The letter Thomas mailed

Tucson’s post office was re-established on 13 July 1865 with Mark Aldrich as postmaster.

The oldest known letter to have been postmarked at the Tucson, Arizona Territory post office is the letter that Thomas mailed to Lydia.

He mailed it while stationed at Fort Yuma during the “Indian Wars.” Thomas stayed in the military his entire career.

The letter was sent just four months before his father, Samuel, died due to complications after a stroke.

While Thomas was excommunicated from the faith, he appears to have retained a good relationship with his family.

Lydia predeceased her brother Thomas in 1899 at 53 years old. Thomas died in 1920 at 80 years old. Both are buried at the North Burial Ground in Providence with the rest of the Tobey family.