A a post office was first established in Chicago on March 8, 1831, with Johnathan N. Baily, a fur trader, being appointed Chicago's first postmaster.[1][2]
Chicago was long the hub of the Railway Mail Service of the United States. Chicago saw particularly large volumes of mail in the peak era of mail-order business by Chicago-based retailers Montgomery Ward and Sears.[1]
Postmasters appointed before 1971
Until the establishment of the United States Postal Service in 1971, the president of the United States appointed local postmasters.
In the 19th century, many appointees of postal positions in the United States were patronage positions, with newspaper editors with close ties to the president's party often receiving postmastership positions.[1]
| Name | Tenure | President appointed by | Notes | Citation(s) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Johnathan N. Baily | March 8, 1831–Nov. 2, 1832 | Andrew Jackson (Democrat) | First postmaster | [2] | |
| John S.C. Hogan | Nov. 2, 1832–1837 | [2] | |||
| Sidney Abell | 1837–1841 | Martin Van Buren (Democrat) | [3] | ||
| William Stuart | 1841–1845 | [3] | |||
| Hart L. Stuart | 1845–1849 | James K. Polk (Democrat) | [3] | ||
| Richard L. Wilson | 1849–1850 | Zachary Taylor (Whig) | [3] | ||
| George W. Dole | 1850–1853 | Millard Filmore (Whig) | [3] | ||
| Isaac Cook | 1853–1857 | Franklin Pierce (Democrat) | [3] | ||
| William Price | 1857–1858 | James Buchanan (Democratic) | [3] | ||
| Isaac Cook | 1858–1861 | [3] | |||
 | John Locke Scripps | March 26, 1861–1865 | Abraham Lincoln (Republican) | Left office on March 9, 1865 | [3] |
| Samuel Hoard | 1865–1866 | Abraham Lincoln (Republican) | [3] | ||
| Robert A. Gilmore | 1866–1867 | Andrew Johnson (Democrat) | [3] | ||
 | Francis Trowbridge Sherman | 1867–1869 | [3] | ||
| Francis A. Eastman | 1869–1873 | Ulysses S. Grant (Republican) | [3] | ||
 | John McArthur | 1873–1877 | [3] | ||
 | Francis Wayland Palmer | 1877–1885 | Rutherford B. Hayes (Republican) | [3] | |
.jpg.webp) | S. Corning Judd | 1885–1888 | Grover Cleveland (Democrat) | [3] | |
.jpg.webp) | Walter C. Newberry | 1888–1889 | [3] | ||
 | James A. Sexton | 1889–1893 | Benjamin Harrison (Republican) | [3] | |
.jpg.webp) | Washington Hesing | 1893–1897 | Grover Cleveland (Democrat) | [3] | |
 | Charles Ulysses Gordon | 1897–1901 | William McKinley (Republican) | [3] | |
 | Frederick E. Coyne | 1901–1905 | [3] | ||
.jpg.webp) | Fred A. Busse | 1905–1907 | Theodore Roosevelt (Republican) | [3] | |
_(a).jpg.webp) | Daniel A. Campbell | 1907–1917 | [3] | ||
| William B. Carlile | 1917–1921 | Woodrow Wilson (Democrat) | [3] | ||
.jpg.webp) | Arthur C. Lueder | 1921–1923 and 1923–1933 | Warren G. Harding (Republican) | Resigned in 1923 to unsuccessfully run for mayor of Chicago in that year's election as a Republican. Reappointed postmaster after losing the election. | [3] |
| Ernest J. Kruetgen | 1933–1934 and 1934–1948 | Franklin D. Roosevelt (Democrat) | [3] | ||
| John Haderlein | 1948–1949 and 1949–1952 | Harry S. Truman (Democrat) | [3] | ||
| Vincent F. Werner | 1952–1953 | [3] | |||
| Carl A. Shroeder | 1953–1954 and 1954–1961 | Dwight D. Eisenhower (Republican) | [3] | ||
| Ralph G. Donegan (unofficial acting postmaster) | 1961 | — | [3][4] | ||
| Harry H. Semrow | November 2, 1861–1966 (acting postmaster Nov 2, 1961–Oct. 5, 1962) | John F. Kennedy (Democrat) | [3][5][6] | ||
| William Bochelli | 1966 | Lyndon B. Johnson (Democrat) | [3] | ||
| Henry W. McGee Jr. | 1966 and 1966–1972 | First African American to hold the position | [1][3] | ||
Postmasters appointed after 1971
