Maxwell, Kentucky
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| Maxwell, Kentucky | |
|---|---|
| Type | Former community |
| County | Daviess County |
| State | Kentucky |
| Also known as | Newville |
| Laid out | 1867, by James and Gordon Robison |
| Post office | 1893–1907 |
| First postmaster | W. V. Crow |
| Location | On the Daviess County line between McLean and Ohio Counties |
Maxwell, otherwise known as Newville, is situated on the Daviess County line between McLean and Ohio Counties, Kentucky. Laid out as Newville in 1867, the village took the name Maxwell when the U.S. Post Office found its original name already in use elsewhere in the state.
Founding
Newville was laid out in 1867 by James and Gordon Robison, who also built the first log home in the area. This home was used as a shop and was lived in by J.S.H. Kigel along with William Hunter, who was a shoemaker.
Early Businesses and Professions
In the early days there was a woodworking shop and Joseph Brown’s blacksmith shop.
There were two prominent physicians in Newville’s early days. William Barnhill and J.B. Cox both came into the area in the 1870s and 1880s.
The first school house was built and operated by J. H. Shackelford, a Baptist minister.
There were two mercantile stores in the community: the J.H. Davis mercantile store, established in 1867, and the W.V. Crowe mercantile store, established in 1876. These stores ceased to exist when W.G. Hayden opened a large mercantile store in the 1920s that was a center of commerce for many miles around.
Incorporation Attempt
In 1877, B.F. Riley, J.H. Shackelford, and J.P. Cox made an unsuccessful attempt to incorporate the village. When trying to draw up a charter, the village was shown as part of three counties, which made the charter incorrect, and the attempt failed.
Post Office and the Name Maxwell
The post office at Newville was established in 1893, and its first postmaster was W. V. Crow. Soon after, the government changed the post office name to Maxwell because there was another post office in the state with the name Newville.
Soon after the name change, the post office was discontinued in 1907 and the mail was sent to Livia. From this time, the community was mostly called Maxwell.
Legacy
Today, one of the only places that truly holds the name of Maxwell is the Red Hill–Maxwell Road in southeastern Daviess County.