Shortsville Post Office

Shortsville was apparently located near the Bullitt-Jefferson Counties line, not far from Mt. Washington. There was a post office there at least from 1856 through 2 Jan 1863 when it was discontinued. [See Wilderness Road, Vol. 20, No. 1, Pg. 6.]

In 1856, Samuel C. Russell was the postmaster. In 1859, the postmaster was William C. Short, for whom the community was likely named.

In the 1860 census there were four census pages dedicated to the Shortsville post office area; three were in Jefferson County, and the fourth was in Bullitt County. We have transcribed below those families that likely used Shortsville for their post office.

We have not yet located information about this post office area earlier than 1856. We do know that it was identified in a General Assembly act which is described on another page. If you have additional information about it, please contact us.

Pg	Dw	Hh	Ln#	Family Data
68	493	475	36	Franklin Shields - 36 M, farmer, born KY
			37	Eliza Shields - 45 F, born KY
			38	Sarah Langford - 17 F, born KY
			39	John W. Shields - 16 M, born KY
			40	Sarah M. Shields - 12 F, born KY
69			1	Malan Shields - 14 M, born KY
			2	Franklin Shields - 10 M, born KY
			3	George Shields - 7 M, born KY
	494	476	4	Thos S. Thurman - 39 M, farmer, born KY
			5	Emeline Thurman - 32 F, born KY
			6	Elizabeth B. Thurman - 13 F, born KY
			7	Mary E. Thurman - 11 F, born KY
			8	James A. Thurman - 10 M, born KY
			9	Emma D. Thurman - 5 F, born KY
			10	Henry R. Bright - 18 M, farm laborer, birthplace not given
	495	477	11	Fredrick Pound - 43 M, farmer, born KY
			12	Elizabeth C. Pound - 40 F, born KY
			13	Richard M. J. Pound - 19 M, born KY
			14	Thos P. D. Pound - 16 M, born KY
			15	Susannah M. Pound - 13 F, born KY
			16	Sarah A. Pound - 10 F, born KY
			17	Aaron D. F. Pound - 8 M, born KY
			18	Irene E. Pound - 6 F, born KY
			19	Elizabeth J. Pound - 1 F, born KY
			20	Rebecca E. Pound - 1 F, born KY
			21	Mary Pound - 76 F, born PA
	496	478	22	John Woodsmall - 66 M, farmer, born KY
			23	Martisha Woodsmall - 60 F, born KY
			24	John Kelly - 7 M, born KY
			25	Anna Kelly - 6 F, born KY
			26	Chs W. Moore - 24 M, farmer, born KY
			27	Susannah Moore - 23 F, born KY
			28	Martisha M. Moore - 4/12 F, born KY
	497		29	unoccupied
	498	479	30	Nancy Shake - 38 F, farmer, born KY
			31	Isaac Shake - 19 M, farmer, born KY
			32	Amanda Shake - 16 F, born KY
			33	James Shake - 14 M, born KY
			34	Sarah F. Shake - 12 F, born KY
			35	Mary E. Shake - 9 F, born KY
			36	Jane Shake - 7 F, born KY
			37	John Shake - 5 M, born KY
			38	Anna B. Shake - 1 F, born KY
	499	480	39	Henry Jones - 38 M, farmer, born KY
			40	Nancy C. Jones - 27 F, born KY
70			1	William B. Jones - 12 M, born KY
			2	Sarah C. Jones - 10 F, born KY
			3	Aanus(?) M. Jones - 8 F, born KY
			4	Mary E. Jones - 5 F, born KY
			5	Margaret A. Jones - 3 F, born KY
			6	Elnora Jones - 11/12 F, born KY
	500	481	7	Wm P. Beard - 30 M, farmer, born KY
			8	Arsula Beard - 29 F, born KY
