Fractional postal routes and Chicago mail
Fractional postal routes and Chicago mail
Forever Stamp Store’s reader Ben Termini of Fort Worth, Texas, recently asked if I could help with a question he had regarding the 1905 postcard shown here. He had noticed the curious purple “55½” marking on the front and wondered if it had anything to do with mail handling?
As it happens, I am a longtime collector of postal handstamps, usually referred to as auxiliary markings. While my special area of interest is mail delaPostage Stampsys, I have seen these markings before associated with mail handled in Chicago, and I recalled the wonderful book Chicago Postal Markings and Postal History by Leonard Piszkiewicz.
In Chapter 44, “Carrier Markings,” Piszkiewicz wrote: “Many route numbers are expressed as fractions, e.g., ‘45½’ and ‘74¼.’ These numbers were generated when a route was divided into additional routes, primarily in the center of the city, as business grew.
“The fractions originated in the following manner. As a carrier route grew too large to be serviced by a single carrier, the route was divided, part retaining its original number and part being assigned the same number with the fraction ½ added. As a route was divided further, additional fractions were added. These fractions were, in turn, 1/3, ¼, 1/5, etc. Fractions as high as 1/9, are known.”
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USPS specialist based in Los Angeles with extensive experience in postal operations and customer service. Certified in mail management and trained at the USPS Business Mail Academy, she offers reliable guidance on Forever Stamps and practical mailing solutions.
