Which town in Bond County was once called Hickory Grove? What about Lehnsville,
Cottonwood Grove, Bethel and Henderson Station?
These and many other place names in Bond County were included in materials published by the
state in the 1960s. Also included was other information, including the dates that post offices were
established.
Here is a rundown on Bond County towns.
Smithboro
The town was once known as Henderson Station. Smithboro was named for Henry H. Smith, the
postmaster. The village was at one time spelled "Smithborough" and the post office existed under
that spelling from 1871 to 1893.The post office used the current spelling after 1893. Smithboro
was incorporated as a village in 1889.
Mulberry Grove
The town was once known by the names of Bucktown, Houston and Shakerag. The post office
was established in 1834. Mulberry Grove was incorporated as a village in 1857.
Hamburg
It has been known as New Hamburg and Sorghumtown.
Pleasant Mound
Pleasant Mound was at one time known as Fairview. The Pleasant Mound post office was
established in 1861 and discontinued in 1931.
Hookdale
The town was once known as Lehnsville and the post office operated under that name from 1884
to 1887. The post office operated under the name of Hookdale from 1887 until it was closed in
1958.
Tamalco
A post office in Tamalco was established in 1884.
Keyesport
Keyesport, named for postmaster Thomas Keyes, is on the Bond-Clinton county line and was
incorporated as a village in 1887. The post office was established in 1847, then discontinued in
1866, then reopened in 1867.
Beavercreek
In 1838 a post office was established and at that time the community was spelled as two words -
Beaver Creek. The post office used one word - Beavercreek - after 1894 and the post office was
closed in 1931. The town has also been known as Wisetown.
Dudleyville
The post office at Dudleyville was established in 1861 and closed in 1902.
Pierron
Located on the Bond-Madison county line, Pierron's post office started in 1870. It was
incorporated as a village in 1893.
Pocahontas
At one time Pocahontas was called Hickory Grove and also was known as Amity. Under the name
Hickory Grove the post office opened in 1831 and the name was changed to "Pocohontas," (with an "o") in 1850. Then in about 1855 the spelling was changed to the current spelling with an "a." The community was incorporated as a village in 1847.
Old Ripley
At one time the community was called New Berlin. Under the name of "Ripley" a post office was
established in 1819 and closed in about 1823. Then, after the name became Old Ripley, a post
office opened in 1850, was discontinued the next year, then was re-established in 1852. It was
closed in 1903. Old Ripley was incorporated as a village in 1906.
Reno
Reno was known as Cottonwood Grove when a post office was established there in 1865. The
name was changed to Reno in 1883. Reno was also once known as Augusta and as Bethel.
Sorento
The post office was opened in Sorento in 1882 and the village was incorporated in 1885.
Panama
Located on the Bond-Montgomery county line, Panama's post office was opened in 1906 and the
village was incorporated in the same year.
Donnellson
Located on the Bond-Montgomery county line, Donnellson was known as Bear Creek when a
post office was established in 1850. The name was changed to Donnellson in 1861. The village
was incorporated in 1897.
Woburn
A post office was established in Woburn in 1860 and closed in 1909. The town was once known
as Cross Roads and as Newport.
Greenville
The post office in Greenville was established in 1819. (Incidentally, this was a year before a post
office was established in Vandalia. But it was after a post office was established in "Ripley," now
Old Ripley. The office there was started on November 8, 1819. Greenville's was started on
December 2 of the same year.)
Greenville was incorporated as a town in 1855 and as a city in 1872.
Place names that are listed as being included within Greenville are New Jerusalem, Piety Hill,
Cobtown, and Buzzard Roost.
There are many other place names in Bond county included in the material published by the state.
For example, a post office in Baden Baden was started in 1861 and closed in 1923. The town is
now often called Millersburg.
Stubblefield, located southwest of Greenville, had a post office from 1872 to 1878. It was opened
again in 1888 and closed in 1918.
Ayers, located north of Greenville, had a post office from 1895 to 1902.
Durley, northeast of Greenville, had a post office from 1888 to 1890 and then from 1899 to 1903.
Jett, formerly Jett's Prairie, had a postal facility from 1893 to 1894. Betterton had one from 1883
to 1891.
Bondville had a post office from 1821 to 1823. Dry Fork had one from 1849 to 1852. Elm Point
had a post office from 1837 to 1883. Gathon had a post office from 1895 to 1901. The same was
true for Pleasant Prairie from 1861 to 1877. Sebastopol (on the Bond-Madison county line) had a
postal office from 1884 to 1901. Wait's Mills had one from 1823 to 1824.
Mentioned briefly in the state materials were many other old place names linked to Bond county.
Among them were: Hill's Fort, Jones' Fort, Lindley's Fort, White's Fort, Happy Hollow, Elizabeth
City, Dutch Flat, Dry Fork, Blue Mound, Bunje, Cart Hill, Clapboard City, Cumberland Gap,
Paradise Park, Ohio Settlement, New Pennsylvania, Liverpool, McClung's Point, Mount Gilead
and Sugar Loaf Hill.
Incidentally, Jamestown over the line in Clinton County, had a postal facility from 1851 to 1907.
An important point should be made about the material in this article. Nearly all of the article is
based on information compiled by the state and published in the early 1960s. No effort had been
made to independently verify or update all the data.
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