Note: The following is one of a series of articles looking at events in the history of Bulloch County.

Part II

The first postmasters of Bengall were Thomas Nevil, Joshua Williams, and then Franklin Register, who settled there in 1894. William Corey established the town's first general store. Bengall may have become the town of Register.

Businessmen Brannen and Oliver established saw and grist mills in Bengall. Buford, Daughtry, N. Groover, Olliff, A. Riggs and Norman Rushing had grist mills.  A. Williams was the blacksmith and John Lane, the doctor.

The town of Better was located north of Middle Ground Road. Elisha Woods was postmaster of Better. Another one of the first towns in Bulloch County was Black, named after J. Black.

The town of Blackacre, which later became Black, was east of Statesboro. Blackacre’s postmaster was Winfield Lee. Black’s post office was open from 1883-1887, with postmasters Winfield Lee and then Emma Bradley.

Another railroad town was Bland (or Bland's Spur). This village was a stop on the Savannah, Augusta, & Northern Railroad. Bliss was located on Sculls Creek on the northwestern boundary of Bulloch County.

The nearest railroad station was Portal on the Foy Railroad line. Andrew Knight was appointed postmaster. He requested the name Merry, which was rejected, and then Bliss. Bliss later became part of Jenkins County.

The town of Blitch is located 10 miles from Statesboro and two miles from the Ogeechee River. A stagecoach-stop about six miles southwest of Dover, Blitch had a population of 51 in 1900.

The post office was located in the W. Blitch store. The postmasters were W. Blitch and W. Lane. Bloys was northeast of Metter, near the headwaters of Lotts Creek.

Bloys became famous in some circles when the shrub “Elliottia Racemosa” was re-discovered. This Labrador Tea plant, named after Dr. Stephen Elliott, was re-discovered by botanist Roland Harper.

The town of Bloys was actually named after Bloys Deal, its first postmaster. Bowen's Mill was located on the Nevils-Daisy Road between its intersections with Nevils-Groveland Road and Highway 280.

The village of Brag, also spelled Bragg, had a population of 100 in 1900. It was located seven miles southeast of Statesboro. The postmasters were William Waters and George Beasley.

Branham's Store is mentioned in Marion Hemperley's book “Cities, Towns, and Communities.” The town of Brooklet was originally settled as “Black Creek Bill Lee's place.”

By 1900, the community had moved to Nellwood, which had 180 people, and was situated on the Savannah & Statesboro Railway line. The first postmaster, Andrew Lee, suggested several names.

They were, in order, Troy, Leesville, Leeland and Sunbright. The name of Brooklet for the new post office was chosen by the U.S. postmaster general.

Brooklet’s first post office opened at J. Cone and W.  Parker's store along the new railroad line. J. Warnock owned a cotton gin, J. Shearouse a sawmill, and N. Wilson a general store.

Callie was located half-way between Black and Jerome. The postmaster here was Henry Waters. Canoe was just west of Metter. Then it became Canoe Station in Emanuel County, and then Canoe in Candler County.

Carlos was situated between Tomato and Groveland. Its postmaster was James McElveen. Clark was situated north of Portal on Pleasant Hill Road. The postmasters were William Brannen and Frank Olliff.

Clito is located five miles northeast of Statesboro. At first a depot-stop on the Dover & Statesboro Railroad line to Dover, then it became a stop on the Fulford Bus Company’s route between Dover and Statesboro.

The first stores here were established by “turpentiners” Talon and MacDougald and the Outland and Woodcock Companies. There was a grist mill and a turpentine still.

Clito even had its own newspaper, the Clito Clippings. Postmaster Benjamin Hagan was replaced by Walter MacDougald, whose post office was in his own store.

Colfax, or Colfax Station, sat on the Savannah, Augusta, and Northern Railway line. Colfax was named after Schuyler Colfax, vice president of the U.S. from 1867-1873.

The postmaster was Jasper Akins. The town of Cromley, a stop on the Shearwood Railroad, lay between the towns of Alderman and Brooklet. The town of Cuyler was on the Savannah & Western Railway line.

It was named after Richard Cuyler, the president of the Central of Georgia Railroad, which owned the Savannah & Western. Here, Bulloch Countians boarded trains to Savannah.

Roger Allen is a local lover of history who provides a brief look each week at the area's past. Email him at rwasr1953@gmail.com.