Simpsonville grew up around a stagecoach stop on the route from Laurens to Greenville. For many years the community was known as Plain, the name of its first post office, which opened in 1838 with Jesse T. Cook as postmaster. The town was later named for Peter Simpson, who came from Laurens District in 1836. Silas Gilbert opened a general store here about the same time and served as postmaster from 1839 to 1844, followed by Simpson from 1844 to 1847. Sidney J. Wilson came from N.C. about 1875 and opened a general store. In 1885 and 1886, the Greenville and Laurens Railroad completed its line from Laurens to Greenville, and Wilson had the town surveyed and city lots laid out on Main St., then soon built the first brick store here. The post office was renamed Simpsonville in 1885, the city was incorporated in 1901, and Simpsonville Cotton Mill, later a branch of Woodside Mills, operated here from 1908 to 1989.