Archives in December 1998. Fifty-seven series of these holdings were determined
to be archival, including Post Office records. The complete appraisal report
(in two parts: Republic of Texas records, and non-Republic records) is
available for consultation online at
http://www.tsl.state.tx.us/arc/appraisal/sosrepublic.html
and
http://www.tsl.state.tx.us/arc/appraisal/sosstate.html
, and also in the search room of the Texas State Archives.
These records were copied onto 16 mm microfilm (Reel 3090) by
the Records Division of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission in 1976
(paid for by the researcher requesting the microfilming).
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Department of
State Post Office records,
1836-1846, undated,
3.72 cubic ft., 1 reel
microfilm |
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Post Office Department, 1836-1841
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| Box |
Folder |
| 2-9/22 |
1. |
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List of post offices and
postmasters,
February 27, 1839
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2. |
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Appointments and applications,
January 5, 1839-December 20, 1840
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3. |
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Oath of Cottle, Lee, F.T.,
June 21, 1839
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4. |
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Correspondence,
March 25, 1836-December 3, 1838
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5. |
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Correspondence,
February 27, 1839-January 5, 1841
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6. |
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Schedules,
September 14, 1838
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7. |
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Appropriations,
December 19, 1839-January 16, 1841
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8. |
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Amounts received in cash and drafts from various local post offices,
October 12, 1839-January 8, 1840
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9. |
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Mail contracts,
April 10, 1836-November 1840
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10. |
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Payments for mail transportation--Republic,
January 10, 1836-April 21, 1838
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11. |
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Payments for mail transportation--Republic,
April 30-December 13, 1838
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12. |
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Payments for mail transportation--Republic,
December 13, 1838-April 11, 1839
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13. |
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Payments for mail transportation--Republic,
April 12-October 12, 1839
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14. |
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Payments for mail transportation--Republic,
October 15-December 31, 1839
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15. |
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Payments for mail transportation--Republic,
January 2-August 6, 1840
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16. |
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Payments for mail transportation--Republic,
August 6-September 30, 1840
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17. |
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Payments for mail transportation--Republic,
September 30-November 17, 1840
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18. |
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Payments for mail transportation--Republic,
November 17-December 31, 1840
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19. |
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Payments for mail transportation--Foreign,
October 6, 1837-December 5, 1840
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20. |
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Payment for services,
March 7, 1837
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21. |
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missing [as of May 14, 1981] |
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22. |
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Power of attorney,
January 23, 1838-June 17, 1839
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23. |
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Expenditures,
December 25, 1836-July 3, 1839
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24. |
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Expenditures,
January 8, 1840-January 16, 1841
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25. |
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General receipts,
October 1, 1837-December 1, 1840
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26. |
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Wrappers,
March 25, 1836-December 6, 1841
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General Post Office, 1841-1846
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| Box |
Folder |
| 2-9/23 |
1. |
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List of post offices and
postmasters,
May 25, 1844
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2. |
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List of post offices and postmasters,
1837-1842
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3. |
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Appointments and applications,
September 13, 1841
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4. |
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Oath of McKenzie, L. M.,
January 12, 1842
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5. |
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Correspondence,
Janaury 23, 1841-November 21, 1843
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6. |
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Correspondence,
February 9-November 22, 1844
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7. |
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Correspondence,
January 1-May 10, 1845
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8. |
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Correspondence,
May 21, 1845-February 16, 1846
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9. |
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Outgoing correspondence of chief clerks,
August 10, 1842-February 4, 1846
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10. |
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Schedules,
January 16, 1843-February 16, 1846
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11. |
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Appropriations,
June 26, 1843-January 24, 1846
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12. |
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Mail contracts,
November 16, 1841-January 26, 1846, undated
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13. |
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Payments for mail transportation--Republic,
April 19, 1841-January 6, 1843
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14. |
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Payments for mail transportation--Republic,
January 7-July 4, 1843
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15. |
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Payments for mail transportation--Republic,
July 6-October 17, 1843
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16. |
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Payments for mail transportation--Republic,
January 1-March 9, 1844
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17. |
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Payments for mail transportation--Republic,
March 12-July 1, 1844
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18. |
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Payments for mail transportation--Republic,
July 1-October 1, 1844
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19. |
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Payments for mail transportation--Republic,
September 28-November 21, 1844
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20. |
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Payments for mail transportation--Republic,
November 22, 1844-January 29, 1845
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21. |
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Payments for mail transportation--Republic,
February 7-March 31, 1845
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22. |
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Payments for mail transportation--Republic,
April 3-May 20, 1845
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| Box |
Folder |
| 2-9/24 |
1. |
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Payments for mail transportation--Republic,
May 26-August 8, 1845
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2. |
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Payments for mail transportation--Republic,
August 13-October 16, 1845
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3. |
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Payments for mail transportation--Republic,
October 17, 1845-January 10, 1846
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4. |
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Payments for mail transportation--Republic,
January 10-February 16, 1846
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5. |
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Payments for mail transportation--Republic,
February 16-19, 1846, undated
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6. |
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Payments for mail transportation--Republic,
February 19-July 7, 1846, undated
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7. |
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Payments for mail transportation--foreign,
February 20, 1842-February 16, 1846, undated
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8. |
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Payment for mail transportation by contractor and expenses,
individual post offices,
1842
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9. |
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Payment for services,
1841-February 19, 1846
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10. |
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Affidavits,
April 19, 1841-November 16, 1844
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11. |
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Affidavits,
November 18, 1844-December 25, 1845, undated
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12. |
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Power of attorney,
March 1, 1843-June 26, 1845
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13. |
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Power of attorney,
June 27, 1845-February 9, 1846
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14. |
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Expenditures,
December 28, 1841-March 9, 1843
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15. |
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Expenditures,
May 9-October 18, 1843
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16. |
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Expenditures,
November 1, 1843-October 1, 1844
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17. |
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Expenditures,
October-December 31, 1844
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18. |
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Expenditures,
January 8-July 25, 1845
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19. |
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Expenditures,
August 5, 1845-July 7, 1846
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20. |
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General receipts,
December 4, 1841-March 31, 1847
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21. |
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Wrappers,
July 22, 1842-January 1, 1846
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22. |
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Cover,
undated
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Post Office oversize and volumes, 1836-1846
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| Oversize |
Folder |
| Box 22
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13. |
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Post Office
papers
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| Oversize |
Folder |
| Box 25
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12. |
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List of mail
routes, post offices and postmasters,
April 1, 1836
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12. |
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List of mail
sent from New Orleans to Texas by Samuel Ricker, Jr.,
November 31, 1831-December 1, 1838
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12. |
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Post Office
Department, statement of condition of department,
February 27, 1839
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12. |
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Post Office
Department, Austin, including list of contractors,
December 17, 1839 [?]
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12. |
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Memorial of
citizens of Houston for removal of postmaster,
February 22, 1840
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12. |
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Statement of R.
Barr, Postmaster General; list of vouchers,
undated
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12. |
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Statement of the
quarterly returns made by postmasters from January 1 to September 30, 1843,
December 4, 1843
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12. |
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Document A-C,
[4 sheets] |
| Volume |
| 2-1/336 |
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Letter book,
1840-1842
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| Volume |
| 2-1/337 |
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Account of contractors and post
offices,
1840-1841
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| Volume |
| 2-1/338 |
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Journal account of expenditures,
1840-1842
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| Volume |
| 2-1/339 |
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Day book: daily accounts, summaries
of accounts due,
1840-1841
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| Volume |
| 2-7/751 |
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List of Post Offices and Post
Masters,
undated
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