The village of South Point was founded in the summer of 1798 by William “Ranger” Davidson. Davidson received the land for his service in the Revolutionary War. It received its name for being located on Ohio’s most southern tip.
Fifty-eight residents of the South Point area signed an incorporation petition in 1887.The village was incorporated in April 1888. On April 2, 1888, Jerry Davidson was elected as the first mayor of South Point.
Although South Point called itself a village, it did not officially become classified as a village until 1953. After the 1950 census, the 804 residents caused the area to meet the population requirement to be considered a village.
North Kenova became a part of South Point in 1960. The Delta area also became a part of South Point.
In 1812, the first school was built in the South Point area. The log structure was located on Solida Creek. John Philips was the teacher and he has eight students.
The first church was First Baptist founded in 1823. The church was originally organized at the home of Stephen Ballard on Solida Road.
For the first 140 years, South Point’s economy was based on farming.
