HISTORIC U. S. HIGHWAY 80 THROUGH CALIFORNIA POSTAL HISTORY


Here are postal cancellations from post offices along historic U. S. Highway 80 in California. U. S. Route 80 has received several names including the "Broadway of America", "Ocean to Ocean Highway", "Dixie Overland Highway", and "Jefferson Davis Memorial Highway". U. S. Highway 80 was one of the original U. S. highways established in 1926. Historically, its longest alignment stretched from Tybee Island, GA, west to San Diego, CA. However, by 1991 the segment west of Dallas, TX, was decommissioned. That original alignment is now called Historic U. S. Highway 80. Today the highway extends from Tybee Island, GA, to Dallas, TX.

The postmarks in this exhibit are on postally used envelopes and postcards and date from 1926, the year U. S. Highway 80 was established, to the present. They are listed in travel order along historic U. S. Highway 80 in California from Winterhaven at the Arizona border to San Diego.

This is a work in progress. I am continually searching for additional postmarks to add to this exhibit to show more variety and add additional post offices.

Abbreviations

CPO - Community Post Office, a contract postal unit usually in a business in a small community with no other postal services.
CPU - Contract Postal Unit, a station or branch associated with and operated by a business under contract to the Postal Service.
DPO - discontinued post office.
OPN - old post office name, replaced by a new or revised name.


California


Historic U. S. Highway 80
(Winterhaven, through El Centro and El Cajon, to San Diego)


IMPERIAL COUNTY

Winterhaven

    Hand cancellation: "WINTERHAVEN, CALIF. FEB 1 1943".

    Hand cancellation: "WINTERHAVEN, CALIF. OCT 7 1947".

    Machine cancellation: "WINTERHAVEN, CALIF. OCT 6 1958".

    Machine cancellation: "WINTERHAVEN, CALIF. JUN 28 1962".

    Hand cancellation: "WINTERHAVEN, CA 92283 FEB 22 2023".

Felicity: Felicity CPU

    Hand cancellation: "FELICITY, CA USPO DEC 5 1987".

    Hand cancellation: "FELICITY, CA 92283 FEB 11 2014".

    Hand cancellation: "FELICITY 92283 NP0282 USPS FEB 20 2023".

Holtville

    Machine cancellation: "HOLTVILLE, CALIF. JUN 4 1941".

    Machine cancellation: "HOLTVILLE, CALIF. OCT 12 1959".

    Hand cancellation: "HOLTVILLE, CA 92250 USPS FEB 27 2023".

El Centro

    Machine cancellations: "EL CENTRO, CALIF. JUN 15 1932". Top envelope has "RETURNED TO SENDER" pointing hand and "UNCLAIMED FROM PHOENIX, ARIZONA" auxiliary markings.

    Machine cancellation: "EL CENTRO, CALIF. DEC 22 1935".

    Machine cancellation: "EL CENTRO, CALIF. AUG 16 1939".

    Machine cancellation: "EL CENTRO, CALIF. NOV 17 1941".

    Machine cancellation: "EL CENTRO, CALIF. NOV 20 1943".

    Hand cancellation: "EL CENTRO, CALIF. JAN 13 1946 | 1 |".

    Hand cancellation: "EL CENTRO, CALIF. DEC 15 1954|".

Seeley

    Hand cancellation: "SEELEY, CALIF. OCT 6 1958".

    Hand cancellation: "SEELEY, CA APR 5 1976".

    Hand cancellation: "SEELEY, CA 92273 USPS JAN 6 2014".

    Hand cancellation: "SEELEY, CA 92273 USPS FEB 21 2023".

Dixieland

[DPO]

    Hand cancellation: "DIXIELAND, CALIF. DEC 1 1929".

Plaster City

[DPO]

    Hand cancellation: "PLASTER CITY, CALIF. FEB 1 1951".

    Hand cancellation: "PLASTER CITY, CALIF. AUG 6 1955 | 1 |".

