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A 1924 piece of Oregon intrastate mail. This 2¢ red Washington stamped envelope was postmarked with a waving-flag machine cancel at Tillamook, on the north Oregon coast, and mailed to Mrs. Hazel Whitcomb on a rural route at Lebanon in the Willamette Valley. It is a simple family-mail cover from 1920s Oregon, sent from one Whitcomb to another.
1. Postal Markings & Operational Analysis
The Format: This is a United States postal stationery envelope with a 2¢ carmine-red Washington indicium (embossed profile bust in an oval, reading "UNITED STATES POSTAGE" and "2 CENTS") printed in the upper right. The upper left has a printed corner card reading "After 5 days, return to" over two dotted lines, with "TILLAMOOK, OREGON." printed below. The sender's name is written faintly in pencil on the first line and appears to read "H. E. Whitcomb." Measured against the ruler, the envelope is about 6 1/4 x 3 1/2 inches.
The Origin Postmark: A black double-ring-style circular datestamp reads "TILLAMOOK, ORE. / MAY 2 / 3-PM / 924". The leading "1" of the year is not clearly struck, but the dial reads as 1924. The killer is a machine cancel showing a waving American flag on a staff, with the wavy stripe lines running across the stamped indicium.
Postal Rates & Law: The domestic first-class letter rate went back down to 2¢ per ounce on July 1, 1919, after the 3¢ wartime rate ended. The printed 2¢ indicium therefore paid the full single-weight letter rate in 1924.
Payment Status: The postage is fully prepaid by the printed 2¢ indicium, and the flag machine cancel ties it to the cover.
Transit / Receiving Marks: The back has no backstamps or receiving marks.
The Destination Address: The address is written in pencil as "Mrs. Hazel Whitcomb, / Lebanon, / Oregon." with "R. 1." (Rural Route 1) at lower left.
Condition: The envelope is toned overall and has creasing and wrinkles. The right edge is roughly torn open, with a ragged tear running down the right side that reaches the edge of the indicium area. The back flap is intact but shows soiling. The cover arrives without contents. Please see the photos for details.
2. Historical Significance
Tillamook is the county seat of Tillamook County on the northern Oregon coast. Lebanon is a Willamette Valley town in Linn County. The cover links these two parts of the state and shows the rural free delivery routes that served Oregon farm families in the 1920s. The sender and the addressee share the Whitcomb surname, which suggests family correspondence. Public genealogical indexes list a Hazel Whitcomb living in Lebanon, Linn County, in the 1930s, but we have not confirmed that she is the addressee of this envelope. Flag machine cancels like this one were widely used at Oregon post offices in the 1920s, and collectors of Oregon postal history and flag cancels seek them out.
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