In the remote hollows and burgeoning coal towns of West Virginia, WV Postmasters often served as community architects, information hubs, and namesakes—all from behind a general store counter.
The Postal Pulse of Mountain Communities
In an era before digital connectivity, West Virginia’s post offices functioned as the central nervous systems of rural communities. These were rarely standalone institutions but typically operated from general stores, mining company offices, or private homes where postmasters doubled as merchants, record-keepers, and civic anchors. The establishment of a post office transformed settlements from informal clusters into officially recognized places, often carrying the postmaster’s name into perpetuity. This practice reflected both practical necessity and personal influence—federal postal authorities required appointed postmasters for official recognition, and these individuals wielded significant local authority.
West Virginia’s rugged terrain amplified the postmaster’s importance. As Raymond Hill notes in e-WV: The West Virginia Encyclopedia, place names emerged through both folk processes (organic local usage) and formal designations (government or corporate decisions), with post offices squarely in the latter category . The archival evidence reveals a fascinating pattern: when communities petitioned for postal service, the appointed postmaster’s identity often became woven into the place’s identity.
Decoding the Archives: Postmasters as Place-Makers
The West Virginia Postmasters Appointment Records (1857-1971), housed at West Virginia University, provide the smoking gun for this naming phenomenon. These microfilmed records—covering 14 counties including Raleigh, Wyoming, and Summers—document a trove of onomastic origins: establishment/discontinuance dates, postmaster appointments, and crucially, official name changes tied to postal operations. For researchers, these documents reveal how toponymy followed bureaucracy:
- Senate confirmations: Postmasters required presidential appointment and Senate confirmation until 1971, embedding their names in federal records.
- Money order authorizations: Dates when offices gained financial authority often correlated with community growth spurts.
- Discontinuance trails: When offices closed after 1870, records noted where mail was redirected—a vital clue for tracking community decline or absorption.
Consider the process: A settlement applying for a post office might suggest a name, but postal authorities could override it. As seen in Origins of Place Names Near Beckley, Elgood (Mercer County) emerged when officials rejected local resident L. Goodwin’s proposed name but coined “Elgood” from his surname—a bureaucratic compromise.
The Postmaster’s Map:
Table: West Virginia Communities Named for Postmasters
| Place Name | County | Postmaster/Namesake | Narrative Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bolt | Raleigh | George Washington Bolt (1864-1943) | Served 1891-1935; town name immortalizes his 40+ years of service. |
| Danville | Boone | Dan Rock | First postmaster whose name became the town’s identifier upon establishment (1883). |
| Elgood | Mercer | L. Goodwin | Postal authorities created portmanteau from Goodwin’s name after rejecting his suggestion. |
| Itmann | Wyoming | Isaac T. Mann | Founder of Pocahontas Consolidated Coal Co.; name condensed from initials I.T. Mann. |
| Davy | McDowell | William Davy Hall | Post office renamed from Hallsville to Davy in 1901, honoring the postmaster. |
| Epperly | Raleigh | John Epperly | Mining official whose postal leadership led to toponymic commemoration. |
Distinctive naming patterns emerge from these cases:
- The “Initials Strategy”: Entrepreneurs like Isaac T. Mann condensed corporate identities (Pocahontas Consolidated Coal Co.) into personal branding—Itmann blended his initials with his surname for efficiency.
- Bureaucratic Creativity: When postal officials rejected L. Goodwin’s proposed name for his Mercer County office, they exercised top-down authority by coining Elgood—a hybrid acknowledging yet altering his identity.
- Longevity Equals Legacy: George Bolt’s four-decade tenure (1891-1935) as Raleigh County postmaster cemented his surname into the landscape. Such extended service made postmasters synonymous with place.
Beyond the Postmaster: Intersections with Industry and Folklore
While postmasters shaped many names, they operated within broader naming ecosystems. The coal industry’s influence loomed large—Ameagle (American Eagle Colliery) and Kopperston (Koppers Company) reflect corporate branding . Yet even industrial names sometimes intertwined with postal history, as mine operators often became postmasters.
