Harpers Ferry
Explore individuals whose names appeared in published lists of letters remaining at the Harpers Ferry Post Office.
Database
A searchable index of people named in nineteenth-century newspaper lists of unclaimed mail.

Browse by Post Office
Browse newspaper lists of letters remaining at the Shepherdstown Post Office.
Browse
Browse all names on the remaining letter lists from three historic local post offices.
Explore individuals whose names appeared in published lists of letters remaining at the Harpers Ferry Post Office.
View individuals connected to the Shepherdstown Post Office through published letter remaining notices.
Search names listed at the Charles Town Post Office and compare appearances across years and newspapers.

A letter remaining notice does not prove permanent residence, but it can place a person near a particular post office at a particular moment in time. For laborers, migrants, women, tenants, and others who appear only rarely in formal records, these newspaper lists may be one of the few surviving traces of their presence in the area.
We use this timeline to help us understand the events that may have affected or shaped a person's life. Here are some ideas as to how this timeline may help your further your own research: