Kasuke was founded in 1861 by H. Russell Venoill and his family. The town started as a small community for miners who mined the nearby mountains for gold and coal, none of which were found in the mountains. In 1884, Kasuke nearly became a ghost town; the population decreased from 348 to 14. In 1899, more people moved to Kasuke from Jonnic City (now Reynoldstown) and nearby settlements. In 1903, Richard Hyll Moulton became the mayor of Kasuke. He ordered the planting of native trees in front of the Town Hall, believing that "every government building on the island should have native trees growing in front of it." When Moulton died in 1914, many of the trees were cut down and more were planted. In 1924, the town banned the sale of alcohol and cigarettes within the town limits (an action the