James Nichols became the first settler here in 1842. The village sprang up from the efforts of George Fisher and Truman Spencer, who built a sawmill about 1855. The village took the name Bell Oak from the Bell Oak School, named for its solid oak construction and its bell. The LOCKE P.O. operated intermittently from 1861-1901 —most of the early settlers here came from Locke Township, NY. The names Bell Oak and Locke were used interchangeably for many years.