Cisco, Cisco, Cisco, part 13 – Cisco, Virginia

: 1953 USGS Aerial Photo showing the part of Mecklenburg County, VA

I’m trying to build the N scale replica of the town of Cisco, Utah circa 1970. Accordingly, it’s my routine to search “Cisco” on the web, but it goes wrong most of the time bothered by “San Francisco” or “Cisco Systems”. Sometimes, “Cisco, Texas” gets in my way. Thus, I was wondering how many “Cisco”s are there in the United States. My recent research during these Stay Home days revealed some of them. Let me introduce these places named Cisco as a sideshow for my Town of Cisco posts.


Cisco, Mecklenburg, Virginia: the post office at Cisco, VA is said to be located in the northern part of Mecklenburg County, east of Chase City, near Scotts Crossroad(P.O.) or Drapersville(P.O.)[1]. And, the community of Cisco was listed as a “post village in Mecklenburg County” in 1904 Gazetteer of Virginia[2]. But the exact place of Cisco P.O. or the community of Cisco is missing today. The leading role of the region was farming and the nearest rail connection was Southern Railway at Chase City.


The Cisco Post Office was operated between 1893 and 1906[3]. According to the 1892 Report of Site Location, the post office was going to be located along Scotts Crossroads near the State border.

Joseph Allen Love(1862 – 1903) was the original postmaster[3, 4]. Joseph might also operate a store because the 1900 Census records him as salesman. Charles Hiram Harris(1875 – 1951) was the second postmaster since 1899. William Love Boswell(1849 – 1906) was the third and the last postmaster between 1903 and 1906[5].

Joseph Love married Ida Camilla Boswell(1862 – 1946), a sibling of William Boswell. Charles Harris later married Mary Love Boswell(1894 – 1978), a niece of William Boswell. And, William Boswell himself married Mary Caroline "Carrie" Love(1866 – 1956), a sibling of Joseph Love. Accordingly, the family relationship between the successive postmasters was strong.


A settlement or homestead named J. Boswell is found in both the 1860 and 1870 Map of Mecklenburg County Virginia, along Scotts Crossroads near the State border[6, 7].

A settlement named Boswell must have been tied to a Boswell family, and the Boswell family is tied to the Cisco Post Office. The head of the Boswell family including young William in the 1860 Census was Joseph Boswell(1823 – 1899). Accordingly, I believe that the settlement named J.Boswell appears in 1860 and 1870 Map of Mecklenburg County is the "post village" of Cisco.


After the closure of the Cisco Post Office, letters were forwarded to nearby Reddirt Post Office[3]. However, unfortunately, Reddirt is also the missing place[8]. Nearest school from Cisco/J.Boswell seemed the Concord School at GPS coordinates 36.812643, -78.384164[9].

revised, Dec. 23, 2022

[1] Gilliam, Grrald Tate, (1998) Mecklenburg County, Virginia Post Offices 1794 – 1970, The SouthSider, Charlotte County Branch of The Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities;
[2] Gannett, Henry, (1904) A Gazetteer of Virginia, United States Department of the Interior;
[3] Forte, Jim, Mecklenburg County, Virginia Post Offices, Jim Forte Postal History;
[4] 1894 Official Register of the United States, United States Department of the Interior;
[5] 1903 Official Register of the United States, United States Department of the Interior;
[6] 1860 Map of Mecklenburg County Virginia, Library of Congress;
[7] 1870 Map of Mecklenburg County Virginia, The Chase City Progress;
[8] Caknipe, John, Jr., (2014) Southside Virginia Chronicles, Arcadia Publishing
[9] Feature Detail Report for: Concord School (historical);

: 1892 Report of Site Location for Cisco Post Office
: 1870 map of Mecklenburg County
: Google maps, Cisco, VA
　
　　
筆者がNスケールで復元しようとしているユタ州Ciscoについて調べようとインターネット検索すると、余計なページばかりよく引っ掛かる。最も邪魔なのはSan Francisco、次いで邪魔なのはCisco Systemsに関連するページである。テキサス州にあるCiscoという町に関連するページも結構邪魔だ。一方、お目当てのユタ州Ciscoの町に関連するページなどほとんどない。一体何件の「Cisco」がアメリカにあるのか。古い郵便局一覧を調べてみると、ユタ州Cisco以外に 14カ所ものCisco郵便局があったらしい。どんなところだろう。


Cisco, Virginia: 三カ所目のCisco郵便局は、バージニア州Mecklenburg郡の北部、Chase City近郊に1893年開局した郵便局である。初代の郵便局長はJoseph Allen Loveというひと。1906年まで開いていた。

さて、この郵便局の正確な位置が分からない。Ciscoという名前の集落（Post Village）があったようだ。分かっているのは「Chase Cityの東、Scotts CrossroadやDrapersvilleの近く」ということだけである。

ところで、初代Cisco郵便局長Joseph Loveの妻Ida C. Boswellは三代目局長William Love Boswellの妹、三代目郵便局長Williamの妻Mary Carrie Loveは初代局長Josephの妹である。つまりCisco郵便局およびLove・Boswell両家の結びつきは極めて強い。そして、1860年のMecklenburg郡地図には「Chase Cityの東、Scotts CrossroadやDrapersvilleの近く」にJ.Boswellという地名が載っている。

住人の名前を地名にすることは不思議ではない。1860年の国勢調査においてWilliam Boswellは父Joseph Boswellと同居している。したがって、1860年の地図にあるJ.BoswellこそCisco郵便局の所在地だと筆者は推測するのだ。上の航空写真は、そのJ.Boswellとされる地区を示している。もっとも、なぜ郵便局名をCiscoにしたのかは分からないままだ。