Goodsell Museum  
 
TOWN OF WEBB HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION
 
P. O. Box 513, Old Forge, NY 13420 ~ Phone/Fax: 315 369-3838
 
Museum Hours:  Tuesday through Saturday - 10am - 3pm  ~  or by appointment
 

Floating Letters
A Tribute to the Mailboats & Their Crews
That Have Served Along the Region's Lakes During the Past Century

Captain Meeker's steamboat Hunter

The Steamboat Hunter - Captain Jonathan Meeker delivered mail to hotels and camps as early as 1883

The Town of Webb Historical Association’s Museum Committee, chaired by Terry Rozycki, selected the topic of Mailboats for the Museum's new exhibit that will be featured from December 5, 2010 through October 31, 2011.

This exhibit will present the history of the delivery of mail by boat in the Town of Webb on the Fulton Chain of Lakes, Big Moose Lake, Twitchell Lake, Rondaxe Lake, Silver Lake, and other locations from the early 1880s until the present. The TOWHA's front room has on display many items such as photographs, certificates, ledgers and maps -as well as a wide assortment of those custom leather & canvas/cloth mail pouches donated or on loan for the exhibit.

For a few months each summer, mail delivery by boat continues to be an important service and a social event enjoyed by local and seasonal residents and their guests - especially for children and grandchildren and - yes, those friendly dogs along the route that look forward to their daily biscuits from the mail clerks. We think you will enjoy getting to know these courageous boat captains, engineers, and clerks in additional to learning about the wide variety of boats that were used for this service. Included in the exhibit is the story of the Railway Postal Office (RPO) - a unique contract issued to Dr. William Seward Webb & the Fulton Chain Navigation Co. in 1901 whereby an official postal clerk rode on the boats to cancel mail, sell stamps & money orders, and perform other postal duties.

Old Forge Cruises continues to deliver mail on the Fulton Chain today with the S. S. Harrison
Goodsell Museum ~ TOWN OF WEBB HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION
Information provided is from the best knows sources and is subject to change. Permission to copy any or all of this document must be obtained in writing by contacting the Town of Webb Historical Association, P. O. Box 513, Old Forge, NY 13420
These records are provided for not-for-profit research purposes only.
Please contact the Historical Association’s Director at 315-369-3838 or by E-Mail. To share additional information about information that can be added to our files.
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