Discussion - Member to Member Sales - Research Center
Discussion - Member to Member Sales - Research Center
04:45:12pm
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Try researching a map from that area might help or might not help.
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There is a historical locality of Duncan in Buffalo County South Dakota that can be found on this map. The Duncan Church is apparently extant.
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@Harvey
It might be helpful to include a scan/photo of the reverse side!
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08:32:18pm
Thanks Steven - my eyes were just barely good enough to see it, but it is there!! I think it has been pretty well lost to history as this quote from good old Google shows! I wonder if this was the Duncan or if it was the one in Nebraska. Do any of you US historians have any information on the Duncan in Buffalo County S. Dak.? There are four active members from ND and one from SD. Would any of you like to take a road trip?
"There's no town named "Duncan" in South Dakota. The city of Duncan is located in Spartanburg County, South Carolina. Duncan is also a village in Platte County, Nebraska. Duncan is also a city in British Columbia, Canada. "
Note to 1899: The back of the cover shows a postmark of the letter's destination. This was a common thing at the time and quite a bit later. Sometimes there were several postmarks, one done in every town where the cover was handled. The letter was sent to Bridgville, somewhere in Canada, so it has a postmark for there. The other one seems to be Wellerdon, also in Canada but is very hard to decipher!! There is a Wellerdon in Ontario and a Bridgeville in Nova Scotia. The last one is a major coincidence since I had an old plate that had the name of a store in Bridgeville NS where it was sold. I donated the plate to a museum near to where the town was.
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Nebraska became a state in 1867, so there is no way that an 1886 postmark from Duncan Dakota could have been from Duncan Nebraska. Nebraska and the Dakotas had many more post offices in the late 19th and early 20th century than they do now (rural population in South Dakota peaked around 1930). AI hasn't exactly helped Google become a more source of information, sadly.
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09:06:30pm
The Duncan that is now in Nebraska was settled by Poles in 1866 and named Cherry Hill, renamed Jackson in 1871 and then finally called Duncan in 1871. If it was located in the Dakota Territory it might actually be the Duncan from my 1886 cover. Ya' never know!! This is a real trip through history!!!
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Dakota Territory, established in 1861, included only a tiny part of Nebraska, a portion of what is now Boyd County, along the northern border. It was returned to Nebraska in 1882. Duncan Nebraska is about 200 km southeast of the southern border of Dakota Territory and so was never part of it. Between 1854 and 1861, most of what became Dakota Territory was part of Nebraska Territory (it gets confusing).
ETA: I think a cover from Duncan South Dakota is quite a fascinating find since it seems the town barely lasted into the 20th century if even that, and the number of extant covers from there must be vanishingly small (as is likely any historical documentation of this place).
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11:15:28am
I'll post a scan later this week, probably Thursday, of the cover. I'm quite excited by it because there is possibly a Nova Scotia connection with it going to Bridgville even though I'm sure Canada probably had many towns with this name. Research on my part is definitely required!! I'll do the front and back since there are two postmarks on the back, that should keep everyone happy! If I lived somewhere in the Dakota area I would love to see if there is anything left of the Duncan in South Dakota - whether any of it still exists from that time period or not!
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The old catholic church seems to be all that is left of Duncan.
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05:18:12pm
I've seen this picture of the church before on this site. Does anyone else remember a post on a cover similar to this? I've only had the cover for about a year so I'm positive it wasn't me! But there's a real deja vu thing going on here with me!!
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The post office in Duncan, South Dakota was open from 1883 to 1913.
BTW, there were over two dozen postoffices named Duncan in the US at one time or other.
Jan
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11:16:46am
Finally am getting around to pictures of the cover!! The postmarks on the back don't show up well! The letter was sent to Bridgville, somewhere in Canada, so it has a postmark for there. The other one seems to be Wellerdon, also in Canada but is very hard to decipher!! There is a Wellerdon in Ontario and a Bridgeville in Nova Scotia. There are also Bridgevilles in Ontario and Quebec. My guess would be Ontario since at that time that would be the obvious choice, in my opinion.
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03:15:56pm
It's addressed to Ridgeville Ontario, just west of Welland.
Roy
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03:36:54pm
Duh!!! You're right, where I got a "B" I have no idea!!! Thanks!!!
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And the other postmark on the back is Welland Ont Canada, confirming the Ridgeville in Ontario.
Jan
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08:19:45pm
You're right Simon!!! For some weird reason I was trying to to incorporate the "ont" to the end of the first word! Boy, I really messed up both of the post marks on the back. I really had a bad day!!!
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I had to read it a couple of times myself before I saw it.
Jan
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Back when I had a bunch! I think, therefore I am - I think! Descartes, sort of!
26 May 2025
04:45:12pm
I have a cover from the town of Duncan, Dakota from 1886. My research is minimal so far so I decided to ask here. Obviously this dates before the formation of North and South Dakota and the nearest Duncan I can find is in Nebraska and quite a distance from the borders of either Dakota. Was there a time, specifically around 1886, when the "Dakota Territory" included what is now Nebraska. I could probably do the research myself but I thought I'd try to get the answer here. Before I'm "asked" for a scan I'll provide one in a few days when I see my picture person. Its a really nice postmark so I should provide a picture of it!
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re: The town of Duncan Dakota
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re: The town of Duncan Dakota
Try researching a map from that area might help or might not help.
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re: The town of Duncan Dakota
There is a historical locality of Duncan in Buffalo County South Dakota that can be found on this map. The Duncan Church is apparently extant.
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re: The town of Duncan Dakota
@Harvey
It might be helpful to include a scan/photo of the reverse side!
