Honoring History: Lemont Creates Honorary Street Sign for Village's First Mailman

The Village of Lemont is proud to announce the creation of an honorary street sign to commemorate Arnold Malkosky, one of Lemont's first mail carriers who helped bring door-to-door postal delivery to our community nearly a century ago.

A Daughter's Heartfelt Request

The initiative began with a touching request from 86-year-old Marge Malkosky, whose father Arnold was one of the pioneering mail carriers when Lemont launched its first residential delivery service on February 1, 1931. He served alongside fellow carrier Philip A. Seiler, and together they made history in our village.

Stephen Street, in front of the post office, will now be marked with an honorary street sign bearing his name – a fitting tribute to his role in village history.

"He was a great father – warm and caring," Marge shared with obvious affection. "He was known as Colonel Arnold Malkosky, a fighter pilot, and when he finished serving our country, he came home to work for the newly instituted United States Postal Service."

When Mail Delivery Was Revolutionary

Today, we barely think about the catalogs, coupon books, credit card statements, and village postcards that arrive daily in our mailboxes. We use Informed Delivery to preview our mail digitally, and instead of writing letters, we opt for texts, FaceTime calls, or social media messages. Our communication is seamless and instantaneous.

But in 1931, mail service was the lifeline connecting communities to the wider world. If you lived in a smaller community like Lemont, establishing mail delivery was a monumental challenge requiring a complete infrastructure makeover – from creating street names to assigning house numbers.

Mail was absolutely crucial to daily life in 1930. The postal service handled approximately 27 billion pieces of mail annually – an enormous volume for that era. Without telephone service widely available or affordable for most families, and with no internet or instant communication, the mail carrier was often the most important daily visitor to any household.

Making the Impossible Possible

According to historical records, Mayor Roy E. McCarthy had promised in his December 30, 1929 inaugural address that the village would "soon procure the benefit of the mail delivery to which we are so fully entitled."

However, the process required extraordinary community cooperation. The village needed to install street signs, establish a house numbering system, and meet various postal requirements. Even after Chicago authorities gave official approval, many residents remained skeptical, having been "so often fooled by previous efforts" that they initially refused to install mailboxes and house numbers.

"The town was ten times smaller then," Marge recalls fondly. "My father would get up early in the morning, load up the mail in his sack, and walk all around Lemont delivering mail to everyone's door."

Before February 1, 1931, every Lemont resident had to make the trek to the post office – often on foot – to collect their mail.

A Village Transformed

When Arnold Malkosky began his routes on February 1, 1931, Lemont was joining thousands of other small American communities making this same transition during the 1920s and early 1930s.

In the late 1800s, Lemont was founded as a town of immigrants, with many residents crossing the Atlantic to find opportunity in America. By the 1930s, the community had weathered World War I, and the need for faster information and communication sparked demand for more efficient mail service.

"We saw the beginning of the baby boom," explains a local historian. "With soldiers returning from war and opportunity finally on the horizon, towns were investing in modern amenities like paved streets, sewers, and proper addressing systems. The Postal Service was actively working to extend delivery to more communities."

Captured in Time

Thanks to historical documentation from Lemont's 150th anniversary celebration and the Lemont Area Historical Society and Museum, we have a remarkable photograph from that historic first day of mail delivery. The image shows Arnold Malkosky and fellow carrier Phil Seiler, identifiable by the leather mailbags slung over their shoulders, as they embarked on their inaugural routes.

This photograph, published in The Optimist-News at the time, captured what the newspaper called "an important stage in the progress of our village development."

A Life Well-Lived

Arnold's contribution to Lemont extended far beyond his postal duties. "He truly loved Lemont," Marge remembers. "He married my mother, Edna Machol, on September 15, 1931. He was a Mason at the Lockport Lodge and belonged to the men's club downtown. He was a real family man – he had lots of nieces and nephews, and grandsons."

Marge fondly recalls the lighter moments of her father's life: "He used to frequent an underground bowling alley run by the Lundeen Brothers on Stephen Street, and he'd bring me along. I still love to bowl, and they hosted leagues there.

"One time when he was walking around the village, he spotted a pig running loose on State Street! He brought it home, and that thing lived in our backyard for a few weeks. I'm not sure what ever happened to it!" Marge recalled, her laughter filling the room.

Preserving Our Legacy of Progress

The honorary street sign for Arnold Malkosky represents more than recognition for one family – it's part of Lemont's commitment to preserving and celebrating the individuals who helped shape our community. Arnold lived in Lemont for more than 40 years. Arnold's service as a mail carrier connected neighbors, supported local businesses, and brought the convenience of modern postal service to every doorstep in the village.

As we install this honorary street sign on Stephen Street, we're reminded that progress often comes through the dedicated service of individuals like Arnold Malkosky. His daily walks through Lemont neighborhoods nearly a century ago helped transform our village from what The Optimist-News called a "provincial community" into the thriving municipality we know today.

When asked what makes her most proud, Marge reflected, "It's been amazing to see the changes in Lemont over my lifetime. I went to the community school and then Lemont High School. A lot is different, but so much stays the same. I hope that someday I can see his old mailbag again or find a picture of it."

The Village of Lemont is honored to recognize Arnold Malkosky's contribution to our community's history and grateful to Marge Malkosky for sharing her father's story with us. This honorary street sign will serve as a lasting reminder of the people who helped deliver progress, one mailbox at a time.