The story
Read it all →How Kensett came to be
From Wikipedia’s history of Kensett.
Kensett was platted in 1872 shortly after the railroad was built through that territory in 1871.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
–Not graded
History · Kensett
Kensett dates to 1872, and 51% of its homes were built before 1940
Its Register listing is the First Methodist Episcopal Church. Below: maps from 1972 on and the census since 1900.
1872founded
1on the National Register
51%homes built before 1940
Quick answers
How Kensett began
When was Kensett founded?
1872
Kensett dates its founding to 1872 (Wikipedia’s history). The census first counted it in 1900.
First census: 459 in 19002020 census: 257154 years
Founding year: Wikipedia. First post office: 1875.The full story ↓
What stands out about Kensett’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
★ What stands out · Help out
Start Kensett’s collection
The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Kensett’s history is told.
Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.Timeline
Kensett, 1872 to 1972
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
- 19th century
- 1872FoundingKensett is established
- 1875Post officeThe Kensett post office opens
- 20th century
- 1972
On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
By decade
Kensett, decade by decade
Today2 recent
2018
2004On the map
Kensett on the map, 1972 to 1985
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Kensett. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1972Manly sheet · 1:24,000U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Kensett.
On the National Register
1 historic place in Kensett
The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.
place listed
1
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
1
each building in a district counts
first listed
2000
First Methodist Episcopal Church
Buildings
Architectural styles listings
Gothic1
National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.
People over time
Kensett, census by census
Between 257 and 459 people in every census since 1900.
13 censuses, 1900–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Kensett’s Wikipedia page.
Famous people
See all →Famous people close to Kensett
Nobody well known was born in Kensett itself, so here are the best known from just nearby.
W
Wallace StegnerAmerican historian, writer, and environmentalist · b. 1909
R
Ralph SenenskyAmerican television director · b. 1923Questions about Kensett’s history
What year was Kensett founded?
In 1872, according to Wikipedia’s history of the town. Kensett’s post office opened in 1875, and the census of 1900 counted 459 people here.
What is on the National Register in Kensett?
One place: the First Methodist Episcopal Church (listed 2000).
Memory lane
What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.
Start a conversation
Sources
Where this page comes from
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021). How TownRatings grades history →
From Wikimedia Commons (2), the National Register of Historic Places (1), Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.