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History · Kingston

Kingston’s post office opened in 1836, and 57% of its homes were built before 1940

Below: maps from 1925 on.

1836first post office
0on the National Register
57%homes built before 1940
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Quick answers

How Kingston began

When was Kingston founded?

1836

The Kingston post office opened in 1836, the earliest record of the town by name.

2020 census: 20190 years
Founding year: the first Kingston post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0).The full story ↓

What stands out about Kingston’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A history waiting to be writtenNo old photos of Kingston are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.Old housesHalf of Kingston’s homes were built before 1938.Deep rootsA post office since 1836: 190 years of Kingston.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Kingston’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Kingston’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
The story

How Kingston came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Kingston.

Read it all →

A post office called Kingston was established in 1836. The community has the name of James King, a first settler.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

By decade

No old photos in the archives yet

Weddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.

Be the first to add onePhotograph a print flat, in daylight, no flash.
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On the map

Kingston on the map, 1925 to 1981

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Kingston. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Kingston on the 1925 USGS mapKingston on the 1981 USGS map1925Liberty sheet · 1:62,500

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Kingston.

Famous people

Famous people close to Kingston

Nobody well known was born in Kingston itself, so here are the best known from just nearby.

See all →
Walter A. ShewhartAmerican statistical quality control expert · b. 1891
C
Clifton C. EdomAmerican photojournalist · b. 1907
Daniel Wafena BellAmerican civil servant & banker · b. 1891

Questions about Kingston’s history

What year was Kingston founded?

The Kingston post office opened in 1836, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
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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 Wikipedia and U.S. Geological Survey historical maps. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.