Postal cancellation marks Chili landmark

The North Chili Post Office will offer a special cancellation starting on Saturday, May 11 to commemorate the 125th Anniversary of the Stuart Road Bridge in Chili. The cancellation, which will be available for a period of 30 days, shows a drawing of the bridge made by Christine Wilcox, granddaughter of Bill and Bernice Wilcox of Chili Mills.

Persons interested in obtaining the cancellation need to do one of two things. They may present envelopes properly stamped with 34 cents postage at the post office windows, and if they are to be taken home after cancellation, they need not be addressed. If they are to be mailed to friends and relatives, it is suggested that the address be placed rather low on the envelope, thus leaving room for the cancellation. Furthermore, the flap should be folded inside the envelope, rather than being sealed.

The bridge, which is a Squire Whipple bowstring truss design structure built by the King Iron Bridge Company, was originally used for vehicular traffic from ox carts to stage coaches to automobiles. In later years, due to the stress of time and neglect, vehicular traffic was prohibited, although the bridge was open to pedestrians. It has recently received some necessary restoration.

Out of hundreds built in the United States, the bridge is one of perhaps only a dozen such Squire Whipple bridges left. Moreover, along with seven other area sites, it is part of the Chili Mills Conservation Area, and like them, it is listed on the State and National Registers of Historic Places. In keeping with its historic nature, the bridge also played an important role in the town's celebration of our national bicentennial when it was used in the re-enactment of the Battle of Concord in 1975.