The area was originally called "Marysville", and was laid out in 1799 or 1800.[4] A post office called Marysville was established in 1816.[5]
The post office was renamed Claysville in 1825, and remained in operation until it was discontinued in 1917.[6] Claysville was once considered a busy shipping point, but when the railroad was completed in the area and bypassed Claysville, business activity shifted to other nearby towns, and Claysville's population dwindled.[4]