'Smartsville' gains momentum

The "s" is almost back.

The tiny town in the Yuba County foothills that has been without the letter in its name for nearly 100 years is one step closer to getting it back for good.

Smartville, located off Highway 20 near the Yuba-Nevada county line, was given unanimous support from the California Committee on Geographic Names last week.

The committee recommends that the town change its name back to the original "Smartsville" that was used when the boundaries where drawn in 1878. The recommendation will now be forwarded to the U.S. Board on Geographic Names for a final decision at a meeting in early September.

"It's really exciting," Kathy Smith said. "People are always asking how they can help (get the letter back) because they feel they need to do something."

Smith, an author and researcher from Sacramento, said the amount of support from local residents and officials helped with the approval.

Smith was at the California committee meeting to hear the decision. She's has been involved for nearly a year with the town's efforts to get the name restored.

Smartville lost its "s" in 1909 in what the U.S. Board on Geographic Names calls a misunderstanding, but Smith said the United States Postal Service had a rule years ago that did not allow possessives to be used in the name of a town.

An attempt in 1947 to change the name was denied because the no-possessives rule was still in place.

That rule is no longer valid, Smith said, which helped with the board's decision to recommend approval for the name change.

Smith said residents will have a chance to show their support at a signature drive during the town's Pioneer Days on Saturday. The festival will run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Smartville.

"This is very exciting," said resident and "s" supporter Kit Burton. "I think this is going to change Smartsville in ways people won't even be able to imagine."

Burton and Smith said they've seen an overwhelming amount of support from the residents as well as the California Committee on Geographic Names.

"No one expressed reservations at all," Burton said.

If this goes through, "it will be a subtle change, but the change in attitude will be big. People who don't live there won't understand."

What’s Next

The "Smartsville" recommendation now goes to

the U.S. Board on Geographic Names for a final

decision at a meeting in September.

Contact Appeal reporter Andrea Koskey at 749-4709 or akoskey@appeal-democrat.com