The World’s Smallest Post Office?

John Hmurovic
October 2019

There was a time when the world’s smallest post office was in Whiting-Robertsdale. Or, was it?

Robert Ripley was gaining fame as a cartoonist and writer in 1925, when he declared in one of his cartoons that the smallest post office in the world was in Roby, Indiana. Ripley went on to become a nationally syndicated newspaper cartoonist, the pr… — Robert Ripley was gaining fame as a cartoonist and writer in 1925, when he declared in one of his cartoons that the smallest post office in the world was in Roby, Indiana. Ripley went on to become a nationally syndicated newspaper cartoonist, the producer of a popular radio show, and was establishing himself on television before he died in 1949, at the age of 59. His name lives on, however, with Ripley museums and other attractions, still featuring stories of unusual people, places, and facts. This image of him appeared m the *Boston Globe* in 1925.

The facts are a little vague. But the story begins in 1925. That’s the year that Robert Ripley, a cartoonist who created the popular “Ripley’s Believe it or Not” newspaper feature, published a cartoon which claimed that Roby, Indiana, was home to the smallest post office in the world.

These days, most people in Whiting-Robertsdale who are under a certain age probably have no idea where Roby is. For the record, Roby is what we called the area where the local Wal-Mart is now located. At one time, Roby was its own community, just as Robertsdale was. But in 1897, the city of Hammond wanted to claim a piece of Lake Michigan shoreline, so it gobbled up both Roby and Robertsdale in an annexation move. Today, the street that leads to the back entrances of IHOP, Popeye’s, and the newly opened Starbucks, is called Roby Drive. That is one of the only places you will still see the name Roby. But at one time, long after it became a part of Hammond, Roby had its own post office, keeping the name “Roby” alive with a sign that was clearly visible on Indianapolis Boulevard.

The front gate to the Amaizo plant, located on Indianapolis Boulevard, is just to the right of Roby post office in this photo. To the left of the building, in the background, you might be able to see a little of the channel on Wolf Lake. This was ho… — The front gate to the Amaizo plant, located on Indianapolis Boulevard, is just to the right of Roby post office in this photo. To the left of the building, in the background, you might be able to see a little of the channel on Wolf Lake. This was how the post office appeared in 1937. A 1952 addition made the building slightly larger. Photo courtesy of the Calumet Regional Archives, Indiana University Northwest.

It was visible, though, only if you paid attention as you passed by, because the post office on which the sign hung was small. It was so small, that there were days when Roby Postmaster John Harding had to store sacks of mail outside, because there was no room inside the building.

The post office was next to the front gate of the American Maize, or Amaizo, plant, known today as Cargill. Amaizo and the Roby post office had a close relationship. Amaizo owned the land on which the post office stood, and it constructed the building. During the busy holiday mailing season, when the post office was not large enough to handle the volume of mail, Harding would sometimes use one of the company’s buildings to do his work. Or, the company would back up one of its trucks to the front door of the post office so Harding could process some of the mail in the back of the truck.

This 1964 photo from the Hammond Times, shows postal clerk Virginia Harding at the window of the Roby post office. The tiny lobby of the post office could handle no more than two or three people at a time. — This 1964 photo from the *Hammond Times*, shows postal clerk Virginia Harding at the window of the Roby post office. The tiny lobby of the post office could handle no more than two or three people at a time.

Harding became postmaster at Roby in 1950, and his wife, Virginia Harding, worked there as a postal clerk. The husband and wife team were the only employees at the Roby post office. When John died in 1965, it became a one-person operation with Virginia in charge.

Before the Hardings, Raymond Austgen was the postmaster. Besides being postmaster, Austgen’s other claim to fame was as a bowler. He was a member of the Pro Bowlers Tour, and in 1937 achieved the goal of every bowler, by rolling a perfect 300 game. Austgen took over as postmaster in 1925, the year Ripley’s cartoon declared the Roby post office to be the smallest in the world. That might have been true at the time. In 1925, the post office was a 4x4-foot building. Austgen said a customer could open the door, but there was no room for that customer to come inside.

While other post offices claimed to be the smallest, Ripley would occasionally add to the debate. In this 1939 cartoon, which appeared in newspapers across America, he declared that the smallest post office in the United States was in Wheeler Spring… — While other post offices claimed to be the smallest, Ripley would occasionally add to the debate. In this 1939 cartoon, which appeared in newspapers across America, he declared that the smallest post office in the United States was in Wheeler Springs, California. This image is from the *Palladium-Item* of Richmond, Indiana.

Those were different days. Mail, for instance, arrived daily on the Pennsylvania railroad. The train stopped about a quarter mile from the post office, where a messenger boy would load it onto a wheelbarrow, and then walk it to the post office. At times the boy would get stuck by a freight train that stalled on the tracks. Austgen said the boy would push the wheelbarrow under a box car, climb over the couplings between two cars, and pull the wheelbarrow through when he got to the other side.

