Many thanks to J. Christopher Kervick’s recently published book The Windsor Locks Canal which provided the basis for some of the questions.
- What is a stampless cover?
a. Illegal, unstamped mail put in a mailbox.
b. Mail that has a reused stamp on it.
c. A letter that does not have a postage stamp attached, which was delivered by a private entity or sent before 1847 when postage stamps were introduced. - In the Act of March 2, 1799, postal rates were based on distance, with postage added for each mile. This system was used until 1845 except in the period between Feb. 1, 1815 to March 30, 1816 when a surtax of one-half the given rate was added to the postage. What did the surtax subsidize?
a. The Creek War
b. The War of 1812
c. U.S. industry - The U.S. Post Office issued the first stamps (two of them) in 1847. How much did they cost?
a. One cent and two cents
b. Three cents and five cents
c. Five cents and ten cents - When was the prepayment of letters mandatory? Previous to this date, mail could be either prepaid or sent unpaid, with the recipient having to pay the postage.
a. 1850
b. 1875
c. 1855 - Is the Windsor Locks Canal and the Enfield Falls Canal the same entity? Yes or No.
- What was the name of Route 75 through Windsor Locks before it was renamed to honor Governor Ella T. Grasso?
a. Bradley Road
b. Windsor Road
c. Turnpike Road - The Enfield Falls is one of how many significant falls (falls are a steep descent of water over a ledge making transportation difficult) which are in the Connecticut River between Old Saybrook and northern Vermont?
a. Ten
b. Six
c. Four - In 1808, the Connecticut General Assembly investigated whether locks or a shore channel or a combination of both would enable the navigation over the formidable falls called Mad Tom and Surf Bar located on the Enfield side of the Connecticut River. The Assembly added a well-known Connecticut inventor to this investigative committee. Who was it?
a. Eli Whitney
b. John Fitch
c. Charles Goodyear - Was the Farmington Canal (also known as the New Haven and Northampton Canal), which was built in the early 19th century, funded by private investors or government-funded?
- In late November 1825, a boat named Barnet was feted with much acclaim when she traveled through the portion of the Connecticut River near Suffield. What was the cause?
a. Her presence was a promotional effort by The Connecticut River Company to demonstrate that navigating the Enfield Falls was doable.
b. John Fitch, a native of South Windsor and credited with being the first man to propel a steamboat on water, built the boat and did a trial run on the Connecticut River.
c. Robert Fulton, who popularized steamboat technology, plied the Barnet up the Connecticut River. The trip was so successful, he changed the name of the boat to The Fulton.
Answers:
1. c. A letter that does not have a postage stamp attached, which was delivered by a private entity or sent before 1847 when postage stamps were introduced.
2. b. The War of 1812
3. c. Five cents and ten cents. Five cents for mail sent less than 300 miles and ten cents for mail sent more than 300 miles.
4. c. 1855
5. Yes, the terms are interchangeable.
6. c. Turnpike Road
7. b. Six. They are the Enfield Falls in Connecticut; South Hadley Falls in Massachusetts; Millers Falls, Bellows Falls, Water Quechy Falls and Orcutt’s Falls in Vermont.
8. a. Eli Whitney
9. The Farmington Canal was funded by private investors unlike the Erie Canal which was funded by the State of New York.
10. a. Her presence was a promotional effort by the Connecticut River Company to demonstrate that navigating the Enfield Falls was do-able.