Q&A: Four Generations of Postal Carriers Have Walked the Same Route in Montpelier 

Twenty-year-old Angus Montgomery started delivering mail to the City-5 route in Montpelier on September 2. He took over the route from his dad, Craig Montgomery, who inherited it from his father, Dave Montgomery. And Dave followed in the footsteps of his pop, Harold Montgomery. Four generations of postal carriers from the Montgomery family have walked the same route for decades in the Capital City.

City-5 includes the quaint Meadow neighborhood, which is north of downtown and hugs the Winooski River. It takes about 29,000 steps to walk the 10-mile route. This is a tight-knit community, and many residents became friends with Craig and his dad over the years. A few even remember his grandpa Harold. Craig grew up in this neighborhood, and his dad still lives there. Many of the dogs on this route love Craig, who stops to give pets and biscuits. He knows them all by name.

In her latest episode of "Stuck in Vermont," Seven Days senior multimedia producer Eva Sollberger followed Craig on his emotional last day of work on September 1. Residents left goodbye signs, cards and flowers out on their porches for him. There were many hugs, dog cuddles and tears. A few weeks after retiring from the U.S. Postal Service, Craig moved to North Carolina, where he will work in the bar industry with his brother. Over 31 years as a mailman and 16 years of walking this route, Craig saw children grow up and beloved pets come and go. He became a part of the hood, and now his son Angus has taken on the Montgomery mailman mantle.

Like his dad, Angus has more than a few tattoos and an easy smile. Sollberger followed Angus on a Tuesday afternoon as he delivered mail along the Vine and Summer street loops. He has already worked through the high-volume stress of the pandemic and the early July floods that stopped delivery service for two days and relocated the main post office. His route takes him past the winding Winooski River and some homes and offices that are still rebuilding after the water damage. Toward the end of his route, Angus delivered mail to his grandpa Dave's house. The two of them sat down to look at old family photos and compare notes about how the work has changed over the years. Through it all, the Montgomerys carry on and continue to deliver the mail on time.

Sollberger spoke with Seven Days about filming the episode.

How did you hear about this family?

Tom Greene, the owner of Hugo's restaurant in Montpelier, shared an eloquent post on Facebook about Craig's last day and how meaningful it was to have the same family deliver mail in his neighborhood for decades. Seven Days publisher Paula Routly shared his post with our editorial staff shortly before Craig's final day on the job. Greene was able to get me in touch with Craig, and I asked him if he'd like to be filmed. Craig didn't really want me to follow him around on his last day. He was leaving the state in a few weeks and knew it would be difficult to say goodbye to everyone. But time was ticking, so Craig let me tag along. I am so glad he did.

It was an emotional day.

There were many tears, and I got verklempt, as well. I felt very lucky to be there, although it was difficult to keep up at times! Craig moves fast. Many people on his route know him and his family; they have become important parts of each other's lives over the years. As an outsider, I felt very privileged to get a glimpse into this vibrant community. As sad and heartfelt as many of these goodbyes were, Craig had to keep moving, so we were always on to the next home within a few minutes.

It was also hard to see the flood damage that lingers downtown and along the route. Everyone has made great progress, but there is still a lot of work to be done. Craig and his family have experienced multiple floods and all sorts of inclement weather.

What was it like meeting Angus?

Angus joined his dad for the second half of his last day. Craig introduced him to people on his route, and many of them already knew Angus. Both father and son are so friendly and nice to be around; they are alike in many ways. When I followed Angus a few weeks later on his solo route, a resident said she mistook him for his dad. Their laughs are almost identical — and the dogs all love Angus, too.

It was great to meet Dave, too.

The apple does not fall far from the tree in the Montgomery family. Dave is charming and tells great stories. He used to answer the letters addressed to Santa, and he often dressed up as the jolly man, too. Angus delivers mail to his grandpa Dave every day. Such deep community roots are so rare these days.

Did this story pull at your heartstrings?

This is a very special family and unique story. I got shivers a few times, kind of like what Craig called his "postal Spidey-Sense." Linda Lyles was the first resident along his route whom I met, and she welcomed me to the hood. She moved here from Florida with her husband four and a half years ago. Linda and Craig became good friends, and you can often find her working on adult coloring books by her window. Now Angus stops to say hello when he delivers her mail. This is one of the reasons Linda moved here, for this welcoming small-town community feeling.