Although we find mention of Ramelton, not much is actually known about the little community.

However, there are a few things we do know, and we will share them here with you.

Ramelton was a small community in Hamblen Township, Brown County, and was 7 miles northeast of Nashville, just northeast of Gatesville. The time was about 1850 until after 1876.

Ramelton was founded by Joshua Campbell for Ramelton, County Donegal, Ireland.

Joshua was born June 16, 1815, in Donegal, Ireland. He came to America and for a time was in Monroe County, Ohio, where he married Isabella McDonald on April 3, 1845.

By 1855, Joshua and Isabelle were in northeastern Brown County, where their only child, a son, was born May 25, 1855. His name was Archy M. Campbell.

According to records of the Postal Service Department for the period of 1789-1950, now in the National Archives, a post office was established at Ramelton on June 22, 1874, with Joshua Campbell as postmaster.

His successor, Samuel Tracy, was appointed Oct. 23, 1876.

Joshua Campbell died Sept. 15, 1876, at Ramelton and is buried in the Zion Church Cemetery.

Isabelle McDonald was born Feb. 8, 1829, in Washington County, Ohio, the daughter of Archibald and Mary Tate McDonald.

She died Jan. 27, 1869, at Ramelton and is buried next to her husband in the Zion Church Cemetery.

Their son, Archy, died July 21, 1867, and is buried in the Zion Church Cemetery near his parents.

The Campbells were members of the Presbyterian Church at Georgetown (now Bean Blossom), according to church records.

According to an obituary for a William A. Tracy, William was born near Ramelton.

So the Tracy families were residents of the Ramelton area early on, as was the Emma Mead family.

Emma was secretary of the Brown County Board of Charities.

Eliakin Hamblen, ex-clerk and ex-sheriff of Brown County, lived near Ramelton.

This data shows that yes, Ramelton was a real place.

— Brown County Historical Society