			9	Wm C. L. Beard - 7 M, born KY
			10	Johnson D. Beard - 1 M, born KY
	501	482	11	Wm P. Barnett - 56 M, Bapt. minister, born KY
			12	Jane A. Barnett - 40 F, born VA
			13	Rebecca Barnett - 12 F, born KY
			14	Sarah F. Barnett - 10 F, born KY
			15	Mary V. Barnett - 8 F, born KY
			16	Evadna Barnett - 6 F, born KY
			17	Francis A. Barnett - 5 M, born KY
			18	Martha B. Barnett - 3 F, born KY
	502	483	19	James T. Reid - 34 M, farmer, born KY
			20	Rebecca A. Reid - 27 F, born KY
			21	John T. Reid - 7 M, born KY
			22	Andrew J. D. Reid - 5 M, born KY
			23	James B. Reid - 3 M, born KY
			24	Arsula F. Reid - 1 F, born KY
	503	484	25	John Russell - 45 M, farmer, born KY
			26	Apphia Russell - 35 F, born KY
			27	William Russell - 17 M, farm laborer, born KY
			28	Charles Johnson - 14 M B, born KY
	504	485	29	Martha Russell - 45 F, farmer, born KY
			30	Samuel Russell - 19 M, farm laborer, born KY
			31	Alexander Russell - 18 M, farm laborer, born KY
			32	Emily J. Russell - 14 F, born KY
			33	Martha Russell - 12 F, born KY
			34	George Russell - 10 M, born KY
			35	Sarah E. Russell - 5 F, born KY
			36	Jane Singer - 30 F, born KY
	505	486	37	Robert Caruthers - 47 M, farmer, born KY
			38	Elizabeth Caruthers - 37 F, born KY
			39	Mary Caruthers - 20 F, born KY
			40	Edmond Caruthers - 17 M, born KY
71			1	Francis Caruthers - 12 M, born KY
			2	Charles Caruthers - 9 M, born KY
			3	Arenith A. Caruthers - 6 F, born KY
			4	Joseph R. Caruthers - 3 M, born KY
			5	Martha E. Caruthers - 1 F, born KY
	506	487	6	Cynthia Reid - 52 F, farmer, born KY
			7	William Reid - 27 M, farmer, born KY
			8	John S. Reid - 24 M, born KY
			9	James Steel - 19 M B, farm laborer, born KY
	507	488	10	Adam Shake - 63 M, farmer, born KY
			11	Anna Shake - 55 F, born VA
			12	John Shake - 21 M, farmer, born KY
			13	Adam A. Shake - 18 M, farmer, born KY
			14	Alice Shake - 10 F, born KY
			15	Moses Russell - 13 M B, born KY
	508	489	16	Elizabeth Yates - 34 F, born KY
			17	Mary J. Yates - 13 F, born KY
			18	Martha A. Yates - 11 F, born KY
			19	Fanny E. Yates - 9 F, born KY
			20	Isaac N. Yates - 5 M, born KY
	509	490	21	James Shake - 28 M, farmer, born KY
			22	Mary Shake - 26 F, born KY
			23	William F. Shake - 6 M, born KY
			24	Elizabeth Shake - 43 F, born KY
			25	Edward R. Shake - 21 M, born KY
	510	491	26	John Shake - 68 M, farmer, born KY
			27	Wesley Shake - 25 M, farmer, born KY
			28	Reuben Shake - 23 M, farmer, born KY
			29	Ruth Russell - 32 F B, servant, born KY
			30	Adalaid Russell - 4 F B, born KY
			31	Laura Russell - 7/12 F B, born KY
	511	492	32	James Netherland - 28 M, farmer, born KY
			33	Malinda Netherland - 32 F, born KY
			34	Carrie S. Netherland - 2 F, born KY
			35	William C. Netherland - 7/12 M, born KY
			36	Elizabeth Russell - 57 F, born KY
	512	493	37	John Harrison - 88 M, born PA
			38	Mary Harrison - 65 F, born KY
			39	Ruth Harrison - 22 F, born KY
			40	Eliza Harrison - 20 F, born KY
72			1	Martha Harrison - 17 F, born KY

