Creswell officially founded in 1874, existed as a community and was known as Cool Springs as early as 1826. The community's postmaster named the town for John A. Creswell, the U.S. Postmaster General under President Ulysses S. Grant. For many years the town served as an important shipping area for farm commodities. Steamboats were common on the Scuppernong River until rail service arrived.