Stamps: Rattlesnake Island Local Post gets first new stamps since 2010

A longtime Ohio stamp collector is preparing to reintroduce the Rattlesnake Island Local Post for the privately owned Lake Erie enclave. Dave Gill of Port Clinton has taken on the task of restarting the local post serving the 85-acre island with the release of three new stamps Nov. 10. The most recent Rattlesnake Island Local Post stamps were issued in 2010 under the direction of Dr. James Frackelton, a Cleveland surgeon. Frackelton died in 2012 at age 85. Gill said he wanted to reestablish the tradition of using local post stamps on mail from the tiny island. He has spent years learning about the history of the service. He has developed a website for ordering the stamps and first-day covers: rilp.org. The site explains that interest in stamps from the local post, which Frackelton originated in 1966, has remained high and that there is a need to help offset the cost of mail delivery to the island's handful of seasonal residents provided by Griffing Flying Service. "This is very unique and as I keep looking, this will be once again the only operating local air post in the United States," he said. Gill arranged for printing three triangular-shaped stamps in denominations of 50 cents, 75 cents and $1. Similar to past issues, the stamps will incorporate a theme, this year's being Lake Erie commercial vessels. The stamps and the date of release are significant to Gill, 58, who was introduced to stamp collecting by his mother in 1972. The 50-cent value will feature the construction crane barge of Ken Gill Construction, the company operated by his father, Ken, and which Gill later ran before selling in 2014. Ken Gill died in June at 80. Nov. 10 would have been the 80th birthday of his late mother, Jayne Burkholder. "I thought why not pick a date that honors my mother and pick a stamp that honors my father," Gill said. The 75-cent stamp shows the Jet Express ferry that runs from Port Clinton to Put-in-Bay on South Bass Island. The $1 denomination features the Miller Boat Line ferry that operates from Catawba Island to South Bass Island. Beth Lynn Gregerson, an artist in Fairport Harbor, designed the stamps. She also worked with Frackelton on Rattlesnake Island Local Post stamps from 2007 to 2010. Foote Printing Co. in Cleveland produced the stamps in panes of 20. Gill's family lived near what today is the Erie-Ottawa International Airport, where Griffing Flying Service is based. But Gill knew nothing about the local post until 2000. Gill's research led him to local historians, a former Port Clinton postmaster and island caretakers, newspaper articles and books about the stamps that have gained a worldwide following since Frackelton released the first stamps in 1966. Stamp issues stopped in 1989, but were restarted in 2005 by Frackelton. The physician died as he was planning stamps for 2012 to mark the bicentennial of the Battle of Lake Erie. He discovered that while the post office in the village of Gypsum is less than a mile from the airport, Rattlesnake Island mail always was routed through Port Clinton. Postal officials reasoned that the high volume of mail from collectors seeking stamps and postmarks would have overwhelmed the Gypsum post office's small staff. Gill already is planning the 2023 stamps, which will mark the 210th anniversary of Oliver Hazard Perry's victory over the British. Cuy-Lor show The Cuy-Lor Stamp Club hosts its 63rd show Oct. 29-30 at Rocky River Memorial Hall, 21016 Hilliard Blvd., Rocky River. This year's theme is Pony Cars, highlighting the August stamp issue featuring sports cars of the 1960s and 1970s. This year's souvenir cover will feature a pictorial racing-themed postmark with a matching cachet. Thirteen dealers will offer stamps, covers, post cards and hobby supplies. In addition, 32 frames of exhibits on stamp and postal history topics will be displayed. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 30. Parking and admission are free. Club meeting The Black River Stamp Club will meet at 5:30 p.m. Nov. 11 at Harvest Christian Church, 907 Eastern Heights Blvd., Elyria. The club will be making final plans for its annual show on Nov. 19 at St. Jude School's gym, 590 Poplar St., Elyria. Dennis Sadowski can be reached at sadowski.dennis@gmail.com.