Post Offices of Scott County

There have been as many as 58 different post offices in operation in Scott County — though not all at the same time. Huntsville is the oldest of the post offices in Scott County. It was established in 1851 as Scott County’s very first post office. Then came Winfield, in 1857. There was a postal boom in the late 1870s and early 1880s, coinciding with the arrival of the Cincinnati-Southern Railroad. That’s when the rest of the surviving post offices in Scott County were established: Robbins in 1879, though it was originally called Ernie and then Bianco; Helenwood in 1880, Oneida in 1880, Pioneer in 1889, and Elgin in 1891.

In reading through the list of post offices that were established in Scott County, the dates they began operations, and the dates they closed, you can trace the rise and fall of various mining and logging towns throughout the county. Many of the communities’ names were taken from the post offices, and post offices sometimes took their names from the postmasters who looked after them. That was the case with Robbins. It was first called Ernie, then changed to Bianco. But within months the name had been changed to Robbins, after the postmaster, Andrew J.C. Robbins. As the town developed around the railroad depot, it too was called Robbins.

Here is a list of past post offices that are no longer in operation, listed in alphabetical order:

Alderville: Established in August 1901 in the Chitwood Mountain area east of Winfield, with Andrew Davis serving as postmaster. It closed in August 1914 and was moved to Winfield.

Almy: Located in Paint Rock, Almy was established in September 1890 and took its name from its first postmaster, Adrian A. Almy. The last postmaster was James D. Roberts. Almy Post Office closed in August 1909 and was moved to Oneida.

Black Wolf: Located between Elgin and Glenmary in southern Scott County, the Black Wolf Post Office opened in September 1875 with Newell H. Goff serving as postmaster. It closed in August 1898 and moved to Jeffers. The last postmaster was James C. Hamby.

Bowl: The Bowl Post Office opened in June 1891 with John Fetterman serving as postmaster. It was located at Smith Creek, near New Salem Baptist Church. It was so named because of the Fetterman Bowl Company that was located there. Fetterman was a Dutchman who had come to Scott County from Pennsylvania and opened his bowl factory on Smith Creek. The last postmaster was William R. Posey. The post office closed in January 1907 and moved to Oneida.

Brynffynon: The Brynffynon Post Office was located near present-day Toomey Road, where it meets the O&W Road at Pine Creek. Brynffynon was a community of Welsh immigrants who had aspirations not unlike the British who established Rugby. But the Civil War spelled the end of the fledgling community. The post office there opened in March 1865 and closed in June 1870, with Richard Roberts serving as the postmaster.

Byrd: The Byrd Post Office, located at Straight Fork, took its name from its postmaster, Oliver P. Byrd. It opened in March 1899 and closed in February 1904, moving to Pioneer.

Capuchin: The post office at Capuchin, east of Winfield, was established in October 1882 with Hiram Trammell serving as postmaster. It closed in May 1914 and moved to Newcomb.

Chambers: The Chambers Post Office was named for its postmaster, Francis M. Chambers. He was actually the second (and final) postmaster there, taking over for J.C. Parker after just nine days. The post office was established in February 1885 and closed in November 1886.

Clarsboro: The Clarsboro Post Office opened in February 1852 and closed in May 1854. The postmaster was Joshua Cummings.

Cordell: The Cordell Post Office, located near Bull Creek, opened in March 1895 with James M. Newport serving as the first postmaster. The post office twice closed and moved to Winona before reopening, and finally closed for good in January 1937, moving to Huntsville. Rebecca Brown was the last postmaster at Cordell.

Cortland: The Cortland Post Office, at Brimstone, opened in December 1892 with Eldridge Shannon serving as postmaster. It closed in December 1936 and moved to Robbins. Cassie Griffith was the last postmaster there.

Dean: The Dean Post Office, located at the mining community on Roach Creek, was established in October 1931 with George E. Wright serving as the first postmaster. It closed in August 1955 and moved to Norma.

Doctors: The Doctors Post Office, in the Buffalo Creek area, opened in April 1891 with John M. Wilhite serving as postmaster. It closed in October 1897 and moved to Bowl. Samuel L. Babb was the last postmaster there.

Elva: The Elva Post Office opened in September 1904 at No Business Creek and later moved to Station Camp Creek. The first postmaster was Lewis Burke. The post office closed in July 1935 as the population of Station Camp diminished. It moved to Oneida. The final postmaster was Ike King.

Fogal: The Fogal Post Office operated briefly in the Oneida area, opening in March 1905 with Alvin C. Terry as postmaster and closing in December 1908. William Stanley was the last postmaster.

Fort Brandau: The Fort Brandau Post Office opened in September 1857 and was named for its postmaster, Gustavus A. Brandau. It closed in October 1860. (Note: This post office is usually misidentified in historical reports as “Fort Brandon,” and Gustavus A. Brandau as “Gustavus A. Brandon.”)

Frona: The Frona Post Office opened in July 1892 with William H. Blevins serving as postmaster. It closed in September 1895 and moved to Oneida. The last postmaster was William W. Owens. (Note: The names of the postmasters would seem to indicate that this post office was located in the Big South Fork area. William H. Blevins is likely William Huston Blevins, who lived at Parch Corn Creek and was 23 years old in 1892. William W. Owens is likely William Wesley Owens, who lived at Station Camp Creek and was 70 in 1895.)

