A piece of postal history comes home

The Toledo Blade reports that stamp collector, Alan Borer, stumbled across a piece of postal history in a Matthew Bennett auction that provides the first tangible, real-time link between the area's first pioneer settlement and Toledo today.

According to the paper, Borer, the former manager of the West Toledo branch of the Toledo-Lucas County Public Library, recognized its significance and immediately contacted the Main Library's local history office.

Mike Lora, manager of the local history department, is quoted in the article by staff writer Robin Erb as saying, "This is probably the earliest example we'll ever find of the beginnings of where we're standing. It doesn't get much better than this."

The library wound up bidding $1,150 to acquire the 1805 letter. The auction house's anticipated bid sales price was $400 to $500.

Shown above, Mike Lora with the 201-year-old letter and postmark.

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