Originally an Indian village, this town was named after Fletcher E. Turrell, who was an early settler, owner of a local lumber firm, and the town's first postmaster. After the town was laid out and established in the late 1880s Turrell became an important center for lumber operations. Today, the town is best known for the Wapanocca National Wildlife Refuge, which is located nearby. Turrel was incorporated September 6, 1926.
