Paulton began when Gaslro and Mehan sank a mine in the southeast quarter of section 6 of Crab Orchard Township, in 1917. A town was plotted around the mine. There were three stores, the company store managed by Elmer Krantz, a grocery store run by Harry Pearson and another grocery run by Marvin Allen. There were fifty houses built by the mining company. The village had a population of 225.

The mine was closed in 1933. With the mine the company store was closed. Pearson went out of business soon after the mine was closed. Marvin Allen kept his store for some time and closed it.

The Paulton Church of God was organized soon after the village was built. Today 6 houses stand in Paulton. They were bought by their occupants.

(Ghost Towns of Southern Illinois, by Glenn J. Sneed, published 1977)