Henderson County, Kentucky Communities

In 1910, about 2 miles up the river from Utopia, Jim Wilson stared to reopen a mine shaft. He lost his life as well as a son and daughter in a tragic mine accident. When the mine was reopened, by Joe McDonald about 1918, it was called the Riverside mine and, along with McDonald's Possum Trot mine across the river from Curdsville, took over the customers of the defunct Utopia mine. Some have called this community "Onionville" because, according to oral tradition, a customer stopped at a crossroads store and asked for vegetables. Only onions were available and, in disgust, he came back at night and lettered "Onionville" on the roof. Henderson Road Department has perpetuated the name by labeling the road "Onionville".

Coraville is an area one mile from Niagara at the intersection of the Upper Delaware road and 416. At one time it had a store owned by C.E. Farley, a blacksmith shop operated by William Aldridge, and a Woodmen-of-the-World lodge. In more recent years, John Raymond started a coalmine, but it has long been abandoned and filled. Mr. And Mrs. C.E. Farley named the village in memory of their first child, Cora, who died very young.

Almost two miles down the Upper Delaware road from Coraville, two brothers, Paris and Arthur Walker, built a store in a corner lot given them by their father. Paris applied for a post office and was named postmaster in 1902, but no one remembers now why the name Euterpe was chosen. The post office closed in 1906 but the general highway map still lists the town.

In the southwestern section of the county, a post office was opened at Kings Mills on Highland Creek, between Corydon and Waverly. It had a gristmill and large store between 1876 and 1904. One of the postmasters was Robert L. Cinnamond, later school superintendent. In the same general area was a post office called Michael, named for its first postmaster, Michael McDonnel. It lasted from 1880 to 1884. Near Smith Mills, on the Uniontown road, a small Catholic community built a church and a school. Popularly called Utleyville, the official post office "Utley" existed from 1898 to 1905.

from The Annals and Scandals of Henderson County, Ky.
By Maralea Arnett