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Lincoln Celebrates 250 Years of
the U.S. Postal Service
[July 30, 2025]
On Friday, July 25, a small
crowd gathered outside Lincoln’s grand post office to commemorate
the 250th anniversary of the United States Postal Service. Despite
the thick summer humidity, the community turned out to celebrate the
institution’s long-standing role in American life.
The event began with the Pledge of Allegiance, led by the Logan
County Fair Queens, followed by the raising of the flag by local
scouts. Marin Crombie, an incoming freshman at Lincoln Community High
School, delivered a performance of the national anthem that was well
received by the community.
Postmaster Krista Hayes, the first woman to hold the title in
Lincoln, offered a brief but heartfelt speech. “Today we stand
together to celebrate 250 years of the United States Postal
Service,” she said. “We were established July 26, 1775. The Postal
Service was essential to winning American independency and creating
a nation.”
Hayes also shared that to
commemorate the milestone, the Postal Service is releasing a new
stamp featuring Benjamin Franklin, the first Postmaster General. She
went on to thank the many postal workers—both retired and active—for
their dedication, calling them “on the front line of everything”
through rain, sleet, and snow.
Following the ceremony, Hayes spoke about her journey to becoming
postmaster. She began with the USPS five and a half years ago as a
Saturday mail carrier, gradually working her way up through
curiosity and commitment. “I started as a carrier… then I got into
being an officer-in-charge, and I just really, really honestly love
my job,” she said. “I love the Postal Service.”
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Hayes currently oversees six area
offices: Lincoln, Beason, Lake Fork, Mount Pulaski, Hartsburg, and
Emden. She emphasized her passion for both her employees and the
customers. “I love people. I’m a people person,” she said. “As a
postmaster, they encourage you to get active with the community… We
need to find things that we can do locally as a post office to show
that we're there.”
She also noted the value of working for the Postal Service as a
young person like myself. “Especially for a girl your age, if you
get in now, your retirement could be amazing,” Hayes said,
mentioning health benefits, a solid hourly wage, and the opportunity
to contribute to a TSP retirement account even as a part-time
employee.
As the ceremony wrapped up, Hayes expressed hope that events like
this one would help her build more community connections. “I’m still
so new here, and a lot of people don’t know who the postmaster is,”
she said. “I’ve met the mayor and I’ve helped people get their mail
and packages delivered—those things matter. I just want to keep
meeting more people and being part of this town.”
[Sophia Larimore]
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