**UPDATE** to Vern Holley Book of Mormon Place Names Theory

[Marcus]

It looks like the post office was named Angola, not the town.

Thanks for sharing. This does however conflict with the earlier 1824 published documents offered by the links provided by Rick Grunder listed above.

According to those documents, published in 1824, Angola was first established in 1813 when it was one of 3 townships divided from Collin’s.

I'm only seeing p.o. information in his links, can you post the link where it said it was a town?

[Craig Paxton]

Thanks for sharing. This does however conflict with the earlier 1824 published documents offered by the links provided by Rick Grunder listed above.

According to those documents, published in 1824, Angola was first established in 1813 when it was one of 3 townships divided from Collin’s.

I'm only seeing p.o. information in his links, can you post the link where it said it was a town?

From Gazzet, note this was printed in 1824

Since 1813, this Town has undergone some changes, in the course of our excessive and chance-medley legislation, but has only lost the E. half of 5 townships, annexed to Alfred, subsequently divided into 3 towns. A.A.,A.L.D.,H.W. Angola P. O.^ see Collins.,

[Marcus]

I'm only seeing p.o. information in his links, can you post the link where it said it was a town?

From Gazzet, note this was printed in 1824

Since 1813, this Town has undergone some changes, in the course of our excessive and chance-medley legislation, but has only lost the E. half of 5 townships, annexed to Alfred, subsequently divided into 3 towns. A.A.,A.L.D.,H.W. Angola P. O.^ see Collins.,

Thanks. The problem I have is that this part of your p. 29 quote:

Since 1813, this Town has undergone some changes, in the course of our excessive and chance-medley legislation, but has only lost the E. half of 5 townships, annexed to Alfred, subsequently divided into 3 towns.

Are the final lines for the Entry titled ANGELICA.

The initials i think are who contributed the entry, and these words:

Angola P. O.^ see Collins.,

are not associated but are the next entry, ANGOLA P.O. and a note.

That entry has the note "See Collins" , which i take to mean look at the Collins entry for information about the Angola post office.

It doesn't seem like the quote supports your assertion that "Angola was first established in 1813 when it was one of 3 townships divided from Collin’s."

[Shulem]

It doesn't seem like the quote supports your assertion that "Angola was first established in 1813 when it was one of 3 townships divided from Collin’s."

You are correct, Marcus. As far as I can ascertain, the connection with Angola being south of Buffalo on a map available to Joseph Smith is absolutely DOA.

You can forget it.

[Marcus]

It doesn't seem like the quote supports your assertion that "Angola was first established in 1813 when it was one of 3 townships divided from Collin’s."

You are correct, Marcus. As far as I can ascertain, the connection with Angola being south of Buffalo on a map available to Joseph Smith is absolutely DOA.

You can forget it.

Lol. Agreed. But the Wikipedia entry was already edited. Oops. Hopefully that is retracted.

[Craig Paxton]

You are correct, Marcus. As far as I can ascertain, the connection with Angola being south of Buffalo on a map available to Joseph Smith is absolutely DOA.

You can forget it.

Lol. Agreed. But the Wikipedia entry was already edited. Oops. Hopefully that is retracted.

I’m confused, Angola Post Office is clearly documented in this 1824 publication, so Angola exists. What am I missing?

[Craig Paxton]

From Gazzet, note this was printed in 1824

Thanks. The problem I have is that this part of your p 29 quote:

Since 1813, this Town has undergone some changes, in the course of our excessive and chance-medley legislation, but has only lost the E. half of 5 townships, annexed to Alfred, subsequently divided into 3 towns.

Are the final lines for the Entry titled ANGELICA.

The initials i think are who contributed the entry, and these words

Angola P. O.^ see Collins.,

are not associated but are the next entry, ANGOLA P.O. and a note.

That entry has the note "See Collins" , which i take to mean look at the Collins entry for information about the Angola post office.

It doesn't seem like the quote supports your assertion that "Angola was first established in 1813 when it was one of 3 townships divided from Collin’s."

Ok. I can see that and appreciate you correcting me, I’m obviously not a trained historian. So the most we can conclude I’d the Angola did exist as a place if only as a Post Office. Is it too much of a jump to assume that the Angola PO was thus named for the area in which it served? Especially since the town of Angola does in fact exist.

In early 1800’s post offices were generally named after Place Names: Post office names often mirrored the names of the communities they served, such as towns, townships, or neighborhoods.

Geographic Features: Names could also be inspired by nearby geographic features or man-made landmarks.

Is it a jump to say that Angola was named after the area that it served?

[Marcus]

Thanks. The problem I have is that this part of your p 29 quote:

Are the final lines for the Entry titled ANGELICA.

The initials i think are who contributed the entry, and these words

are not associated but are the next entry, ANGOLA P.O. and a note.

That entry has the note "See Collins" , which i take to mean look at the Collins entry for information about the Angola post office.

It doesn't seem like the quote supports your assertion that "Angola was first established in 1813 when it was one of 3 townships divided from Collin’s."

Ok. I can see that and appreciate you correcting me, I’m obviously not a trained historian. So the most we can conclude I’d the Angola did exist as a place if only as a Post Office. Is it too much of a jump to assume that the Angola PO was thus named for the area in which it served? Especially since the town of Angola does in fact exist.

I'm not a historian either, but yes, given that YOUR documentation shows that post offices had names different from their towns in multiple cases, I would say it IS too much of a jump.

t the time the new town was founded no postoffice existed; in 1822, however, one was established in Taylor's Hollow and a post-road was built through Eden and Collins to that point. The postoffice got the name of Angola and Jacob Taylor was appointed as the first postmaster. Until 1824 Taylor's Hollow was the end station; afterwards the post road was prolonged ;to Aldrich's Mills and a new postoffice was opened which was called West Lodi; later however the name was changed. Four years later the old town of Collins had already four postoffices, namely Collins in Karr's [1] Corner's, now North Collins, Angola in Taylor's Hollow, Collins Centre and Zoar. The last one was at the Cattaraugus Creek in the southeastern part of the town on a place where a bridge, a mill and a few houses were...

[Shulem]

I’m confused, Angola Post Office is clearly documented in this 1824 publication, so Angola exists. What am I missing?

Well, I saw how the name Angola was listed in those publications, starting with 1813 gazetteer which has no hint of Angola within the vicinity in question, see below:



The 1824 gazetteer list information about the post office (discussed earlier) but does not have a map in which we can confirm the actual location of an Angola within the vicinity in question.

Now, other New York State maps that may have been available to Joseph Smith do not have Angola listed as a township or a post office whereon it could be identified as such. Thus the listing of a post office from the publication cited earlier is all there is and it's deep within the printed material. The following New York State maps do not have Angola:

• 1822 https://www.raremaps.com/gallery/detail ... -carey-lea
• 1823 https://www.raremaps.com/gallery/detail ... k-lucas-jr
• 1824 https://www.raremaps.com/gallery/detail ... ork-finley
• 1826 https://www.raremaps.com/gallery/detail ... 6-desilver

I'm afraid the name Angola being applied to the area in question is placed on maps that come long after Joseph Smith published his Book of Mormon.

[Shulem]

I'm not a historian either, but yes, given that YOUR documentation shows that post offices had names different from their towns in multiple cases, I would say it IS too much of a jump.

I agree with Marcus on this point!

PS. Marcus, I'm hardly ever wrong. I'm nearly perfect.