November 2007 65
Bethel Church, one mile from the
McCreary County line. Neither Don, the
first name proposed for the office, nor
Blue John have been derived, while
Mound, suggested by Mr. Hansford,
can only be assumed.
38
Some 2 ½ miles up Whetstone Creek
of Buck Creek, at the mouth of its 2 ½
mile long Snell Prong, was the Snell
post office. It was established on April
20, 1908 with James F. Hale, its first
postmaster, who named it for an area
Don. Both (pronounced
family. From 1913 till it closed in 1935
aez/ahf) are said to have been
it was maintained at two neighboring sites by Louis
named for an eleventh century ruler, but why this name
J. Snell about a mile up the Snell Prong (paralleled
was given to a Pulaski County post office operating
by the present Rte. 1003), most recently at the mouth
for ten years from December 9, 1927 remains a mys-
of its Vanhook Branch (what’s shown on current to-
tery.
pographic maps as Whetstone).
Other Pulaski County Post Offices
The crossroads settlement of Ringgold on the Lib-
William Green Todd, a descendant of early nineteenth
erty Road (now 3263, that ends at the east end of the
century Buck Creek settlers William and Elizabeth
Fishing Creek embayment), one mile north of the
Todd, established the Todd post office on March 13,
Cumberland Parkway and 3 ½ miles wnw of Somerset,
1894. It would serve a store and flour mill, probably
was once an incorporated town (February 5, 1848)
on what’s now the Charles Elgin Road, between Buck
named for Major Samuel Ringgold, the first Ameri-
Creek and its Barney Branch, 2 ½ miles northwest of
can officer killed in the Mexican War (at the May 8,
Woodstock. It was discontinued in 1942.
1846 Battle of Palo Alto). It was not until April 10,
1914, however, that the Ringgold post office was es-
No one knows why the local Etna
Church of Christ was so named (if,
tablished, with George R. McKinney, postmaster. It
closed in 1934.
in fact, it was so named for the
famed Sicilian volcano). But this
Serving the locality of Cabin Hollow, 1 ½ miles north
name was given to Valentine T
of the Cumberland River and about the same distance
.
Allen’s
east of Pitman Creek, would have been the Loves post
post office when his
family’s name was then found in
office (in use in Butler County). But it operated be-
use in Magoffin County
tween October 13, 1922 and 1935 as Cabin. Henry
. The Etna post office served
residents of (the present) Ky 452, between Buck Creek
G. Barnes was its first postmaster. The Loves may
and the railroad, from June 22, 1899 to mid April 1913.
have been descendants of William Love (ca. 1809-
1890) and owned much land in the Cumberland wa-
Referring to the large amount of coal taken from the
tershed. Whose cabin is referred to in the name is not
area some eight miles southeast of Somerset, a post
yet known.
office to be called Coalville, Mudville, or Rex was
established on April 1, 1902 with Hays Meece, post-
Unlocated Pulaski County Post Offices
master. It opened somewhere between Buck and Pit-
man Creeks as Colo [
Wightsville was established on October 20, 1857 with
koh/loh]. By 1917 it was at the
head of one of the upper forks of Baker Hollow (of
James P. Colyer, its first postmaster, and operated till
Buck), but by 1952 (until it closed in 1968) it was on
late September 1868. There may have been a mid nine-
teenth century Wight family in the county, but the
Rte. 1643, 34 miles south of Ky 192.
only memorable countian of that name was Fr. B.J.
Belle (Mrs. Miller) Hansford’s short-lived (January
Wight, the resident pastor of St. Mildred’s Catholic
22, 1907 to
Church in Somerset (ca. 1901).
November 15, 1908) Mound post office
served the residential neighborhood later (and still)
called Blue John, on the Blue John Road, by the
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