| Name | Tenure | Notes and references | Citation(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Emmett E. Cooper Jr. | June 1, 1973–April 28, 1977 | Left post after being assigned regional postmaster general for the Eastern Region | [7][8][9] |
| Frank C. Goldie | August 1977–1987 | [9][10] | |
| Janet Norfleet | April 1987–December 1990 | First female postmaster of Chicago | [11] |
| Gloria Tyson | 2006–March 3, 2011 | [12] | |
| Nancy Rettinhouse (acting postmaster) | 2011– | [12] | |
| Wanda Prater | 2018–June 12, 2021 | Initially acting postmaster before becoming the permanent postmaster | [13][14] |
| Eddie Morgan (acting postmaster) | June 2021–January 2022 | [15][16] | |
Officers in charge
The following individuals served as "officer in charge of the Chicago Post Office" during periods in which there was a vacancy in the position of postmaster of Chicago:
| Name | Tenure | Notes and references | Citation(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| William G. Booras | 1972–1973 | [17][7] | |
| Charles K. Kernan | 1972–1973 | [9] | |
See also
References
- 1 2 3 4 John, Richard R. (2005). "Mail Delivery". www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org. Chicago Historical Society. Retrieved 12 March 2023.
- 1 2 3 Currey, J. Seymour (March 27, 2003). "Chicago's First Post Office". chicagology.com (originally published in Fort Dearborn Magazine in December 1922). Retrieved 12 March 2023.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 "The Political Graveyard: Mayors and Postmasters of Chicago, Illinois". Political Graveyard. Retrieved 13 March 2023.
- ↑ "3 Postal Jobs in Region Go to Democrat". Chicago Tribune. July 20, 1961. Retrieved 13 March 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Take Oath". Suburbanite Economist. November 1, 1961. Retrieved 13 March 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Senate OK's Sermon for Postmaster". Newspapers.com. Chicago Tribune. October 6, 1962. Retrieved 13 March 2023.
- 1 2 "New Chicago postmaster assumes duties". Chicago Tribune. June 2, 1973. Retrieved 13 March 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Postal pioneers". link.usps.com. United States Postal Service News. January 30, 2018. Retrieved 13 March 2023.
- 1 2 3 "Select New Postmaster". The Daily Calumet. July 25, 1977. Retrieved 13 March 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ Martin, Alison (19 May 2022). "This week in history: Chicago's Latino community stages sit-in over mail issues". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved 13 March 2023.
- ↑ Thornton, Jerry (March 24, 1987). "Happiness is mail lover in top job". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 13 March 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- 1 2 "Chicago Postmaster Gloria Tyson Announces Retirement". about.usps.com. United States Postal Service. February 24, 2011. Retrieved 13 March 2023.
- ↑ Yin, Alice (June 16, 2021). "Chicago USPS postmaster replaced following mounting calls for her resignation over mail delays". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 13 March 2023.
- ↑ "Chicago Post Office delivers important message about dog bites". about.usps.com. United States Postal Service. April 6, 2018. Retrieved 13 March 2023.
- ↑ Anthony, Katie (15 January 2022). "More turnover in Chicago USPS as postmaster leaves job after just 7 months". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved 13 March 2023.
- ↑ "Acting Chicago Postmaster Eddie Morgan Jr. Out After Only 7 Months". Postal Times. 17 January 2022. Retrieved 13 March 2023.
- ↑ "Need Some Cuff Links? Try Local Post Office". Chicago Tribune. June 15, 1972. Retrieved 13 March 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
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