Pg	Dw	Hh	Ln#	Family Data
109	818	776	38	Wm E. Drake - 48 M, farmer, born KY
			39	R. S. Drake - 40 F, born KY
			40	C. J. Purcel? - 21 F, born KY
110			1	Susan A. Drake - 16 F, born KY
			2	M. E. Drake - 13 F, born KY
			3	W. E. Drake - 12 M, born KY
			4	S. R. Drake - 5 M, born KY
			5	C. Drake - 3 F, born KY
			6	J. C. Drake - 1 M, born KY
	819	777	7	David Hall - 35 M, farmer, born KY
			8	Eliza Hall - 24 F, born KY
			9	S. A. Hall - 7 F, born KY
			10	A. M. Hall - 6 M, born KY
			11	J. D. Hall - 4 F, born KY
			12	V. E. Hall - 5/12 F, born KY
	830	778	13	Zealey Williams - 43 M, farmer, born KY
			14	Patience Williams - 47 F, born KY
	831	779	15	David Ellaby - 46 M, farmer, born England
			16	E. Ellaby - 44 F, born KY
			17	W. H. Ellaby - 19 M, farm laborer, born KY
			18	J. A. Ellaby - 16 F, born KY
			19	J. N. Ellaby - 13 M, born KY
	832	780	20	Wesley Drake - 37 M, farmer, born KY
			21	N. E. Drake - 31 F, born KY
			22	Jessie T. Drake - 13 M, born KY
			23	S. A. Drake - 8 F, born KY
			24	John Drake - 6 M, born KY
			25	Olivia Drake - 4 F, born KY
	823	781	26	F. Wigginton - 62 M, farmer, born VA
			27	E. Wigginton - 62 F, born VA
			28	D. H. Wigginton - 29 M, farm laborer, born KY
			29	M. Wigginton - 22 F, born KY
	824	782	30	W. C. Short - 49 M, farmer, born VA
			31	Nancy Short - 44 F, born KY
			32	M. Wilkinson - 22 F, born KY
	825	783	33	J. S. Hobbs - 32 M, farmer, born KY
			34	C. Hobbs - 24 F, born KY
			35	N. S. Hobbs - 4 F, born KY
			36	W. S. Hobbs - 2 M, born KY
			37	Hobbs - 6/12 M, born KY
	826	784	38	M. Smock - 59 M, farming, born VA
	827	785	39	J. Markwell - 80 M, farmer, born VA
			40	E. Markwell - 70 F, born PA

Bobby Darnell posted the following information about Shortsville in another place, and has given us permission to add it here. Dale Salmon has also contributed much to this research on that forgotten town.

"A while back David Strange asked in his Bullitt County History Museum newsletter if anyone knew where Shortsville was located. Very little was known about it but it was apparently on the Bullitt Co. and Jeff. Co. lines near Mt. Washington. According to a contract to build a road between Taylorsville and the Bardstown-Luoisville Turnpike (Bardstown Rd) in 1860 it mentions Shortsville several times. In censuses taken about that time residents of Shortsville included well known Kings Church area names as Barnett, Roby, Markwell, Wigginton, Carruthers, Williams, Pound, and more which could mean somewhere on Waterford Rd, Markwell Ln. or near Whitfield. Which leads us to this man, the man that Shortsville apparently was named for. William C. Short (July 11, 1811-Dec. 14, 1862). While working in the cemetary lately I found his stone (see below) nearly fallen over, overgrown with Yuccas, and falling backwards and blackened by a fungus os something making it difficult to read. When I first saw it I saw the name 'Judge' Wm. C. Short and thought was it his real name or was he possibly a real judge. He certainly was and was one of Bullitt County's first judges serving from 1850-1853. He also owned a grocery in the community called Shortsville and was it's postmaster in 1859. Certainly an interesting find in the old cemetary. His wife's name was Nancy. I've yet to find her stone. Gonna take more than me to fix this one!"

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