Named for James Smart, who built the first hotel in 1856, the community was referred to in the US Federal land grant of 1878 as Smartsville. Due to a ruling by the US Post Office Department in 1909, the name was changed back to Smartville, and it remained that way for 99 years. Petitions to the Board of Geographic Names led to a ruling in favor of the S, and in August 2008 the name was changed back to Smartsville.