The Name Risley

The name Risley was given to this area many years ago when the railroad was the main source of transportation for people between towns and the movement of farm commodities.

At the railroad crossing on West Smith Road a farm elevator and post office were built, but no name was given to the area. The railroad's decision was to name the town, and so instructions were given for the train engineer to stop the train there and record the name of the first person off and name the stop after that person.

As the story goes, the train engineer stopped the train, kept all the passengers on and got off himself.  His name was Risley.

However, as time went on, the elevator and post office burned down, and the locals instead used Litchfield and Spencer farm elevators and post offices. As a result, those towns grew.

Camp Risley's location is on the western edge of what was one time the Risley elevator and Post Office area.

The founding trustees of Risley Agricultural Center (a non-profit organization) decided that Risley would be the name.