By 1926, other post offices were staking claim to the “smallest” title. Randle Cliffs, Maryland, said they had the smallest, and Harry New, the Postmaster General of the United States looked at a photo of their wooden shack structure and agreed.

The post office claiming to be the smallest in the United States today, is in Ochopee, Florida. It is 8x7.5-feet in size, which is larger than the Roby post office was in its earlier days. The post office in Ochopee is a tourist attraction, and its … — The post office claiming to be the smallest in the United States today, is in Ochopee, Florida. It is 8x7.5-feet in size, which is larger than the Roby post office was in its earlier days. The post office in Ochopee is a tourist attraction, and its postmark celebrates its status as the nation’s smallest post office. Photo by John Hmurovic.

If the people of Roby were miffed by that development, they couldn’t blame it on New having a bias toward a post office close to his workplace in Washington, D.C., because New was a Hoosier. Plus, in 1930, just a couple of years later, they had someone else to be miffed at. Robert Ripley, the man who had declared Roby’s post office to be the smallest in the world, issued a new cartoon which said the “smallest post office in the world” was now located near Tierra del Fuego, the southern tip of South America. That post office was actually a floating keg. “Each passing ship collects and posts letters by it,” the cartoon said. At about the same time, Passaconaway, New Hampshire, was now claiming to be the smallest post office on land. It was four-feet-nine- inches by three feet-eight inches.

While other post offices made claims of being the smallest, Roby moved on. In 1937, a new facility was built. This one was just a short distance from the old one and was a whopping 12x12-feet. Its lobby was five feet square, and it served as physical proof of the adage that “two is company, but three is a crowd.” It was rare, however, when it had that more than two visitors at one time. Most people in Roby did have to go to the post office to pick up their mail, because there was no home delivery service, but in the 1960s there were only 300 residents in the post office’s service area. The Amaizo plant was the only large customer.

James Farley, the Postmaster General of the United States came to the Roby Post Office in 1937 and 1938. Here, Farley (second from left), greets Ray Austgen, the Roby postmaster (on the left). Raymond E. Daly, an executive of the Amaizo plant in Rob… — James Farley, the Postmaster General of the United States came to the Roby Post Office in 1937 and 1938. Here, Farley (second from left), greets Ray Austgen, the Roby postmaster (on the left). Raymond E. Daly, an executive of the Amaizo plant in Roby, and a friend of Farley’s, is on the right. Photo courtesy of the Calumet Regional Archives, Indiana University Northwest.

One visitor to the post office, however, was a very well-known figure of the time. U.S. Postmaster General James Farley visited Roby twice: in 1937, and 1938. Besides serving as Postmaster General, which was a Cabinet level office at the time, Farley was the national chair of the Democratic Party, and was a powerful figure in President Franklin Roosevelt’s administration.

His 1938 visit was a whirlwind tour of Northwest Indiana. Farley stopped at the post offices in Gary, Hammond, and East Chicago, before arriving at the Whiting post office, where he was greeted by Postmaster Patrick Sullivan. He moved on to Roby and met Postmaster Austgen. Then he went next door to the Raymond Daly Hall on the grounds of the Amaizo plant, where he attended a dinner with three hundred on hand. The Amaizo company band serenaded him and he shook hands with every member. His entire visit, from Gary through Roby, took just over an hour.

The Whiting City Almanac of 1909 said that Roby had its first post office in 1880. Even though the community lost its independence when Hammond annexed it in 1897, the post office remained independent. It was not a sub-station of Hammond or Whiting. But it lost that independence in 1965, when it became a sub-station of Hammond’s post office. By 1971, the population of Roby, which was never large, dwindled to the point where the post office wasn’t needed.

This 1965 photo from the Hammond Times shows how the Roby post office looked in the years before it closed. This is its western side, the side that drivers on Indianapolis Boulevard would see as they were coming into Whiting-Robertsdale. — This 1965 photo from the *Hammond Times* shows how the Roby post office looked in the years before it closed. This is its western side, the side that drivers on Indianapolis Boulevard would see as they were coming into Whiting-Robertsdale.

In the late 19th century, Roby was known for its racetrack and boxing arena, which drew national attention as a major center for gambling. In the 20th century Roby was known for its restaurants, such as Phil Smidt’s and Vogel’s, which provided a dining experience that drew steady crowds from Chicago and beyond. All of that moved away, and all that was left of Roby’s identity was “the smallest post office in the world,” until July 18, 1971, when it shut down for good. And when it did, the name “Roby” began to gradually fade away from our community’s memory.