(Photo above: Josh B. Shriver’s Mail Wagon, showing the miller’s house and corner of the mill. Note “1901, U.S. Mail,” and “RFD” on the wagon. Photo taken by Louis Shriver at Union Mills, c. 1901.)
(The following is from a folder received from Frederick Shriver Klein, labeled “1899: RFD Carriers and Routes,” which contained the second page of a two-page article from the December 16, 1899 Sentin. No other information about the paper is available. If anyone has access to the first page of this article about postal routes in Carroll County in 1899, please send it to our office and we will add the missing information. Note the mention of Union Mills in Carrier No. 21’s route. Wagons C and D were dispatched from Union Mills.)
… Receive mail from letter carrier No. 25.
At John Arthur’s connect with letter carrier No. 20, for Taneytown, and letter carrier No. 15, for Uniontown. Bring return mail from Frizellburg.
All wagon routes make their trips daily, except Sunday, starting from Westminster at 6:30 a.m., and arriving at Westminster in time to dispatch mail East and West. The four wagons cover 108 miles.
Rural Letter Carriers
No. 1. – Leave Westminster for Frizellburg, Fountain Valley, &c., over a route of 19 ¼ miles.
No. 2. – Leave Westminster for Bixier, Bachman’s Mills, Bixier’s Mills, Lucabaugh’s Mill, &c., over a route of 19 miles. At Bachman’s Mills dispatches mail by Wagon C.
No. 3. – Leave Westminster for Brummel, Lauver, &c., over a route of 19 ½ miles.
At Royer’s School House dispatch mail by Wagon C.
No. 4. – Leave Westminster for Reese, &c., over a route of 19 ½ miles.
At Fenby connect with Wagons A and B.
No. 5. – Leave Westminster for Pleasant Valley, &c., over a route of 19 miles. Bring a return mail from Beggs.
No. 6. – Leave Westminster br Roop’s Mill, Wakefield, &c., over a route of 21 miles.
Carriers Nos. 1 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 leave Westminster at 6:30 a.m.
No 7. – Leave Wagon A at Long at 9 a.m. for Bloom and Shipley, over a route of 17 ½ miles. At Bird Hill, dispatch mail by Wagon A.
No. 8. – Leave New Windsor at 6:30 a.m., for Marston, Sams Creek, Oak Orchard, Cover, Weldon and Englar, to New Windsor, over a 20 ½ mile route. At Dennings connect with Wagon A.
No. 9. – Leave Mt. Airy for Hinkel, Taylorsville, Daniel, Day, Gosnell, to Mt. Airy, over route of 20 miles. At Taylorsville connect With Wagon A.
No. 10. – Leave Mt. Airy for Ridgeville, Long Corner, &c., over route of 14 ½ miles.
No. 11. – Leave Morgan for Gist and return, over a route of 19 ¾ miles. At Gist connect with Wagon A. At Liberty Road connect with letter carrier No. 12, from Sykesvllle, brings return mail from Eldersburg and Freedom.
No. 12. – Leave Sykesville for Eldersburg, Freedom, Porters, Winfield and Berrett, over a route of 19 ¼ miles. At White Rock and Liberty Road connect with letter carrier No. 11. At Winfield connect with Wagon A.
No. 13. – Leave Haight at 6 a.m., for Eldersburg and Sykesville. Leave Sykesville at 8 a.m., for Haight, Oakland Mills and Louisville, over a route of 24 ¾ miles. At Louisville connect with Wagon B.
No. 14. – Leave Union Bridge at 6:45 a.m. for McKinstry, Linwood, and Bark Hill, over a route of 19 ½ miles. At Linwood connect with letter carrier No. 15, for Uniontown and Western Md. Railroad.
No. 15. – Leave Uniontown, at 6 a.m., to dispatch mail at Linwood. Leave Linwood at 7:15 a.m. for Uniontown, Trevanion, &c. Leave Uniontown at 4:30 p.m., to dispatch mail at Linwood. Leave Linwood at 6:20 p.m., for Uniontown. Serves over a route of 20 miles. On Plank Road connect with letter carrier No. 20, from Taneytown and Wagon D, for Westminster.
No. 16. – Leave York Road for Bruceville, Keysville, &c., over a route of 15 miles.
No. 17. – Leave Middleburg Station for Middleburg, Taneytown and Copperville, over a route of 18 miles. At Taneytown, connect with letter carriers No. 18, 19 and 20.
No. 18. – Leave Taneytown for Harney, Bridgeport, &c., over a route of 17 ½ miles. At Taneytown connect with letter carriers Nos. 17, 19 and 20.
No. 19. – Leave Taneytown for Wiest’s Mill, Piney Creek, &c., over a route of 13 miles. At Wiest’s Mill connect with letter carrier No. 25 and Wagon D. At Taneytown connect with carriers Nos. 17, 18 and 20.
No. 20. – Leave Taneytown for Basehoar’s Mill, Sell’s Mill, &c., over a route of 11 miles. At John Arthur’s connect with Wagon D, for Westminster, and letter carrier No. 15, from Uniontown and Linwood. At Taneytown with carriers Nos. 17, 18 and 19.
No. 21. – Leave Wagon D, at Union Mills, at 8 a.m., for Cherrytown, Hanover Road, &c., over a route of 19 ½ miles. Brings return mail from Silver Run to dispatch on Wagon C at Union Mills for Westminster.
