A Man on a Mission

“With a beautiful stamp depicting the gorge, I set out to obtain a postmark from each of the seven towns there, from Troutdale to The Dalles,” he said.

He was further inspired by the upcoming centennial of the Old Historic Columbia River Gorge Highway.

Along with the new Priority Express stamp release, each community received a special pictorial postmarking device authorized for use as part of the “Postmark America” series – and it can change dates indefinitely.

White had to wait two days after the stamp was released on Sunday, Jan. 17 in Washington D.C. because Martin Luther King Junior Day was Monday, Jan. 18.

On Jan. 19, envelopes in hand, White left his home in Brightwood, just west of Mount Hood, and headed for the gorge.

“I arrived at the Troutdale post office to purchase the newly released stamp and affix the newly authorized ‘Postmark America/Troutdale’ postmark. It’s called a ‘First Day-First Day,’ as close as could be accomplished in Oregon,” White said.

Throughout a very rainy and windy Columbia Gorge day, White visited the remaining six post offices east of Troutdale and completed his “first day” mission, obtaining postmarks in the communities of Corbett, Cascade Locks, Hood River, Mosier, The Dalles and Bridal Veil.

“Because of the configuration of highway on-off ramps along Interstate-84 and reduced post office hours at some venues, I only just made it to Bridal Veil for my last postmark,” he said.

“It was just a fun adventure and a wonderful excuse to meet all the postmasters and clerks,” he added.

White is a long-time stamp and postmark enthusiast, with an extensive collection of both.

He has worked both sides in the hunt for stamps: In 1981, he wrote a letter as then chairman of the Friends of Timberline to the postmaster general of the time, William F. Bolger, which initiated a successful effort to get postal recognition of Timberline Lodge for its 50th anniversary.

Although his first campaign for a commemorative stamp, pressed as a first priority, fell short, he persevered and obtained a 14-cent Historic Preservation series postcard, which was issued for “first day” mailing at the lodge on the 50th anniversary, Sept. 28, 1987.

A short list of his collections from the region includes postmarks from the 125th anniversary of Bridal Veil post office; the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial in 2006; Mount Hood Oregon postmarks from 2012, which includes his hometown of Brightwood; and a postmark from Corbett featuring the re-dedication of the Vista House on May 5, 2006.

Chances are on June 7 of this year, he’ll be back in the gorge, on the road to Bridal Veil where he will be collecting “first day” postmarks commemorating the Vista House and Multnomah Falls. That postmark is available June 7 at the post office, and then for 30 days following if requested by mail.

Collecting a “first day” postmark will be a piece of cake, compared to getting all seven postmarks on the “first day” issue of the Columbia Gorge Express stamp at all seven post offices in the gorge on a single day.

Not that he regrets his trip: “I now have in my collection a one-of-a-kind grouping of postal covers commemorating a scenic and historic stretch of Oregon that I love to visit.”

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