Gennett: The Gennett Post Office was located near Smokey Junction. It opened in November 1927 and was named for its first postmaster, Andrew Gennett. It closed in December 1945 and moved to Huntsville. The last postmaster was Mae Sexton Harness.

Goodwater: The Goodwater Post Office operated only for a few months in 1859, with William Hatfield serving as postmaster.

Gumfork: Located east of Winfield, the Gumfork Post Office opened in March 1884 with George W. King serving as postmaster. It closed in September 1893 and moved to Isham. William Trammell was the last postmaster there.

Higgins: The Higgins Post Office opened in June 1892 with George King serving as postmaster. It closed in September 1893 and moved to Oneida.

Horse Shoe Bend: The Horse Shoe Bend Post Office was located near Rugby. It opened in June 1856 with John B. Sandusky serving as postmaster. It closed in July 1881. The last postmaster was Isaac Riseden.

Hughett: The Hughett Post Office was located on Brimstone Creek near Indian Fork and was named for its first postmaster, Jasper Hughett. It opened in January 1887. It closed in September 1935 and moved to Cortland. May Chambers was the last postmaster there.

Isham: The Isham Post Office opened in December 1882 with George W. Strunk serving as the first postmaster. It was located in Winfield, just south of the TN-KY line. It closed in September 1926 and moved to Winfield. The last postmaster there was Hubert Trammell.

Jeffers: The Jeffers Post Office, located in eastern Scott County, opened in January 1883 and took its name from its first postmaster, John B. Jeffers. It closed in July 1907 and moved to Pioneer. The last postmaster was Isaac Bashears.

Laxton: The Laxton Post Office opened in January 1908 with Samuel D. McMurray serving as postmaster. It closed in June 1914 and moved to Oneida. The last postmaster there was Andrew J. Phillips.

Newland: The Newland Post Office was located at Smokey Creek. It opened in September 1908 with Sylvester B. Leeper serving as postmaster. It closed in May 1923 and moved to Smokey. The last postmaster was Carl H. Sparks.

New River: The New River Post Office opened in October 1871 with James Buttram serving as postmaster. It closed in February 1974 and moved to Helenwood. The last postmaster at New River was Clyde Reed.

Norma: The Norma Post Office opened in December 1878, though it was originally called Skullbone. The first postmaster was Joseph F. Hatfield. The name changed to Norma in March 1887, and the surrounding community became known as Norma, as well. It closed in July 1964 and moved to Huntsville. The last postmaster was Luther Pennington.

Parch Corn: The Parch Corn Post Office was located near Helenwood. It opened in March 1877 with Calvin C. Terry serving as postmaster. It closed in January 1892 and moved to Helenwood. The last postmaster there was Lorenzo D. Margum.

Redmond: The Redmond Post Office was located at Glenmary. It opened in June 1878 with James R.T. Redman serving as postmaster. The name changed to Glenmary in May 1880, and the post office continued in operation until February 1972, when it closed and moved to Robbins. The last postmaster was Bobby Lee Burton.

Roach Creek: The Roach Creek Post Office was located near Norma. It opened in September 1924 and closed in November 1929, moving to Norma. Frank J. Tighe was the postmaster.

Roberta: The Roberta Post Office was located north of Oneida, near Bear Creek. It opened in October 1909 with James B. Craig serving as postmaster. It closed in October 1931, moving to Winfield. The last postmaster was Louis E. Bryant.

Sedgemoor: The Sedgemoor Post Office was located at present-day Elgin. Sedgemoor was the first name of the railroad depot there. The post office opened in October 1880 with Walter S. Allen serving as postmaster. It closed in December 1881, with Craven Duncan serving as the last postmaster.

Smokey: The Smokey Post Office opened in January 1898 with John C. Courtney serving as postmaster. It closed in April 1927 and moved to Straight Fork. The last postmaster was Debra Cross.

Smoky: The Smoky Post Office — not to be confused with Smokey — opened in March 1880, with Larry Adkins serving as postmaster. It closed in July 1881. W.A. Cross was the last postmaster.

Smoky Junction: The post office at Smoky Junction opened in May 1907 with Nancy Low serving as postmaster. It moved to Nicks Creek in 1916, then to Straight Fork in 1920, but reopened at Smoky Junction each time. Finally, in March 1973, it closed for good and moved to Huntsville. The last postmaster there was William F. Hembree.

Straight Fork: The Straight Fork Post Office opened in April 1871 with Benjamin F. Adkins serving as postmaster. It closed after just three years, but eventually reopened in 1909 with John Chandler serving as postmaster. It closed for good in February 1935 and moved to Straight Fork. The last postmaster there was Ova Low.

Verdun: The post office at Verdun opened in August 1923, with Calvin K. Lewallen serving as postmaster. It closed in March 1935 and moved to Oneida.

Walnut Springs: The Walnut Springs Post Office opened in October 1866 with Abraham H. Cross serving as postmaster. It closed in June 1868.

Winona: The post office at Winona opened in August 1904 as Griffith Post Office. The first postmaster was John N. Chambers. In June 1909, the name changed to Winona. It closed in October 1983. The last postmaster there was Florrie H. Hamblin.

Wolf Creek: The Wolf Creek Post Office in southern Scott County opened in September 1869 with Joel M. Hainby as postmaster. It closed in April 1875.

Zena: The Zena Post Office opened in November 1897 with Lewis Burk Jr. serving as postmaster. It closed in January 1898. It was a forerunner to the Elva Post Office at No Business Creek.