Simpsonville

Front: This town grew up around a stagecoach stop on the Old Stage Road from Laurens to Greenville. For many years the community was known as “Plain,” the name given to the first post office, opened in 1838 with Jesse T. Cook as postmaster. It was later named for Peter Simpson (d. 1847), who had come here from Laurens District in 1836. Silas Gilbert opened a general store here about the same time. Gilbert was postmaster in 1839-44, followed by Simpson in 1844-47. Reverse: Sidney J. Wilson (1854-1919) came here from N.C. about 1875 and opened a general store. In 1885-86 the Greenville & Laurens Railroad completed its line from Laurens to Greenville. Wilson had the town surveyed and city lots laid out on Main St., and soon built the first brick store here. The post office was renamed Simpsonville in 1885, and the city was incorporated in 1901. Simpsonville Cotton Mill, later a branch of Woodside Mills, operated here from 1908 to 1989.