Posted on: Posey County In. Query Forum Reply Here: http://cgi.rootsweb.com/~genbbs/genbbs.cgi/USA/In/Posey/1215 Surname: ------------------------- See pg. 85 and 86 of Leffel's History of Posey Co. or pg. 365 of Goodspeed's History of Posey Co. Basically the story is that in the 1830's some men from Ohio River flatboats came ashore and got into a brawl with some of the local men, who later successfully beat off the rivermen with hoop poles (used in making barrels). The year book of Mt. Vernon High School is called the Hoop Pole.