The post office at Tuttle was established in 1907 and closed after about 5 years. A post office was established on Richland Creek in 1832 and was listed in Washington County until 1849. After that time, it was listed as Titsworth, Madison County.

Waits reported a group of early settlers of the Evansville area in south- western Washington County were found to be in Indian Territory after that area was ceded to the Cherokees in 1828. Each head of a family which had to move east of the territory line was given a warrant for 320 acres of government land.

One family which had to move was the John R Holmesleys and two of his daughters and their husbands. Sometime probably late in 1828, they resettled on Richland Creek in eastern Washington County. In the 1829 Sheriff's Census, eight of the 33 eligible male voters in Richland Township had moved there from west of Evansville. The area had already received settlers but these increased the number substantially. By some reports a horse driven mill owned by Thomas Smith was in operation near the present Tuttle location as early as 1828 and was shown on an 1833 surveyor's map. The extended Holmesley family became major landowners in the area and were successful farmers. Some traded livestock and another, John Austin, discovered corn converted to whisky provided a nice income, producing as much as 200 gallons a year in 1840. Austin served in County offices including Justice of the Peace.

Other properties noted on the 1833 surveyor map included the Edwards water mill, Webber's tanyard, and houses of Philpots, Titsworths, Johsons, and Sanders in addition to Thomas Smith's "improvement".

Thomas Smith's wife Rebecca died around 1841. In 1842 or '43, Smith married Elizabeth Tuttle, young widow of Nathan Tuttle of Mount Comfort. Nathan was a son of Solomon Tuttle. One of Thomas and Rebecca's daughter's, Evaline, in about 1842 married James M Tuttle, also a son of Solomon Tuttle. James and Evaline lived near her parents in the Richland area and Margaret Hawk reported that the town of Tuttle was named for him.

Bibliography:
Washington County Postoffices and Postmasters 1829-1976 by Deane Carter, published 1976 by Washington Co Historical Society
Settlement on Richland Creek by Wally Waits Flashback August 1978
Thomas Smith - Richland by Margaret I Hawk Flashback November 1989

Click here for a map to Tuttle