Ironville was the name given the post office located on the 600 acre farm of Robert L. Rodgers.
The post office was established in 1883 which appears to coincide with the building of the Iron
Belt Railroad between Rogers Station on the Western & Atlantic Railroad (now CSX) and the
Guyton Ore Bank some 4 to 5 miles northeast.
The name Ironville is presumed to have been derived from iron ore mining operations on the
Rogers’ farm. In 1872, Rogers, along with former Governor Joseph E. Brown and Martin H.
Dooly, built an iron furnace on the Rogers’ property. The furnace ceased production in 1877,
most likely due to insignificant iron ore deposits being present, a theory supported by current
geological reports. Another possibility for the name Ironville was that Rogers’ Station was the
receiving point for all iron ore mined at the Guyton Ore Bank. The post office closed in 1888.
Ironville is shown on the 1883 Georgia Cram Map of Georgia and on the 1885 Georgia Cram
Railroad and County Map of Georgia. Both maps place Ironville near Nancy’s Creek, south
of Roger’s Station and west of current day GA Highway 293. According to “Georgia Place –
Names” published in 1975 by Kenneth Krakow, “Ironville was a former community of Bartow
County located six miles northwest of Cartersville on “Pettis” Creek. Was so named as there
was active iron mining in the vicinity.” The only locations found on Pettit’s Creek (not Pettis
as Krawkow stated) are the old Curtain Furnace site, two miles north of the Cartersville Depot
(east side of Pettit’s Creek approximately 200 yards north of Jones Mill Road) and the Guyton
Ore Bank, another two miles farther northeast (between east side of People’s Valley Road and
CSX Railroad on backside of Cartersville Country Club). The Curtain furnace was no longer in
operation during the 1880’s; however the Guyton Ore Bank was being mined at that time with
ore being shipped to Rogers’ Station via the Iron Belt Railroad. Krakow’s definition is somewhat
correct, however he should have stated Nancy’s Creek rather than Pettit’s Creek. Both run
somewhat parallel to each other which could have led to some confusion. For additional
information, refer to “Rogers’ Station” and “Ferrobutte”.


Source: University of Georgia Galileo Collection; United States and Worldwide Postal History
by Jim Fort; History of Bartow County, Georgia, formerly Cass by Lucy Josephine Cunyus;
Cartersville Express, May 28, 1878.

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