Rhode Island Air Mail Covers
July 23, 1928 Air Mail - Portland Oregon to Providence, RI
Contract Air Mail - Crossed 3 Time Zones - Triple Rate

The air mail cover above was sent from E. R. Knight, Jr. of 116 Chestnut Street, Providence, RI to the S. B. Champlin Co. at the same address. It was mailed from the Hotel Benson in Portland, Oregon and was backstamped in New York on July 25, 1928. The cover contains three 10-cent light-blue map & airplanes stamps, issued on February 13, 1926, (Scott #C7).

The Air Mail Rate in 1928 for both contract and government routs was 10 cents per ^1/2 ounce for each route crossed regardless of the distance and was set by the Postal Act of February 1, 1927.

The S. B. Champlin Company (later the S. B. Champlin & Sons, Co.) was founded by Stanton Browning Champlin and his son, George B. Champlin in 1872 to manufacture gold rings and gold-filled chains. After the death of Stanton Browning in 1895, the company passed to George B. and on his death to his son, George S. In 1928 when this letter was sent, George B. at 76 years of age was still President of the company. In 1978, the Champlin Building, (now known as the Hedison Building) was converted to condominiums. 

George S. Champlin was a noted stamp collector, whose collection was donated to Brown University on his death in 1980. SEE ALSO: 1936 Tin Can Mail from Niuafoou Island to George S. Champlin 

The  Benson Hotel in Portland, Oregon originally opened on March 5, 1913 and is still in business today. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. SEE: The Benson Hotel Website