Folk etymology also played a role. Raymond Hill observes that names like Crow (Raleigh County) emerged spontaneously when postal authorities rejected “Pine Flats”; a resident glanced at birds overhead and proposed “Crow” on the spot . Still, such organic names required formal postal ratification.
Preserving the Paper Trail
Tracing these connections relies heavily on archival treasures like:
- Post Office Site Location Reports (1837-1950): Containing postmaster-drawn maps and route descriptions sent to federal topographers.
- Rural Post Office Ledgers: Such as the Kodol, WV records blending postal transactions with general store accounts—proof of the postmaster’s dual roles.
- County-Level Collections: Preston County papers documenting how railroad expansion influenced postal naming.
These records face challenges, however. As the National Archives notes, petitions for new post offices were rarely preserved, creating gaps in the origin stories . Thus, county histories and oral traditions remain vital supplements.
Conclusion: Stamps on the Landscape
West Virginia’s postmaster-derived place names represent more than bureaucratic artifacts—they embody community identity forged through service. Unlike top-down industrial names (e.g., Gary, McDowell County, for U.S. Steel’s Elbert Gary), postmaster names like Bolt or Danville reflect grassroots influence . Each time a resident mails a letter from Itmann or drives through Elgood, they unknowingly honor an early civic steward whose administrative role literally put their home on the map. In these names, we find the quiet imprint of individuals who connected isolated mountain communities to the wider world—one stamped letter at a time.
Bibliography
West Virginia University Archives & Special Collections. “West Virginia Postmasters Appointment Records, 1857–1971.” Collection A&M 3026. Accessed May 31, 2025. https://archives.lib.wvu.edu/repositories/2/resources/1217 .
Hill, Raymond Thomas. “Place Names.” e-WV: The West Virginia Encyclopedia. Last modified February 29, 2024. https://www.wvencyclopedia.org/entries/1806 .
Jefferson, J. R. “Origins of Place Names Near Beckley, West Virginia.” Last revised April 5, 2022. https://jeff560.tripod.com/places.html .
National Archives. “Post Office Reports of Site Locations, 1837–1950.” Last modified February 18, 2021. https://www.archives.gov/research/post-offices/locations-1837-1950.html .
West Virginia Archives and History. “Place Names in West Virginia: D.” Accessed May 31, 2025. https://archive.wvculture.org/hiStory/archives/placenames/placnamd.html .
As always, thank you for riding with me!
Visibility: Sunny
*GPS Coordinate Data Provided on bottom left corner with date and speed*
Destinations in West Virginia by appearance:
South Charleston
Dunbar
Institute
Cross Lanes
Nitro (11:00)
WV25/1st Avenue – Nitro (20:00)
Charles Avenue – Dunbar (30:00)
US60/MacCorkle Avenue – South Charleston (45:00)
I64W – Nitro (1:00:00)
Saint Albans
US60/MacCorkle Avenue – Saint Albans (1:15:00)
Jefferson Road – South Charleston (1:30:00)
US119/Corridor G – South Charleston (1:47:30)
Alum Creek
Sod
Sumerco
Garret’s Bend – Alum Creek (2:00:00)
Griffithsville
US119/Corridor G – South Charleston (2:15:00)
Charleston
Chesterfield Avenue – Kanawha City – Charleston (2:30:00)
Southridge/Corridor G – South Charleston (2:45:00)
Yeager Highway – Sod (3:00:00)
Yeager Highway/Midway Road – Alum Creek (3:15:00)
WV214/Oakhurst Drive – Charleston (3:30:00)
Ending Kanawha Turnpike – South Charleston
Listen while you ride: My Spotify Playlists
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5FI2WfzKqFIz5dD0BOA1iw?si=4f12084e12b247ec – Mix
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5IWoDtlir7k6eww0PNVdGh?si=dca253ebf4e94ac1 – Chill
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4TNiUuJHvogwtk7ZxWoOpl?si=d4594c2bf5ff4328 – Upbeat
