States

Arizona:

Arizona's early postal history is closely tied to the westward expansion of the United States and the growth of mining and military interests. Following the Gadsden Purchase in 1854, which secured land south of the Gila River from Mexico, Arizona became part of New Mexico Territory. The area's sparse settlement was initially driven by military posts, such as Fort Whipple (established in 1863), and the discovery of silver and gold, notably in Tombstone and Prescott in the late 1800s. The U.S. government’s role in facilitating the settlement of the territory was evident in the establishment of post offices and mail routes, which served not only military personnel but also miners, settlers, and local Native American tribes.

Arizona became its own territory in 1863, with Prescott designated as the capital. The first post office in Arizona was established in Tubac, a former Spanish colonial settlement, in 1856. In the following decades, post offices began to spread rapidly throughout the state, mainly in mining towns and military outposts. By 1880, the U.S. Postal Service had extended its reach to even the most remote corners of Arizona, and by 1912, the state was granted statehood as the 48th state.

In its early years, Arizona faced unique challenges in terms of transportation. With rugged mountains and deserts, mail delivery often relied on horse-drawn stages and the famous Butterfield Overland Mail routes, which connected Arizona to California, Texas, and beyond. Eventually, railroads began to penetrate the state in the 1880s, further enhancing the delivery of mail and goods. Today, the postal history of Arizona is marked by the legacy of its mining heritage, the establishment of rural post offices, and the diverse communities that shaped the state.

Ehrenberg, Arizona 1871

Arizona City, Arizona 1869

Pima Village, Arizona 1867

Cline, Arizona 1892

New Mexico:

The story of New Mexico’s postal history is as intertwined with its rich Native American, Spanish, and Mexican heritage as it is with the development of the United States. Originally part of the Spanish colonial empire, New Mexico was ceded to the United States in 1848 following the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, which ended the Mexican-American War. It became a territory of the U.S. in 1850, and its early postal routes were centered around military forts, trading posts, and small settlements, many of which had been established during Spanish and Mexican rule.

The first U.S. post office in New Mexico was opened in Santa Fe in 1851, shortly after the territory’s formation. This was followed by the establishment of additional post offices in other key towns, such as Albuquerque and Las Cruces. The expansion of postal services was slow due to the region’s remote location, difficult terrain, and the continuing presence of Native American tribes who resisted settlement.

In the 1860s, the arrival of railroads and telegraph lines began to improve communication and mail delivery across New Mexico. The stagecoach routes that once served the region gave way to faster and more reliable mail systems, allowing for more efficient transportation of goods and information. By 1912, New Mexico was admitted to the Union as the 47th state, and its postal network continued to grow with the expansion of infrastructure and the development of new towns and cities.

Today, New Mexico’s postal history reflects the state’s unique blend of cultures and its history as a crossroads of the American Southwest. With over 800 post offices having been established since the 1850s, many of these rural offices continue to serve communities in the state's vast desert and mountainous landscapes.

Chance City, New Mexico 1886

New Mexico is littered with ghost towns, and the cover seen here is one of only four that survive from Chance City. The post office here lasted for less than a year during 1885-1886 and serviced the Last Chance Mine which was owned by William Randolph Hearst. About 20 miles from both Lordsburg and Deming in the south of the territory, there still remains some ruins.

Of further note the addressee, Miss Alice Hyson, was a Presbyterian missionary from Pennsylvania who spent nearly all of her adult years in northern New Mexico.

Cover image courtesy of Robert Conley.

Santa Fe, New Mexico 1944

Experienced students of New Mexico postal history will instantly recognize the sender’s address on this 1944 cover; Santa Fe’s P.O. Box 1663 was the address for all correspondence for workers on the Manhattan Project. All mail to and from the top-secret Los Alamos laboratories, some 37 miles by road from Santa Fe, had to pass through this single window to the civilian world.

Bearing an 8-cent air mail stamp, the sender must have deemed the letter was somewhat urgent as he could have otherwise opted for overland delivery which would have been a “free frank” at no cost.

Cover image courtesy of Schuyler Rumsey Auctions.

Albuquerque, New Mexico 1867

This cover, addressed to US Army surgeon, Lt. Col. George McGill stationed at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, bears a scarce Albuquerque Type 5 postmark. McGill survived the Civil War, but while en route to New Mexico, he died of Cholera on July 20, 1867, seven days after this letter was sent. The cover reached Fort Leavenworth on August 14, at which time someone endorsed the cover “P.M. please return this to Albuquerque, N.M. as Dr. Mc Gill is Dead."

Cover image courtesy of Schuyler Rumsey Auctions.