Cover as History: Rawhide's rise to city status can only be described as meteoric. In 1907 there were prospectors, promoters, and a dream. On September 3, 1908 there was city of 8,000 residents with 40 saloons, 28 restaurants, 30 hotels, 3 jewelers, 13 doctors, 10 barbershops, 9 bakeries, 9 lumberyards, 4 hospitals, 3 banks (which remained open until midnight), 125 brokerages, and a post office. The red light district, referred to as Stingaree Gulch, was a quarter mile long. And there were only 2 churches to fight the ills of the Gulch, the sickness of gold fever, and provide comfort for the long hard days in the mines.
On September 4th there was hardly a business left standing. A fire had burned most of the businesses in the town to the ground! It was reported in the newspapers that 3,000 were homeless and several people had lost their lives. |
History of Cover: On September 5th the town of Rawhide was already rebuilding despite the newspaper headline above. The loss of life turned out to be nil and hardly a home was touched by the fire. Train loads of supplies rolled in from Goldfield, Reno, and San Francisco. The city council sent out a statement thanking people for their generous support, but they did not need any more food or clothes or blankets.
What they did need was lumber and bricks. It was actually said that the town was rebuilding before the flames went out. Now if you find this a little hard to believe, just look at this cover. It is dated September 5, 1908. It shows evidence of the fire since the cancel looks more like a business or library stamp than a postal mark. But the most interesting aspect is who the letter has been sent to. Edward Kentfield is an executive of the Kentfield Lumber Company. The day after the fire, someone is already looking to rebuild! |
Post Office Dates: October 11, 1907 - August 31, 1941
This is the only known post mark of this type for Rawhide. Yes, it doesn't look like a normal post mark. And it probably wasn't. It was probably a stamp from the library or some business that survived the fire. After all, the post office had just burned to the ground!
This is the only known post mark of this type for Rawhide. Yes, it doesn't look like a normal post mark. And it probably wasn't. It was probably a stamp from the library or some business that survived the fire. After all, the post office had just burned to the ground!