    Hand cancellation: "PLASTER CITY, CALIF. OCT 6 1958 | 1 |".

    Two different hand cancellations: "PLASTER CITY, CALIF. SEP 17 1964 | 1 |" and "PLASTER CITY RUR. STA., PLASTER CITY, CALIF. USPO SEP 17 1964".

    Hand cancellation: "PLASTER CITY, CA 92269 JAN 23 1973".

    Hand cancellation: "PLASTER CITY, CA 92269 APR 5 1976".

    Hand cancellation: "PLASTER CITY, CA 92269 JAN 27 1982".

    Two different hand cancellations: "PLASTER CITY, CA 92269 AUG 10 1985" and "PLASTER CITY RUR. STA., PLASTER CITY, CALIF. USPO AUG 10 1985".

Ocotillo

    Hand cancellation: "OCOTILLO, CALIF. NOV 16 1957".

    Hand cancellation: "OCOTILLO, CALIF. DEC 4 1957".

    Hand cancellation: "OCOTILLO, CA 92259 APR 30 1976".

    Hand cancellation: "OCOTILLO, CA 92259 APR 20 1987".

    Hand cancellation: "OCOTILLO, CA 92259 USPS JAN 6 2014".


SAN DIEGO COUNTY

Jacumba

    Hand cancellation: "JACUMBA, CALIF. NOV 30 1929".

    Hand cancellation: "JACUMBA, CALIF. JUL 5 1933".

    Hand cancellation: "JACUMBA, CALIF. AUG 5 1936".

    Hand cancellation: "JACUMBA, CALIF. DEC 29 1951 | 1 |".

    Hand cancellation: "JACUMBA, CALIF. OCT 16 1954 | 1 |".

    Hand cancellation: "JACUMBA, CALIF. MR 29 1959".

Boulevard

    Hand cancellation: "BOULEVARD, CA 91905 AUG 29 1996".

Pine Valley

    Hand cancellation: "PINE VALLEY, CALIF. MAY 6 1955".

    Hand cancellation: "PINE VALLEY, CALIF. SEP 28 1961".

Guatay

[DPO]

    Hand cancellation: "GUATAY, CA 92031 AUG 3 1965".

Descanso

    Hand cancellation: "DESCANSO, CA 92016 AUG 3 1965".

    Hand cancellation: "DESCANSO, CA 91916 USPS DEC 27 2013".

Alpine

    Hand cancellation: "ALPINE, CALIF. DEC 31 1931".

Bostonia

    Hand cancellation: "BOSTONIA, CALIF. MAR 2 1939".

El Cajon

    Hand cancellation: "EL CAJON, CALIF. JUL 6 1929".

    Machine cancellation: "EL CAJON, CALIF. APR 7 1949".

Grossmont

    Hand cancellation: "GROSSMONT STATION 91942 USPS FEB 23 2023".

Spring Valley

    Hand cancellation: "SPRING VALLEY, CA 92077 USPS FEB 9 1988".

La Mesa

    Machine cancellation: "LA MESA, CALIF. DEC 27 1953".

    Machine cancellation: "LA MESA, CALIF. FEB 29 1960".

    Hand cancellation: "LA MESA, CA 92041 FEB 3 1969".

    Machine cancellation: "LA MESA, CA 92041 MAR 7 1972".

San Diego

    Machine pictorial & slogan cancellation: "SAN DIEGO 1, CALIF. JUL 5 1928 | AIR-MAIL SAVES TIME |".

    Machine pictorial & slogan cancellation: "SAN DIEGO 1, CALIF. FEB 29 1928 | AIR-MAIL SAVES TIME |" Has "Advise correspondents or publishers of your correct address" auxiliary marking.

    Machine pictorial & slogan cancellation: "SAN DIEGO 1, CALIF. JUN 3 1931 | AIR-MAIL SAVES TIME |".

