Bicentennial Station Stamp Cancellation Event Commemorates Establishment of Gatlinburg Name

GATLINBURG – The City continues its Bicentennial Celebration with a commemorative event which gives stamp collectors the opportunity to secure an official Gatlinburg Bicentennial Station stamp cancellation. The United States Postal Service and the Gatlinburg Bicentennial Committee memorialize the establishment of a mail station at the store of merchant Radford Gatlin with a 9:30 a.m. ceremony on Monday, January 29, 2007 at the Gatlinburg Post Office located on East Parkway. Postal records found in the Library of Congress make the first known reference to “Gatlinburg” in a notation dated January 29, 1856, approving Gatlin’s general store in the White Oak Flats community as a postal station and appointing Gatlin as postmaster. The Bicentennial Committee secured the services of local artist Vern Hippensteal to design and produce a commemorative postage stamp, cancellation postmark and corresponding Bicentennial envelope to mark the occasion. Hippensteal’s stamp features a bear dining on wild strawberries and the postmark depicts a forest. The envelope design includes a cabin scene of the Martha Jane Huskey Ogle homestead, residence of the first permanent settlers in an area which, many years later, became known as Gatlinburg. Hippensteal is a direct descendent of Martha Jane. Postal service employees will hand-cancel any requests at the Gatlinburg office the day of the event. The postmark is free, and can only be placed on First-Class Mail postage. Collectors from across the country are expected to mail in requests. The postmark may be obtained by enclosing self addressed stamped envelopes to: Postmaster, Gatlinburg Bicentennial Station, Gatlinburg Post Office, 1216 East Parkway, Gatlinburg, TN 37738. Requests by mail must be received by February 28, 2007. The official commemorative stamped, cancelled envelope will be available at a cost of $1.50 each. The official stamps and envelopes will be sold by the Bicentennial Committee the day of the event and will also be available by mail for 30 days after the event. The United States Postal Service will announce the cancellation event through its national newsletter and website.