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| Scott Number | 1 |
|---|---|
| Date | November 6, 1848 |
| From City | Brandon |
| From State | VT |
| To City | Montpelier |
| To State | VT |
| Addressee | Col John Capen |
| Cert Author | |
| Cert # | |
| Fake | |
| Quantity 1 | 1 |
| Quantity 2 | 0 |
| Bisect | |
| Others |
Notes
Lot 2245 1847, 5¢ red brown (Scott 1), three-margined example (in at left), on dark cover to Montpelier, Vt., the stamp lightly tied by red "weave" grid cancel with matching "5" in oval, "PAID" straightline and Nov. 6 Burlington, Vt. postmark (penciled "Post Mark 'Brandon, Vt'", incorrect); ink stain on reverse, Fine to Very Fine.
Scott $500.
Daniel F. Kelleher sale 2013 realized 130
Alexander listed as 11/6/xx from Brandon Vt.
The Kelleher sale 2013 (Club Auction June 10, 2025) believed this cover came from Burlington Vt, and not Brandon. A stampless cover, clearly from Brandon, shows a valid period postmark and the distinctive 5 in circle rate marking. (From "Vermont’s Stampless Era", MarekVt.pdf on Richard Frajola’s website.) The letter to Montpelier came from Brandon, about 10 miles from Capen's home in Goshen, Vt. and the notation is correct.
From the collection of Arthur H. Keyes, Sr. of Rutland, Vermont.
Col. John Capen (1818 – 1878) was a prominent Vermont surveyor, public official, and politician whose connection to Montpelier, VT stems from his service in the Vermont State Legislature (1848-49). The letters "M. H. R." following his name on the letter indicate that he was a Member of the House of Representatives. The letter was mailed during his term in office: elected Sept 5, 1848, served Oct 12, 1848 - Nov 14, 1848 (34 days). State business had concluded early and Capen was back in Goshen long before Aug 1849 (another historical document). Thus, this letter was mailed in 1848.
For his primary livelihood, Capen was extensively employed as a local lumberman and timber manager in Goshen. His work in the timber industry was closely paired with his skills as a land surveyor, managing plots of land across the mountain terrain before he eventually relocated down the mountain to Brandon, Vermont, in the mid-1860s.
Capen rotated through nearly every seat in municipal governance, specifically holding terms as a Selectman (managing town roads, budgets, and public safety) and as a local Justice of the Peace.
Capen received an official federal appointment as the town's postmaster in June 1850 under President Zachary Taylor. He managed the town's mail services until he stepped down around the time he re-entered the state legislature in 1853.
Scott $500.
Daniel F. Kelleher sale 2013 realized 130
Alexander listed as 11/6/xx from Brandon Vt.
The Kelleher sale 2013 (Club Auction June 10, 2025) believed this cover came from Burlington Vt, and not Brandon. A stampless cover, clearly from Brandon, shows a valid period postmark and the distinctive 5 in circle rate marking. (From "Vermont’s Stampless Era", MarekVt.pdf on Richard Frajola’s website.) The letter to Montpelier came from Brandon, about 10 miles from Capen's home in Goshen, Vt. and the notation is correct.
From the collection of Arthur H. Keyes, Sr. of Rutland, Vermont.
Col. John Capen (1818 – 1878) was a prominent Vermont surveyor, public official, and politician whose connection to Montpelier, VT stems from his service in the Vermont State Legislature (1848-49). The letters "M. H. R." following his name on the letter indicate that he was a Member of the House of Representatives. The letter was mailed during his term in office: elected Sept 5, 1848, served Oct 12, 1848 - Nov 14, 1848 (34 days). State business had concluded early and Capen was back in Goshen long before Aug 1849 (another historical document). Thus, this letter was mailed in 1848.
For his primary livelihood, Capen was extensively employed as a local lumberman and timber manager in Goshen. His work in the timber industry was closely paired with his skills as a land surveyor, managing plots of land across the mountain terrain before he eventually relocated down the mountain to Brandon, Vermont, in the mid-1860s.
Capen rotated through nearly every seat in municipal governance, specifically holding terms as a Selectman (managing town roads, budgets, and public safety) and as a local Justice of the Peace.
Capen received an official federal appointment as the town's postmaster in June 1850 under President Zachary Taylor. He managed the town's mail services until he stepped down around the time he re-entered the state legislature in 1853.