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Back when I had a bunch! I think, therefore I am - I think! Descartes, sort of!
26 May 2025
08:32:18pm
re: The town of Duncan Dakota
Thanks Steven - my eyes were just barely good enough to see it, but it is there!! I think it has been pretty well lost to history as this quote from good old Google shows! I wonder if this was the Duncan or if it was the one in Nebraska. Do any of you US historians have any information on the Duncan in Buffalo County S. Dak.? There are four active members from ND and one from SD. Would any of you like to take a road trip?
"There's no town named "Duncan" in South Dakota. The city of Duncan is located in Spartanburg County, South Carolina. Duncan is also a village in Platte County, Nebraska. Duncan is also a city in British Columbia, Canada. "
Note to 1899: The back of the cover shows a postmark of the letter's destination. This was a common thing at the time and quite a bit later. Sometimes there were several postmarks, one done in every town where the cover was handled. The letter was sent to Bridgville, somewhere in Canada, so it has a postmark for there. The other one seems to be Wellerdon, also in Canada but is very hard to decipher!! There is a Wellerdon in Ontario and a Bridgeville in Nova Scotia. The last one is a major coincidence since I had an old plate that had the name of a store in Bridgeville NS where it was sold. I donated the plate to a museum near to where the town was.
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re: The town of Duncan Dakota
Nebraska became a state in 1867, so there is no way that an 1886 postmark from Duncan Dakota could have been from Duncan Nebraska. Nebraska and the Dakotas had many more post offices in the late 19th and early 20th century than they do now (rural population in South Dakota peaked around 1930). AI hasn't exactly helped Google become a more source of information, sadly.
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Back when I had a bunch! I think, therefore I am - I think! Descartes, sort of!
26 May 2025
09:06:30pm
re: The town of Duncan Dakota
The Duncan that is now in Nebraska was settled by Poles in 1866 and named Cherry Hill, renamed Jackson in 1871 and then finally called Duncan in 1871. If it was located in the Dakota Territory it might actually be the Duncan from my 1886 cover. Ya' never know!! This is a real trip through history!!!
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re: The town of Duncan Dakota
Dakota Territory, established in 1861, included only a tiny part of Nebraska, a portion of what is now Boyd County, along the northern border. It was returned to Nebraska in 1882. Duncan Nebraska is about 200 km southeast of the southern border of Dakota Territory and so was never part of it. Between 1854 and 1861, most of what became Dakota Territory was part of Nebraska Territory (it gets confusing).
ETA: I think a cover from Duncan South Dakota is quite a fascinating find since it seems the town barely lasted into the 20th century if even that, and the number of extant covers from there must be vanishingly small (as is likely any historical documentation of this place).
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Back when I had a bunch! I think, therefore I am - I think! Descartes, sort of!
27 May 2025
11:15:28am
re: The town of Duncan Dakota
I'll post a scan later this week, probably Thursday, of the cover. I'm quite excited by it because there is possibly a Nova Scotia connection with it going to Bridgville even though I'm sure Canada probably had many towns with this name. Research on my part is definitely required!! I'll do the front and back since there are two postmarks on the back, that should keep everyone happy! If I lived somewhere in the Dakota area I would love to see if there is anything left of the Duncan in South Dakota - whether any of it still exists from that time period or not!
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re: The town of Duncan Dakota
The old catholic church seems to be all that is left of Duncan.
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Back when I had a bunch! I think, therefore I am - I think! Descartes, sort of!
27 May 2025
05:18:12pm
re: The town of Duncan Dakota
I've seen this picture of the church before on this site. Does anyone else remember a post on a cover similar to this? I've only had the cover for about a year so I'm positive it wasn't me! But there's a real deja vu thing going on here with me!!
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06:27:56pm
re: The town of Duncan Dakota
The post office in Duncan, South Dakota was open from 1883 to 1913.
BTW, there were over two dozen postoffices named Duncan in the US at one time or other.
Jan
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Back when I had a bunch! I think, therefore I am - I think! Descartes, sort of!
04 Jun 2025
11:16:46am
re: The town of Duncan Dakota
Finally am getting around to pictures of the cover!! The postmarks on the back don't show up well! The letter was sent to Bridgville, somewhere in Canada, so it has a postmark for there. The other one seems to be Wellerdon, also in Canada but is very hard to decipher!! There is a Wellerdon in Ontario and a Bridgeville in Nova Scotia. There are also Bridgevilles in Ontario and Quebec. My guess would be Ontario since at that time that would be the obvious choice, in my opinion.
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04 Jun 2025
03:15:56pm
re: The town of Duncan Dakota
It's addressed to Ridgeville Ontario, just west of Welland.
Roy
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Back when I had a bunch! I think, therefore I am - I think! Descartes, sort of!
04 Jun 2025
03:36:54pm
re: The town of Duncan Dakota
Duh!!! You're right, where I got a "B" I have no idea!!! Thanks!!!
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08:11:00pm
re: The town of Duncan Dakota
And the other postmark on the back is Welland Ont Canada, confirming the Ridgeville in Ontario.
Jan
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Back when I had a bunch! I think, therefore I am - I think! Descartes, sort of!
04 Jun 2025
08:19:45pm
re: The town of Duncan Dakota
You're right Simon!!! For some weird reason I was trying to to incorporate the "ont" to the end of the first word! Boy, I really messed up both of the post marks on the back. I really had a bad day!!!
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11:39:12pm
re: The town of Duncan Dakota
I had to read it a couple of times myself before I saw it.
Jan
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