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. BailyMarch 8, 1831–Nov. 2, 1832Andrew Jackson
(Democrat)
First postmaster[2]
John S.C. HoganNov. 2, 1832–1837[2]
Sidney Abell1837–1841Martin Van Buren
(Democrat)
[3]
William Stuart1841–1845[3]
Hart L. Stuart1845–1849James K. Polk
(Democrat)
[3]
Richard L. Wilson1849–1850Zachary Taylor
(Whig)
[3]
George W. Dole1850–1853Millard Filmore
(Whig)
[3]
Isaac Cook1853–1857Franklin Pierce
(Democrat)
[3]
William Price1857–1858James Buchanan
(Democratic)
[3]
Isaac Cook1858–1861[3]
John Locke ScrippsMarch 26, 1861–1865Abraham Lincoln
(Republican)
Left office on March 9, 1865[3]
Samuel Hoard1865–1866Abraham Lincoln
(Republican)
[3]
Robert A. Gilmore1866–1867Andrew Johnson
(Democrat)
[3]
Francis Trowbridge Sherman1867–1869[3]
Francis A. Eastman1869–1873Ulysses S. Grant
(Republican)
[3]
John McArthur1873–1877[3]
Francis Wayland Palmer1877–1885Rutherford B. Hayes
(Republican)
[3]
S. Corning Judd1885–1888Grover Cleveland
(Democrat)
[3]
Walter C. Newberry1888–1889[3]
James A. Sexton1889–1893Benjamin Harrison
(Republican)
[3]
Washington Hesing1893–1897Grover Cleveland
(Democrat)
[3]
Charles Ulysses Gordon1897–1901William McKinley
(Republican)
[3]
Frederick E. Coyne1901–1905[3]
Fred A. Busse1905–1907Theodore Roosevelt
(Republican)
[3]
Daniel A. Campbell1907–1917[3]
William B. Carlile1917–1921Woodrow Wilson
(Democrat)
[3]
Arthur C. Lueder1921–1923
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. Kruetgen1933–1934
and
1934–1948
Franklin D. Roosevelt
(Democrat)
[3]
John Haderlein1948–1949
and
1949–1952
Harry S. Truman
(Democrat)
[3]
Vincent F. Werner1952–1953[3]
Carl A. Shroeder1953–1954
and
1954–1961
Dwight D. Eisenhower
(Republican)
[3]
Ralph G. Donegan
(unofficial acting postmaster)
1961[3][4]
Harry H. SemrowNovember 2, 1861–1966 (acting postmaster Nov 2, 1961–Oct. 5, 1962)John F. Kennedy
(Democrat)
[3][5][6]
William Bochelli1966Lyndon 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, 1977Left post after being assigned regional postmaster general for the Eastern Region[7][8][9]
Frank C. GoldieAugust 1977–1987[9][10]
Janet NorfleetApril 1987–December 1990First female postmaster of Chicago[11]
Gloria Tyson2006–March 3, 2011[12]
Nancy Rettinhouse (acting postmaster)2011–[12]
Wanda Prater2018–June 12, 2021Initially 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. Booras1972–1973[17][7]
Charles K. Kernan1972–1973[9]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 John, Richard R. (2005). "Mail Delivery". www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org. Chicago Historical Society. Retrieved 12 March 2023.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. "3 Postal Jobs in Region Go to Democrat". Chicago Tribune. July 20, 1961. Retrieved 13 March 2023 via Newspapers.com.
  5. "Take Oath". Suburbanite Economist. November 1, 1961. Retrieved 13 March 2023 via Newspapers.com.
  6. "Senate OK's Sermon for Postmaster". Newspapers.com. Chicago Tribune. October 6, 1962. Retrieved 13 March 2023.
  7. 1 2 "New Chicago postmaster assumes duties". Chicago Tribune. June 2, 1973. Retrieved 13 March 2023 via Newspapers.com.
  8. "Postal pioneers". link.usps.com. United States Postal Service News. January 30, 2018. Retrieved 13 March 2023.
  9. 1 2 3 "Select New Postmaster". The Daily Calumet. July 25, 1977. Retrieved 13 March 2023 via Newspapers.com.
  10. 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.
  11. Thornton, Jerry (March 24, 1987). "Happiness is mail lover in top job". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 13 March 2023 via Newspapers.com.
  12. 1 2 "Chicago Postmaster Gloria Tyson Announces Retirement". about.usps.com. United States Postal Service. February 24, 2011. Retrieved 13 March 2023.
  13. Yin, Alice (June 16, 2021). "Chicago USPS postmaster replaced following mounting calls for her resignation over mail delays". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 13 March 2023.
  14. "Chicago Post Office delivers important message about dog bites". about.usps.com. United States Postal Service. April 6, 2018. Retrieved 13 March 2023.
  15. 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.
  16. "Acting Chicago Postmaster Eddie Morgan Jr. Out After Only 7 Months". Postal Times. 17 January 2022. Retrieved 13 March 2023.
  17. "Need Some Cuff Links? Try Local Post Office". Chicago Tribune. June 15, 1972. Retrieved 13 March 2023 via Newspapers.com.
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