FLORENCE, Ariz. – Tom Mix and Gene Autry, two legendary western movie stars with a place in Florence history, are also two “Cowboys of the Silver Screen” featured on new U.S. Postal Service stamps going on sale on Saturday, April 17.
To honor their roles in both cinematic and town history, the Town of Florence will commemorate the issuance of the postage stamps with a special postmark, available with the stamps on Saturday afternoon at the Pinal County Historical Museum, 715 S. Main St.
Florence Postmaster Dane Purdy will offer the stamps for sale at the museum from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. on Saturday. The museum will host displays honoring Autry and Mix as well as a brief 1 p.m. ceremony to celebrate the two actors’ ties to the community and the stamps' issuance.
To preview Saturday’s event, Purdy, Florence Mayor Vicki Kilvinger and Vice Mayor Tom Smith will unveil the new stamps on stage Friday night between acts at the Country Thunder concert in Florence. A temporary Post Office will be also available to Country Thunder attendees, where they can also purchase the new stamps on Saturday.
Singing cowboy Gene Autry was a frequent participant in Florence’s rodeos in the 1940s and 50s. A memorial to silent film star Mix is located about 17 miles south of town at the site of the auto accident that claimed his life on Oct. 12, 1940.
The other two cowboys featured on the new stamps are Roy Rogers and William S. Hart. The stamps will also be available starting Saturday at Post Offices nationwide or online at www.usps.com.
The April 17 “Florence Heritage Foundation Station” special postmark depicting a lassoing cowboy on horseback will be available for 30 days via mail. Requests should include a stamped, addressed envelope inside a larger envelope mailed to Cowboy Postmark, Postmaster, 501 N. Main St., Florence AZ 85132-9998, before May 17, 2010.
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