George B. Armstrong
Posted by: 
BruceS
N 41° 59.205 W 087° 40.565
16T E 443996 N 4648526
George Armstrong is credited with founding the of the concept of en route mail sorting aboard trains which became the Railway Mail Service. Grave is located in Rosehill Cemetery on the Chicago northside.
Waymark Code: WMHXT
Location: Illinois, United States
Date Posted: 07/22/2006
Views: 84
Mail had been carried on a limited basis before but Armstrong's concept was
to sort it while enroute so it could be delivered quickly on arrival. The first
railway post office (RPO) began operating on the Chicago and North Western
Railway between Chicago and Clinton, Iowa, on August 28, 1864. The concept was
quickly seen as successful, and was expanded to other railroads operating out of
Chicago, including the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy, Chicago and Rock Island,
Pennsylvania and the Erie. By 1869 postal rail service had expanded to all major
railroads in the United States and Armstrong had become general superintendent
of the postal railway service. He served only two years in that position
resigning due to poor health. He died two days after his resignation May 5,
1871.