    Machine cancellation: "SAN DIEGO 2, CALIF. APR 9 1933".

    Machine slogan cancellation: "SAN DIEGO 1, CALIF. APR 15 1936 | BUY U.S. SAVINGS BONDS   ASK YOUR POSTMASTER |".

    Machine cancellation: "SAN DIEGO 2, CALIF. JAN 3 1940".

    Machine slogan cancellation: "SAN DIEGO 1, CALIF. FEB 4 1943 | BUY WAR SAVINGS BONDS AND STAMPS |".

    Machine cancellation: "SAN DIEGO 2, CALIF. SEP 18 1952".

    Machine pictorial & slogan cancellation: "SAN DIEGO 2, CALIF. AUG 1 1953 | Remember - Only you can PREVENT FOREST FIRES |".

    Machine slogan cancellation: "SAN DIEGO 2, CALIF. MAR 3 1955 | USE YOUR POSTAL [?] |".

    Special hand pictorial & slogan cancellation: "CONVENTION STATION, SAN DIEGO, CA 92101 JUL 30 1976 ( UNIVERSAL SHIP CANCELLATION SOCIETY )".

    Special hand pictorial cancellation: "STaMpsHOW 85 A.P.S. STA., SAN DIEGO, CA 92101 AUG 22 1985".

    Special hand pictorial & slogan cancellation: "SAN DIEGO JACK MURPHY STADIUM STATION, SAN DIEGO, CA 92108 JAN 29, 1995 ( HOME OF THE 1994 AFC CHAMPIONS     SUPER BOWL XXIX )".

    Special hand pictorial & slogan cancellation: "National Conference Station, San Diego, CA 92101 Sep 26, 1997 | DOLLARS for SCHOLARS |".

    Special hand pictorial cancellation: "USS KEARSARGE REUNION STATION, SAN DIEGO, CA 92106 SEPT 1 2014".

    Special hand pictorial & slogan cancellation: "Decommissioning Sta., San Diego, CA 92110 January 14, 2015 ( USS McCLUSKY FFG 41 )".

    Hand cancellation: "MIDWAY PHILATELIC, SAN DIEGO, CA 92110 JAN 14 2015".

    Special hand pictorial & slogan cancellation: "CHRISTENING STATION, SAN DIEGO, CA 92110 February 7, 2015 | USNS LEWIS B. PULLER (T-MLP 3/AFSB 1) |".

    Special hand pictorial cancellation: "U.S. Coast Guard Sector San Diego Station, San Diego, CA 92101 November 5, 2015 ( COAST GUARD SECTOR   SAN DIEGO )".

San Diego: California Pacific International Exposition Station

[DPO]

    Hand cancellation: "CALIF. PACIFIC INT. EXPOSITION STA., SAN DIEGO, CALIF. MAY 29 1935".

    Machine cancellation: "| CALIFORNIA PACIFIC INTERNATIONAL EXPOSITION STATION | SAN DIEGO, CALIF. MAY 29 1935".

San Diego: Hillcrest Station

    Hand cancellation: "HILLCREST STA., SAN DIEGO, CALIF. JUL 17 1948".

San Diego: Station C

[DPO]

    Machine cancellation: "STA. C, SAN DIEGO, CALIF. JUN 4 1935".

U. S. Naval Hospital, San Diego

    Hand cancellation: "NAVAL HOSPITAL, SAN DIEGO 92134 USPS JAN 16 2014".

U. S. Marine Corps Recruit Depot, San Diego

    Hand cancellation: "MCRD, SAN DIEGO, CA 92140 APR 19 2013".

Point Loma

This is now a station of the San Diego Post Office.

    Hand cancellation: "POINT LOMA POST OFFICE, SAN DIEGO, CA 92106 MAY 1 2015".

    Hand cancellation: "POINT LOMA STATION 92106-9998 MAY 5 2015".



U. S. Highway 80 in Pine Valley, CA; on postcard, circa middle 1950s.


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