Chicago, Illinois: Grave of Mr. Speedy Mail
George S. Bangs came up with the idea of "Fast Mail" trains. His artistic tombstone is shaped like a tall, dead tree, and at its base a railway mail car enters a tunnel.
Rosehill Cemetery
- Address:
- N. Ravenswood Ave., Chicago, IL
- Directions:
- Rosehill Cemetery. Enter cemetery at the corner of N. Ravenswood Ave. and W. Rosehill Drive. Once inside the gate, immediately turn right. You'll see a parking lot on the right, then pass some graves on the left. Turn left at the next road, and drive until it dead ends. The tall tree trunk grave will be straight ahead at that T intersection.
- Hours:
- Gates open M-Sa 8-5, Su 9-4 (Call to verify) Local health policies may affect hours and access.
- Phone:
- 773-561-5940
- Admission:
- Free
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George S. Bangs was the U.S. Mail railway superintendent during the Grant presidency. Mail delivery was shortened from several weeks to several days under his direction. Upon his death, former rail clerks paid for his memorial. The tombstone is shaped like a dead tree complete with birds and other animals carved onto it. At the base of the tree a railway mail car appears to be entering a tunnel.
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Bangs was only 51 when he died, and the tree trunk was a Victorian graveyard symbol of a life cut short. Epitaph: "His crowning effort: The Fast Mail."