Bamber Express, Notes On Express
| BAMBER & CO’S EXPRESS ————————————- 1853 |
| J. W. Hoag & Co. | 1856 | in 1856 J.W. Hoag & Co were a S. Fr local which became the Cal. City Letter Express Co. in 1862 | ||
| J. Bamber & Co. | 1859 | |||
| Bamber & Co. | ||||
| Whitney & Co. | 1875 |
This company was started towards the end of 1853 By W. F. Her(r)e, probably of French nationality. He sold his business to J. W. Hoag and Bamber, under the name of “J.W.Hoag & Co.” Upon the death of Hoag the name of the firm was changed to “J. Bamber & Co.”, and later on to “Bamber & Co.” Upon retirement of Bamber in 1875 the name of the firm was change to “Whitney & Co.” In the San Francisco Directory, Hoag’s name appears in 1858, and Bamber’s in 1863.
Bamber’s Express was in operation until 189475. Route: San Francisco, Contra Costa, Almeda, and ajoining countries. Connected also with Wells, Fargo & Co. Express run over a route of about 50 miles
| Note 1. | “I find Hoag in the San Francisco Directory Bamber’s Express still runs from San Francisco through Contra Costa, Alameda, and the ajoining countries and connects with Wells, Fargo & Co. Its present proprietors are Whitney & Co., who acquired possession from Bamber & Co. in July,1875. The carriage of letters has recently been dicontinued by W. & Co., but is likely to be shortly resumed.” |
| Note 1: From the Bulletin – San Fr. April 3, 1922 | Note 3: | |
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In Saratoga, where they held their Blossom Festival on Saturday and yesterday, life is so lovely that people seem never to grow old. Most notably to the understanding sole, it was reflected in the person of J. J. Bamber who was fluttering about on his lawful occasions as editor, reporter and everything else of the “Mountain Realty,” and chatting with friends and comrades from all the country there around of the balmy weather that, like yesterday, prevailed in the spring of Lincln’s election year.
But at that period, as Mr. Bamber was careful to explain, Saratoga had not yet attained eminence through its Blossom Festivals. White plum blossoms were not yet then the motif of its April scenery, and population thereabouts was not abundant. No automobiles obtained, no flivvers, no railways. |
J. J. Bamber and his (???) during the sixties and early (???)ties of the last century, (???) owners of Bamber Express (???) carried the mails and the San Francisco newspapers down to (???) Cruz from Oakland. They “I’d give a dollar for one (???) envelopes now if I knew (???) find one,” said Bamber yes (???) speaking not as an editor, (???) an old-timer. “I can’t find (???) “Changes happen. My (???) see, was the first white girl (???) in Oakland. She was Miss (???) Hill. In those days the transcontinental road wasn’t even a dream.” “Radio concert now going on!” |
San Francisco, April 1. 1922 * * * BAMBER”S EXPRESS Editor the Bulletin: In the account of the Saratoga Blossom Festival published in Monday’s Bulletin, the writer Edward A. Morphy, describes having met J.J. Bamber, one of the proprietors of the old Bamber’s Express. As a philstelist, the information that Mr. Bamber still survives is to me most interesting. I have a Bamber’s Express envelope mailed from Saratoga in June, 1864, to a pioneer in the old Court Building, San Francisco. It is a yellow envelope, with a red circle imprint an inch and a half in diameter, inscribed “J. Bamber & Co.’s Express, S. F.” with the date “June 9” in the center. The year is shown in the context of the letter it encloses, which was from Joseph Columbet, proprietor of the Saratoga House June 7, 1864. San Francisco, April 4. |
