List of post offices in Canada, with the names of the postmasters ... 1864

In Short

This official administrative publication lists all active Canadian post offices on January 1, 1864, along with the names of their designated postmasters. Issued by the Post Office Department in Quebec, the work documents operational updates across various counties and townships. It captures a snapshot of mid-nineteenth-century Canadian expansion through administrative entries, tracking new locations, closures, and official name changes throughout 1864. Its lasting value sits in its unadorned historical record, capturing the exact spatial and human framework of early Canadian postal logistics during a key era of national growth.

The Story

The text begins with a formal organizational overview of the Post Office Department. It identifies key leaders in Quebec, led by Postmaster General Hon. O. Mowat and Deputy Postmaster General William Henry Griffin, along with high-level accountants, secretaries, cashiers, and branch superintendents. This executive framework extends outward through field inspectors assigned to major regional stations in Toronto, London, Kingston, Montreal, and Quebec. A memorandum instructs postmasters across the region to maintain accuracy by making ongoing manual corrections to their lists using regular operational notices.

Following the initial executive roster, the work lays out a detailed statewide directory of individual post offices alongside their respective postmasters. Formatting conventions distinguish specific capabilities, using italicized text to mark locations authorized to issue and redeem money orders. Explanatory footnotes identify operational nuances for individual entries, signaling offices that operate exclusively during summer months, close down for the winter, or have recently reopened under old or modified names.

The narrative progression shifts into chronological updates documenting administrative actions throughout the year 1864. A dedicated log details post office closures occurring between January 1863 and January 1864 across counties like Bonaventure, Prescott, Durham, and Waterloo. A corresponding chart details name revisions, showing how settlements rebranded their postal identities—such as Ballynahinch changing to Glenvale, Osborne becoming Cumberland, and Industry turning into Joliette.

The record then moves forward through periodic expansion notices issued directly from the Quebec headquarters. Lists dated from January through August 1864 detail new post offices established across various townships and electoral counties. Each entry records the office's geographical location and assigns a specific local resident as postmaster. These updates track the steady outward reach of the postal system into developing regions like Simcoe, Victoria, Grey, and Carleton, concluding with late-summer additions and minor closing notices that round out the year's systematic expansion.

How It Unfolds

The central leadership outlined The opening pages establish executive authority by listing the Post Office Department's leadership under Hon. O. Mowat. It defines key administrative roles and names regional inspectors stationed across primary hubs from London to Quebec.

Instructions for local postmasters A department memorandum directs postmasters to keep their reference records current using periodic notices. It requests immediate notification if any local office details are misprinted or missing.

The primary postal directory The central directory presents a comprehensive list of Canadian post offices alongside the names of their appointed postmasters. Special designations highlight offices that process money orders or operate seasonally.

Tracking closures and name changes Tables summarize system adjustments made prior to 1864, identifying closed offices across various counties. A separate list records renamed branches, detailing old names alongside newly selected designations.

Chronological network expansion Subsequent sections record new post offices created throughout 1864, broken down by date from January through August. Each table details the township, electoral county, and appointed postmaster for every newly established station.

The People

• Hon. O. Mowat — The Postmaster General who heads the department, overseeing administrative decisions, network updates, and official public listings across Canada.
• William Henry Griffin — The Deputy Postmaster General who assists in managing department operations, staff oversight, and systemic record-keeping.
• H. A. Wicksteed — The department Accountant responsible for maintaining financial records and managing fiscal operations across the organization.
• William White — The Secretary who manages official correspondence, departmental notices, and general communication within the executive office.
• John Ashworth — The department Cashier tasked with overseeing cash flows, receipts, and monetary allocations across branches.
• Peter LeSueur — The Superintendent of the Money Order Branch, managing the authorization and processing of financial transfers through designated offices.
• Regional Inspectors (John Dewe, G. E. Griffin, M. Sweetnam, E. F. King, W. G. Sheppard) — Field supervisors stationed in Toronto, London, Kingston, Montreal, and Quebec to maintain operational standards across their respective divisions.
• Local Postmasters (e.g., Alex. Dallas, Flavien Milette, Wm. Blair, Revd. C. A. de Carufel, John Bangs) — Community-level officers appointed to operate local post offices, manage correspondence, and serve as the direct contact between citizens and the postal network.

In Its Own Voice

"Postmasters will correct their Lists by the Notices of Post Office Operations, with which they will be furnished from time to time; and should any Postmaster discover an error in the description of his Office, as set forth in this List, he will please notify the same to this Department."

This memorandum highlights the ongoing effort required to maintain operational accuracy across a wide geographic network.

"The Offices whose names are printed in Italics are authorized to Grant and Pay Money Orders."

This formatting instruction provides a clear visual key for readers identifying locations equipped for financial transactions.

"The Postmaster General established the following New Post Offices in Canada, on the 1st June 1864."

This heading introduces the periodic updates that track the systematic expansion of Canadian postal coverage into new townships.

What It's Really About

This directory reveals the mechanics of civic infrastructure during a period of territorial expansion. Beyond its surface function as an address book, the text documents how a government projects authority and maintains connection across sparse distances. The ongoing additions, reopenings, and renaming of post offices reflect shifting settlement patterns, local economic developments, and evolving community identities. By detailing both high-level executive managers and small-town postmasters, the document illustrates how centralized administration relies entirely on localized human networks to function effectively.

Why Read It Today

This text appeals directly to historians, genealogists, and readers fascinated by the tangible mechanics of nineteenth-century civic life. Rather than delivering a conventional narrative, it offers an unvarnished, authentic document of historical reality. The experience of reading it feels like peering directly into an active government office from 1864, offering an unfiltered look at forgotten place names and local historical figures.

The text presents distinct reading challenges: it consists almost entirely of structured lists, tabular operational data, and administrative updates rather than traditional prose. Its interest lies not in dramatic tension, but in the detailed picture it paints of early Canadian geography. Readers interested in local history will value tracking forgotten settlement names, observing how communities rebranded themselves, and seeing how the postal network adapted to regional needs. It stands as a precise, grounded piece of historical evidence that captures a growing nation in the process of organizing its daily communications.