Mikelmontas as a very short-lived Lithuanian place-name was known in czarist times as Michelmond. It is a railway station on the Šiauliai – Kaišiadorys (Koschedary) – Vilnius route, ca. 15 km south of Baisogala (Bejsagola). Because of its proximity to the township Gudžiūnai (Gudzjuny), the two place-names were prone to confusion and in ca. the second half of 1919 the railway station was re-named Gudžiūnai.
In World War One, Michelmond as Gudzjuny was raided by German cavalry during the first battle of Šiauliai (which first fell on April 30, 1915) but later was involved in a Russian counteroffensive and finally secured by German infantry during the second and more successful battle for Šiauliai, which was re-taken on July 21.
In czarist times, the Michelmond railway station had a limited postal facility which was closed during the German occupation. It was reopened as Mikelmontas when the Pašto Valdyba issued a mandate to Pranas Daukša-Jurevičius, effective from April 16, 1919. A few months later the name of the postal facility Mikelmontas was changed to Gudžiūnai.
Only one surviving item is known from this facility, spelled “Michelmont”, found several decades later in an old batch of covers addressed to Pašto Valdyba. Walter E. Norton who inspected the conglomerate was of the opinion that the letter, being addressed to the USA, was never forwarded and finished up in Lithuania’s postal archives.
Mikelmontas appears to have had some values of Fourth Berlin Issue and cancelling was done by handwriting, indicating date and place. No other postal markings have come to light.
Searching for the location of Michelmond, W. E. Norton wrongly placed it ca. 4 km south of Žeimiai (close to Jonava) when in fact it was ca. 15 km south of Baisogala [see a czarist rail map below].
Known provisional markings:
Handwritten cancelling:
24 / IV / 19 letter to USA presumably not forwarded, Berlin IV 30 x2 [reported by Norton]