Hamletsburg Post Office
Ferguson settled in Section 3 in November 1814 later purchasing land in 1825. The town plat, by J. E. Y. Hanna, was recorded at Shawneetown in 1859. An old state road ran from Hamletsburg to Fort Kaskaskia, and Ferguson ran a ferry across the Ohio river to Salty Point, KY connecting the state road with one of the main Kentucky eastern routes.
In 1884 New Liberty was washed away by floods and part of the people settled in nearby Hamletsburg. Newcomers included the McCawley brothers who ran flatboats to new Orleans; T. S. Vickers, the 'Corn King' owned and operated a large flour mill and made Hamletsburg a buying and shipping point for huge loads of grain. Henry Neftzger also owned a mill there. Phil Darnell had a gristmill.
Many steamboats docked at the riverfront for passenger and freight service. There were four stores, two blacksmith shops, two barbershops, a jail, a pool hall, and a drug store. Dr. J. P. LaGore practiced there. Jennie McCawley ran a boarding house.
The post office was established in 1885, Will Ashwill, first postmaster, followed by the 30-year tenure of Sam W. Neely. Others were James L. House, John F. Fisher, Philip B. Clark, George McCawley, Mrs. Anna Russell, Mrs. Ora Gower, and the present, Mrs. Claudia Faughn, who assumed the position 18 years ago. There are some 60 residents, almost none of them are from the old families. A large amount of mail comes through Hamletsburg. Smithland Lock and Dam is close by, also.
Material for this article was aided by an article in the October 25, 1934 Herald-Enterprise, John Allen's Pope County Notes, and Pope County Families, Vol.1 and phone conversations with Mrs. Lewis and Mrs. Faughn.
This is copied in part from an article written by Mildred McCormick and published in the Herald- Enterprise, April, 1998.