Petition to the Postmaster General by Citizens of Phillips County ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Submitted by: Jerry Morrison Email: lwm@gnww.net ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------- USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free Information on the Internet, data may be used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or for presentation by other persons or organizations. Files may be printed or copied for Personal use only. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for purposes other than stated above must obtain the written consent of the file contributor. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From the books "Territorial Papers - Arkansas Territory 1829-36" pages 691-693 PETITION TO THE POSTMASTER GENERAL BY CITIZENS OF PHILLIPS COUNTY [NA:HF, 22 Cong., 2 sess.:DS] [Referred February 25, 1833] Phillips county ARKANSAS TERRITORY TO THE HONARABLE WILLIAM T. BARRY Post Master General of the United States The petition of the Undersigned most respectfully represent that they are inhabitants of a Considerable and respectable settlement on the Mississippi river between Helena & Mimphis That they are distant from the former place (which is the nearest post office to them) from 20 to 30 miles. That they in common with their fellow Citizens feel an interest in the news of the day and in correspondence with their distant friends Their great distance from any post Office operates as an entire exclusion from News papers and almost so in letter correspondance Believing that it is the intention & wish of the General Government to furnish the means of General distribution of papers & letters through the Post Offices we ask through you the establishment of a post office some where in Walnut Bend in said County and that a Mail Rout be established thereto from such point and in such manner as your wisdom will best suggest. We would however suggest a Rout from Helena by the River to Memphis (65 Miles by land 75 by Water) which could be readily carried for a small sum at all seasons of the year by land or water, and would accommodate the Settlements on the river between these points that are now entirely without the benefits of the post office establishment-For further particulars we refur you to our delegate Coln Sevier. Subscribers Names Richard M. Anderson Thomas Anderson Levi Appelgate Enos Archer George L. Brigance J. L. Burel Sam Cambell William Cambell Lardner Clark William Clark Squire Dawson Jo C. Dunn William Dunn Thomas W. Floyd William Gage E. W. Hall Jonathan Hann Daniel F. Jones Silas P. Love William D. Love David March William B. Marsh James McDanal John Mitts Freeman Patterson William Patterson Silas Pledger Sprightly W. Pledger Silas Pledger Jr. Green B. Rogers W. Skinner Edward Stephans John Sterling Samuel Sterling Edward Stphens Abraham VanWinkle W. VanWinkle Daniel West John West William West Henry Wiggins [Endorsed] Arkansas Phillips County Petition for a mail Route from Memphis down Mississippi river to Helena-Feb 25-1833 Referred to Commee Post Office Sevier 16. Post Note 4: House Journal, 22 Cong., 2 sess., p. 398. On June 14, 1833, a post office was established at Martin's, Phillips County, with Josiah McKiel as postmaster (Ark. Gazette, June 19, 1833 [Vol. 14, No. 26]).