No. 22. – Leave Melrose for Manchester, Lineboro, Black Rock, to Melrose, over a route of 16 miles. Al Manchester connect with Wagon C, letter carriers Nos. 23 and 26. At Lineboro dispatch mall for Gettysburg, Pa., via railroad.
Letter carrier No. 23, for Manchester, collects from mail box in Manchester at 6.45 a. m., 8:30 a.m., and 5.30 p.m.
Dispatches mail at 7.50 a.m., by carrier No.26, to Greenmount to go North.
At 9 a.m., by Wagon C for its route.
At 9 a.m., by carrier No, 22, for his route.
At 9.45 a.m., by carrier No. 26, to Greenmount to go South.
At 3:45 p.m., by carrier No. 26, to Greenmont to go North and South.
Will give a free delivery in Manchester, at 9.15 a.m., 12.30 p.m., and 5.30 p.m.
No. 24. – Leave Hampstead for Houcksville, Sparr’s Mill, Shiloh, Snydersburg, Greenmount, Houck’s or Hood’s Mill, to Hampstead, over a route of 20 ½ miles. At Greenmount connect with carrier No. 23 for Manchester.
No. 25. – Receives mail for his route from wagon D, at Tobias Cover’s 9.30 a.m. Dispatches mail at Wiest’s Mill by wagon D, and connect with carrier No. 19 for Taneytown.
No. 26. – Leave Manchester at 7.50 a.m., to dispatch mail North at Greenmount and deliver back to Manchester. Leave Manchester 9.45 a.m., to dispatch mail South at Greenmount on 10:21 a.m. train.
Deliver from Greenmount to. Hampstead and return to Greenmount in time to receive mail from Baltimore, on 11.42 a.m. train, arriving in Manchester 12.15 p.m. Leave Manchester 3.45 p.m., to dispatch mail North and South at Greenmount, returning to Manchester 5.30 p. m. with Baltimore mail.
The first mail to Manchester will arrive at 9 a.m., by Wagon C.
This 1895 map traces the postal routes through Carroll County.
(Source: Ray Sterner. Color Landform Atlas of the United States, detail from 1895 map of Maryland, originally published by Rand, McNally & Co., 1895)
Changing the Address of Mail
After December 20th, 1899, mail matter should be addressed as follows:
For Warfieldsburg, Baile, Dennings, Long, Taylorsville, Winfield, Gist, Daniel, Day, and Gosnell, care of Wagon A, Westminster, Md.
For Fenby, Smallwood, East View, Gamber, Louisville and Sandyville, care of Wagon B, Westminster, Md.
For Cranberry, Melrose, Black Rock and Deep Run, care of Wagon C, Westminster, Md.
For Beggs, Union Mills, Silver Run, Mayberry and Tyrone, care of Wagon D, Westminster, Md.
For Frizellburg, care of letter carrier No.1, Westmlnster, Md.
For Bixier and Bachman’s Mills, care of letter carrier No. 2, Westminster, Md.
For Brummel and Lauver, care of letter carrier No. 3, Westminster, Md.
For Reese, care of letter carrier No. 4, Westminster, Md.
For Pleasant Valley, care of letter carrier No. 5, Westminster, Md.
For Bloom and Shipley, care of letter carrier No 7, Westminster, Md.
For Marston, Sams Creek, Oak Orchard, Weldon and Cover, care of letter carrier No.8, New Windsor, Md.
For Hinkel, care of letter carrier No. 9, Mt. Airy, Md.
For Ridgeville and Long Corner, care of letter carrier No. 10, Mt. Airy, Md.
For Freedom, Eldersburg, Porters and Berrett, care of letter carrier No. 12 Sykesville, Md.
For Haight and Oakland Mills, care of letter carrier No. 13, Sykesville, Md.
For McKinstry and Bark Hill, care of letter carrier No. 14, Union Bridge, Md.
For Uniontown and Trevanion, care of letter carrier No. 15, Linwood, Md.
For Bruceville and Keysville, care of letter carrier No. 16, York Road, Md.
For Middleburg and Copperville, care of letter carrier No. 17, Middeburg Station, Md.
For Harney and Bridgeport, care of letter carrier No. 18, Taneytown, Md.
For Houckaville, Shiloh and Snydersburg, care of letter carrier No. 24, Hampstead, Md.
For Manchester, care of letter carrier No. 23, Manchester, Md.
The entire list of carriers, by numbers, is as follows
1, W. H. Brown;
2, Richard Kane;
3, Henry R. Mathias;
4, F. N. Hook;
5, D. H. Geiman;
6, Charles E. Yingling;
7, Geo. S. Lescaleet;
8, John A. Brown;
9, Marion A. Poole;
10, Samuel E. Grove;
11, John Allen;
12, Bailey P. Duderar;
13, Philetus H. Haight;
14, Calvin R. Metcalfe;
15, Jere . I. Garner;
16, Robert W. Galt;
17, Elmer E. Eyler;
18, James A. Reid;
19, Chas. G. Brown;
20, John A. Yingling;
21, Joshua B. Shriver;
22, John S. Wentz;
23, Chas. J. H. Ganter;
24, Charles T. Royston;
25, George E. Schaeffer;
26, John W. F. Burgoon.
Mr. Ganter, whose number is 23, will deliver and receive mail in the town of Manchester only.