100 years ago: Why did it take so long for O’Fallon to get postal carriers?
Looking back at stories that appeared in the O’Fallon Progress 100, 75, and 50 years ago:
100 years ago, May 28, 1925
Postmaster John Lawrence, Jr., announced Monday that he received notification from the First Assistant Postmaster General at Washington to the effect that O’Fallon will be provided with mail delivery carriers beginning August 1.
The carrier service was approved by the department, O’Fallon having met with the postal requirements by re-naming several streets and by numbering all the houses as provided by the postal department. Two carriers will be employed.
An application for the service was filed about a year ago, but apparently no action was taken until recently, when Congressman Dr. E. Irwin earnestly interested himself in the matter. It is believed that it was through his efforts that the mail delivery is forthcoming at this time, and our citizens feel grateful to the new congressman for his personal interest in this much-needed service for O’Fallon.
According to the postal regulations it will be necessary for 85 per cent of the prospective patrons to have mail receptacles provided at their residence not later than July 1, when an inspection and survey will be made. It is advisable that all get busy at once and purchase or provide mailboxes. These boxes can be purchased now at several local stores at a very small cost.
Business places will not be required to have receptacles if they are open at the time of deliveries, provided they have a convenient place near the entrance for their mail. No residence will receive mail that does not have a receptacle.
Every part of the city will be served with the exception of that portion lying west of the mill, near the L. & N. depot. The postal representative who made the inspection early last January stated that this part of the city could not be included as it was too scattered and the improvements did not come up to the Government regulations.
There will be two deliveries daily, one in the morning and one in the afternoon at regular times. The carriers will collect mail from collection boxes to be placed at six convenient street corners. It is advisable that citizens inform correspondents to start at once addressing their mail to the house number. This will be necessary because the carriers may not know where the addressee resides. It will also be a great help to the clerks in the office in sorting the mail to the carriers.
Applications for carrier appointments must be made in writing and mailed to Postmaster John Lawrence, Jr., by June 1, 1925. The age is from 18 to 45. Other information regarding salary and requirements can be secured by applying at the post office.
75 years ago, May 25, 1950
Pursuant to recent instructions issued by Postmaster General Jesse Donaldson for a curtailment of mail service, Postmaster John L. Anheuser announces that a new schedule of deliveries became effective in O’Fallon yesterday.
The curtailed delivery service went into effect after Anheuser attended a convention of the Illinois Chapter of the National Association of Postmasters at Danville where Postmaster General Donaldson addressed the session, stressing that less delivery be established as an economy move. The convention endorsed the proposal by resolutions.
Postmaster Anheuser announces that effective yesterday morning there will be one mail delivery in the residential sections, between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. In the business section one complete delivery is to be made with a second delivery in parts of State and First Streets in the afternoon. There is also a change in parcel post, where the customary one a day is to be made, the delivery to be in the afternoon instead of the mornings heretofore.
The present schedule for week day window service will continue in effect - 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., with the money order windows closing the same time. On Saturday, window service will be from 7:30 a.m. to noon, but the lobby will be open until 6 p.m. Sundays and holidays the lobby will be open all day, closing at 6 p.m.
The post office requests that patrons served on the city delivery routes not to call at the office windows for their mail.
50 years ago, May 29, 1975
Vandals destroyed bushes and flowers recently planted at the Spring Valley Dental Clinic on U.S. 50 sometime Wednesday night. No value has been placed on the loss. The plants were torn out of the ground and white paint was spilled over the large rocks in the beds.
The landscaping was completed Tuesday afternoon. Prior to the landscaping work beginning, there had been some discussion between workers for Gerardi Nursery, in charge of the work, and Laborers Local No. 670 of O’Fallon, on who was to do the work.
Ron Elliott, business agent for the local, said he talked to Louis Gerardi, the owner, about the situation prior to Wednesday’s incident.
“We asked him not to plant the shrubs. We told him someone from the hall should be hired to do the work,” Elliott said.
Elliott said he was unaware the vandalism had taken place.