The Machine Cancel Society past vice-president, Tony Crumbley, has produced an award-winning exhibit on the history of the introduction of machine cancels in the state of North Carolina. This exhibit covers the years 1898 to 1925. A variety of machine brands were used during that time period, including American flag, Doremus, Time-Cummins, Columbia, Barr-Fyke, Hampden, International and Universal. The presence of this variety of machine cancellations provides an excellent overview of these machines. This web page contains images of the exhibit pages created by Tony Crumbley, and are reproduced and distributed to the public with his permission.
This web page, published by the Machine Cancel Society, contains the text of Frame 3 of the Crumbley's North Carolina Machine Cancel Exhibit.
To see all of the exhibit frame images, go to Frame 3 all exhibit frame images.
Go to following exhibit page image
The Barr Fyke is one of the least known used in North Carolina of the early postage canceling machines. The machine was conceived by John Barr, a railroad mail clerk from Kansas City, Missouri in 1895. In 1896, Barr entered into business with an attorney, Charles Fyke, and formed the Barr Fyke Machine Company. Information is unavailable on the number of machines issued or the total use of this machine. Wilmington, however, was the only North Carolina city to use this machine type.
Type C4-1 dial, type 121a cancel. Barr Fyke used in Wilmington from April 1899 until March 1902. This type had 15 vertical bars, six of which were split in the middle.
Go to following exhibit page image
Type C4-1 dial, type 122 cancel. Used in Wilmington from June 1902 until May 1904. The cancel has seven horizontal bars.
Type C4-3 dial, type 122 cancel. Used in Wilmington from January 1905 until April 1905.
Go to following exhibit page image
William R. Landfear, the owner of William R. Landfear and Company with manufacturing facilities in Hartford, Connecticut, was a specialist in developing and manufacturing printing machines for the thread and yarn industry. In 1890, Landfear set to work designing a canceling machine. On July 22, 1891, he filed his first patent on his first machine. No known cancels have survived from this machine. In 1896, Landfear once again approached the Postmaster General with the request to test a new machine. At this point the Hampden Company did not exist.
In late 1897, Landfear was awarded a contract for the lease of ten machines. By June 1899, 522 machines were under lease, nine of which were of the Hampden type. By November 20, 1899, Charlotte had received its Hampden machine. Quality must have been an issue as most machines lasted only a few months. Charlotte is the only North Carolina city to use a Hampden machine.
Type B 8 Hampden cancel used in Charlotte from 1899 until 1901.
Go to following exhibit page image
Three Type B 8 Hampden cancels. The latter is the latest known use of the machine in Charlotte.
Go to following exhibit page image
Willard D. Doremus of Washington, DC was listed as a jeweler in the 1877 business directory of Washington. By 1890 when cancelling machines were becoming popular, he had been issued three patents for his cancelling machine. In December 1899, Mr. Doremus fulfilled his first order of machines to the Bayonne, NJ post office. About a dozen towns received the machines in January. He continued to supply machines through 1903. After 1903 no new machines were delivered. However, he serviced the machines until 1933 when the Depression put the company out of business. It is estimated a total of 600 machines were produced and 1,400 different postal cancellations are recorded. Durham and Greensboro received the first machine in 1901. The last use in the state was Wallace in 1924. Four different dials were used within the state.
Type C cancel, used in Greensboro from 1901 until 1902 when it was most likely moved to High Point.
Go to following exhibit page image
Type D cancel used in Durham from 1903 until 1906. This machine was most likely moved to Kinston. Note curved date at bottom of dial.
Type E cancel used in Hendersonville from 1909 until 1914.
Go to following exhibit page image
Type E cancel. 15 MM high bars The type E cancel is recorded in 491 U. S. cities. Last used in Concord in 1913.
Type C cancel used in Durham from 1901 until 1903. This type was used in 128 US. cities. Note straight line date.
Go to following exhibit page image
Type E cancel used in Chapel Hill from 1909 until 1919.
Type E cancel. The above is the latest known use of Doremus machine in Chapel Hill.
Go to following exhibit page image
Type C cancel used as receiving mark. With their regular cancel, each city received a receiving marking. Only two North Carolina cities are known to have used this. This is an example of the regular cancel used as receiving marking
Type 5 cancel. One of the two known North Carolina receiving markings.
Go to following exhibit page image
Type D cancel used from 1903 until 1907.
Type 10 receiving marking used to cancel outgoing mail. This Type 10 receiving marking was used with most Type D cancels. The above is the only recorded example of this marking used in the state.
Updated February 15, 2020