Odell
The community of Odell was first known as Stop and was just south of the Washington County line in Crawford County. It is not known when it was established but some information was compiled in a Flashback article in May 1968. According to that article, the post office was first established by Nathan W. and William W. Leach.
Nathan was postmaster at Stop in 1884 and William in 1887. The brothers put in a general store also. Various reasons for the name Stop were given — some said because folks had to stop there for the mail and another said because the road stopped there. In the 1908 Plat Book of Washington County, Odell is shown in section 6, Township 12N, Range 32W, in Crawford County, just south of the County line. According to the book Washington County Postmasters and Postoffices 1829-1976, Odell post office was moved to Washington County in 1930. It is currently shown about 5 miles southeast of Evansville on WC295.
A family which was prominent in the area besides the Leaches included the Thomas Clay Cuzick family, who had a general store and were postmasters for a time. Ruthus Cuzick and Frank Cuzick were son and grandson of Thomas and ran the store and post office. Other family names in the area were Yancy, Dipboye, West Wilhite and Dobbs. A.L. Dobbs was a carpenter who made burial caskets for many who died in the area. J.F. Dobbs was a farmer and village blacksmith and his sons continued the smithing and later garage trade for years.
A school was established near the town where the Forest Service tower stood in 1968.
Bibliography:
Washington County Postoffices and Postmasters 1829-1976, by Deane Carter, published 1976 by Washington Co Historical Society.
“Odell Post Office and some old Cemeteries,” by Burlene Hilton, Flashback, May 1968.
