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Illinois Rural Letter Carriers
History
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The State of Illinois
Celebrated its 100th Birthday in 2003! Happy Birthday ILRLCA!
On February 21, 1903, the rural carriers of Illinois
met at Belvidere.
The following are accounts of these very first organizational meetings that
appeared in the R.F.D. News. The R.F.D. Carriers' Association (as it was first
named) met on February 21, 1903, at Belvidere,
at the local post office. The R. F. D. News was made the official organ of the
Association. Mr. E. E. Dyer of Aurora
was made delegate to a national convention, if one should be called, and county
organization was discussed.
The following officers were
elected: President, M. G. Harnish, Freeport, Vice President, J.S. Dresser, DeKalb, Secretary, L. D. Sheldon, Marengo and Treasurer, C.
A. Pratt, Huntley. The next convention was scheduled for May 9, 1903, at Aurora. At this meeting,
E. E. Dyer was selected to be the state organizer for the county associations
and the postmasters of all R. F. D. offices were made honorary members of the
Association. In a letter written to the R. F.D. News, Mr. Dyer reported that Macon County
would organize on June 4, 1903 with Mr. S. L. Croy of
Decatur as the
county organizer. One other important item was taken care of at the Aurora meeting. The
Association incorporated into its By-Laws a Horse Benefit Insurance. The
members were assessed twenty-seven cents each to pay for any horse that a
carrier might lose. Of the twenty-seven cents assessed, two cents was reserved
for expenses and twenty-five cents was passed into the fund. Benefits were
received in this manner: A sworn statement was made by the carrier losing the
horse that had to be approved and certified by the postmaster. Three patrons on
the route (appointed by the postmaster) appraised the value of the horse and
stated that they had seen the horse one-month previous to its death. These
statements had to be approved by the state officials, after which an order was
drawn on the state treasury for the amount due.
A special meeting was called on
July 11, 1903, at Decatur.
President Harnish of Freeport presided. County organization was
the main topic of the meeting. E. E. Dyer of Aurora, state organizer, reported
that the work of organizing the counties had started some time ago. Delegates
at this meeting represented several counties and three new counties were
organized. Every organized county in the state, except one, was represented at
the Decatur
meeting. There was discussion regarding the benefit clause in the constitution.
S. L. Croy was elected by ballot as sergeant-at-arms.
A short article printed in the R.
F. D. News, to all Illinois carriers, states,
"The state organizer, E. E. Dyer, of Aurora,
Il., requests that every county not already organized
send to him for the necessary blanks and instructions. The Illinois
state meeting will be at Ottawa,
November 14, 1903, and every carrier county in the state can be organized and represented if the boys will get one-half as busy as Mr.
Dyer."
CONGRATULATIONS TO MACON COUNTY WHERE THE ILLINOIS ASSOCIATION BEGAN 100 YEARS AGO!
WHERE RURAL DELIVERY BEGAN - AUBURN, ILLINOIS - SANGAMON COUNTY
Source: Michael B. Lewis, Auburn, Great-Grandson of
Samuel L. Lewis
On December 10, 1896, the town of
Auburn, in Sangamon County,
Illinois, had the distinction of being the
place where rural free delivery began in Illinois.
At this time, it was looked upon as experimental. The "scheme", as
some called it, had been brought to the attention of Congress by a few
enthusiasts an appropriation of 40,000 was made to establish the trial routes.
Forty-four routes were mapped out in territory widely different in physical
features, in occupation and density of population. The routes were located in
twenty-nine different states.
The Illinois Rural Letter
Carriers' Association has published a new history book entitled "A Century
of Progress 1903 - 2003" for you history buffs. It contains historical
information of the Illinois Rural Letter Carriers' Association, Auxiliary and
Junior Organizations. Copies can be obtained as follows:
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