12/01/2025
This time of year, we generally see a surge in mail due to the holidays. As reported by USPS in 2022, they processed 11.7 billion pieces of mail and packages during the holiday season. Most people enjoy the convenience of mail delivered to their dwelling. This has not always been the case; delivery in city locations began in 1863 and in rural locations in 1896. This data brings me to my question. Have you ever been to the Huntley Post Office located at 11013 N Woodstock St? This post office was dedicated & opened for public use on 3/16/1957. It was due to Mr. Wayne Donahue, a former postmaster, who made the request while still in his former role that brought this to fruition. Let’s start from the beginning and step deeper into history of the postal service & Postmasters and how they relate to Huntley’s local history.
The first Postmaster General (Benjamin Franklin) for this (soon-to-be) country was appointed by the Continental Congress in 1775. U.S. postage stamps were first issued in 1847. It was not until 1851 when the Huntley Post Office was established thanks to the new railroad line going through town. Huntley’s first postmaster was Stewart Cummings. This post office was classified as a fourth-class post office which was common for the village size and time period. The fourth-class post offices usually did not have a separate building but rather were located inside a shared space with a local business or private residence. One article (The Herald, 7/10/1902) related the disclosure that the newly appointed Huntley Postmaster E.H. Cook had moved the post office to his business location, the Cook Bros. Drug store. It had been at the store of Mr. T.R. Ferris, the superseded Postmaster.
A fourth-class post office had their postmaster appointed by the U.S. President without Senate approval which led to fourth-class postmasters being replaced each time there was a change in partisan control of the presidency. According to the Illinois State Register on 9/21/1854, Samuel B. Groat (Dem.) started his Postmaster term in 1854. The article stated that he superseded B. Bunn Junior (Whig). The Woodstock Sentinel declared the changing of the guard from F. R. Ferris (Rep.) to T. F. Feeny (Dem.) on 12/17/1885. In the Marengo Beacon on 08/18/1893, it was disclosed that John Donahue (Dem.) was appointed to replace Mr. T. R. Ferris (Rep.). Mr. Ferris would then return to the position in 1897. There are a few more Postmasters in Huntley’s history but this narrative highlights how politically driven this position was and continued to be until the 1908 and 1912; the respective terms of President Roosevelt and President Taft. They brought different parts of the postmasters into the civil service but together their individual efforts allowed for the entire group of postmasters to be a part of the civil service. Being a part of the civil service now allowed this job to be one based on merit and free of political affiliation.
While faithfully serving the Huntley community, the post office has seen many changes from various locations, staff requirements (ex. 1863 law required postmasters to be residents of the community they served), to even changes in its classification (elevated to 2nd class in 1940). Next time you need to send out mail or just need to buy stamps, we hope you will stop by and visit the Huntley Post Office and remember it’s intertwined with our local history.