MGJ Postal History

Snow has requested a new order of merchandise and Masse has agreed to send it "as soon as you can send me the balance of your account." The full, red Fair Haven postmark is not listed in ASCC with the state identification as Mas. Note soiling at lower left. No tears or separations. Snow was a prominent citizen of Wychmere Harbor. See information below.

Wychmere Harbor

Wychmere Harbor used to have no opening to the sea. In the early times it was called Salt Water Pond. The fisherman of Harwich tried to dig by hand a passage for their boats where a trickle of water flowed between the sea and the pond. When this did not work, they plugged the little stream and built a 3/4 mile race track all-around the pond and raced their horses there.

In 1889 the state dredged a proper channel. It measured about 100 feed wide with jetties on each side and fishermen then had a safe anchorage. Fifty years later the big outer harbor was dredged.

Around 1891, Levi Edric Snow paid about $250 for land at the end of the dirt road on the west side of Salt Water Pond. He built an eight room seaside cottage and had so many relatives visiting the following summer that he built a 20 room addition and began charging rent.

In 1913 when Levi’s grandson Biddle was married, the hotel became a year round business. Biddie and his wife had three sons–The Clam Bar’s “Thompson Brothers.” The boys, all over six feet tall, grew up at the Inn and a place was built for them by the dock. They called it Hangover Inn or Spit ‘n Whittle. After World War II, the family began another business. Line Trawlers tied up at the dock and the fish was packed and shipped to Boston and New York. The new wholesale business had begun! Fish, clams and lobsters were unloaded on the dock. This brought many onlookers, whom all wanted to eat and purchase seafood. Thus from the top of a fish box or a barrel head, freshly opened clams were served. People started buying lobster retail, then wanted them cooked and opened. The family responded; away went the Spit ‘n Whittle and up went The Clam Bar. The fish you serve are probably direct descendants of the first ones unloaded here over forty years ago.

Over the years the dirt road was paved, the salt water pond become Wychmere Harbor, a long jetty curved out into the Old Inn and Channelside Restaurant grew yearly and became known far and beyond the small village of Harwich.

Thompson clam bar later was established at the Inn by Levi’s daughter, Clementine. In 1983 a developer purchased the inn, and closed it after 100 seasons in 1991.

Letter is from J. B. Masse. There are several Masse’s listed in Fair Haven (now condensed to Fairhaven) historic records.

Cliffs House postmark is dated1892. Perry House, based on the stamp, is around 1888 and has steel engraving of the hotel on the back of the cover.

This lot contains three items. First, a pink American Tract Society business envelope with a cachet and Boston postmark with pie wedge cancel on a Scott #65 stamp. It is opened roughly at the top and has no back flap. Second is a letter on ATS stationery from Henry Hill, ATS treasurer offering to pay Taunton Bank director Lovett Morse interest due on a building loan to his son if Morse will forego foreclosure proceedings. Third is the reply from Morse, explaining his position in the matter and setting down reasons for his decision whether or not to accept Hill’s “proposition”. The winner of the lot gets all the details. Very interesting reading.

Lovett Morse was a director of the Taunton National Bank as well as a director of the Taunton Gas-Light Company. Born in Taunton, on February 25, 1810, he married Sally Morse and they had five children.

Henry Hill – 1795-1892 – Born in Newburgh, NY. In 1809 he became clerk for Hill & Smith, 100 Wall Street, New York City. In 1817 he went on business to Chili acting as U. S. Counsel for Valparaiso and Santiago. He was treasurer of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions from 1822 to 1854 for 11 years was a member of its Prudential Committee. He was treasurer of the American Tract Society, Boston, for nine years.

The American Tract Society (ATS) is a nonprofit, nonsectarian but evangelical organization founded on May 11, 1825 in New York City for the purpose of publishing and disseminating Christian literature. ATS traces its lineage back through the New York Tract Society (1812) and the New England Tract Society (1814) to the Religious Tract Society of London, begun in 1799. Over the years, ATS has produced and distributed many millions of pieces of literature.

Clean, attractive cover for stamps issued at start of WWII.