New stamp released

On Aug. 10, 2021, Missouri will turn 200 years old.

Recently, the Postal Service unveiled several new stamp designs for 2021, and among them is a stamp marking Missouri becoming the nation’s 24th state.

The stamp’s art is a photograph of the Bollinger Mill State Historic Site at Burfordville in Cape Girardeau County, capturing the four-story mill along the Whitewater River with the Burfordville Covered Bridge nearby.

The mill turned wheat and corn into flour and meal dating back to the Civil War era. Unfortunately, it was burned by the Union Army during the war to prevent the supply of flour and meal to the Confederate Army. After the war ended, the site was rebuilt in 1867 into the current structure.

The historic bridge opened in 1858, and in its prime, protected travelers, specifically in carriages, from the rain and snow.

State officials have estimated in the 1800s, Missouri had as many as 30 covered bridges, however, only four remain, and all within 334 miles.

If you haven’t visited the beautiful historic site, take a short day trip this fall while the leaves are falling, to walk through the covered bridge and take a tour of the Bollinger Mill.

What a way for our U.S. Postal Service and nation to commemorate and celebrate our state’s 200th birthday, by featuring a historic Cape Girardeau County treasure.