Historical Sketches of Southwest Virginia
Publication No. 17 - 1973

WHITEFORGE POST OFFICE
By Omer C. Addington

On October 23, 1884, George B. White made application to the Post Office Department for a post office to be established five miles east of Estillville (now Gate City) in Moccasin Valley.

In his application, Mr. White was asked to give the following information as to location and direction:

The proposed post office will be situated in the County of Scott, State of Virginia, on route No. 11334 (now Highway No. 71) being the route from Estillville to Nickelsville, on which the mail is to be carried two times per week. The contractor is R. D. Hill. The next contractor is Drury S. Godsey, who was also the postmaster at Big Branch, the nearest Post Office to the proposed one on the same route, a distance of four miles in a northeast direction. The name of the nearest post office on the same route on the other side is Estillville. Its distance is five miles in a southwest direction from the proposed post office. The name of the nearest post office not on the same route is Wayland, a distance of five miles in a northwest direction to the proposed post office.

The name of the most prominent river nearest the proposed post office is the Holston River. The proposed post office will be 9 miles from said river, on the north side of it. The nearest creek is Big Moccasin Creek. The proposed post office will be one mile from said creek, on the south side of it.

The name of the nearest railroad is the Virginia-Tennessee Railroad. The proposed post office will not be near the railroad.

Mr. White was asked by the Post Office Department to select a short name for the proposed post office which, when written will not resemble the name of any other post office in the United States. The name chosen was Whiteforge. The name was taken from White's Forge, the iron works on Big Moccasin Creek.

C. M. Carter, Postmaster at Estillville, certified on the 10th day of November 1884, that he had examined the foregoing statement, and that it is correct and true to the best of my knowledge and belief.

Whiteforge Post Office began operation on January 28, 1885.

George B. White was the first postmaster. He was appointed March 28, 1885.

Martin Godsey was the second postmaster. He was appointed March 12, 1895.

Mary L. White was the third and last postmaster. She was appointed May 23, 1905. Mrs. White served until January 15, 1907, when it was discontinued, and its mail sent to Snowflake.