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History · Barlow

Barlow dates to 1872, and 1 of its places is on the National Register

Most of Barlow was built recently: 5% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1977. Its Register listing is the Barlow House. Below: maps from 1931 on and the census since 1910.

1872founded
1on the National Register
5%homes built before 1940
2famous people
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Quick answers

How Barlow began

When was Barlow founded?

1872

Barlow dates its founding to 1872 (Wikipedia’s history). The census first counted it in 1910.

First census: 532 in 19102020 census: 653154 years
Founding year: Wikipedia. First post office: 1903.

What stands out about Barlow’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 Barlow are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Barlow’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Barlow’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 so far

Barlow, in brief

Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Barlow yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.

Barlow is a home rule-class city in Ballard County, Kentucky, in the United States. The city was formally incorporated by the state assembly in 1872 as Barlow City and later reincorporated in 1903. The population was 653 as of the 2020 census. It is part of the Paducah, KY-IL Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Barlow was established in 1872. Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses its population fell from 675 to 653 (-3%).

Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.

Timeline

Barlow, 1872 to 1931

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 19th century
  2. 1872
    FoundingBarlow is established
  3. 1899Born hereEddie Moore is born here
  4. 20th century
  5. 1903BuiltBarlow House is built
  6. 1903Post officeThe Barlow post office opens
  7. 1907Born hereEarl Grace is born here
  8. 1931On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
By decade

Barlow, decade by decade

Today14 recent
Barlow, KY2017Barlow, KYBarlow, KY2017Barlow, KYBarlow, KY2017Barlow, KYBarlow, KY2017Barlow, KYBarlow, KY2017Barlow, KYBarlow, KY2017Barlow, KYBarlow, KY2017Barlow, KYBarlow, KY2017Barlow, KYBarlow, KY2017Barlow, KYBarlow, KY2017Barlow, KYBarlow City Jail - Established 19332017Barlow City Jail - Established 1933Barlow House Museum2013Barlow House MuseumBarlow House2012Barlow HouseKYMap-doton-Barlow2004KYMap-doton-Barlow
On the map

Barlow on the map, 1931 to 1977

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

Barlow on the 1931 USGS mapBarlow on the 1954 USGS mapBarlow on the 1977 USGS map1931Cairo 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 Barlow.

On the National Register

1 historic place in Barlow

The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.

place listed
1
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
2
each building in a district counts
first listed
1991
Barlow House
Barlow House, built 1903
Buildings

Architectural styles listings

Queen Anne1
Barlow HouseQueen Anne · Built 1903

National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.

People over time

Barlow, census by census

0200400600800192019401960198020002020Peak: 746

Between 532 and 746 people in every census since 1910.

12 censuses, 1910–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Barlow’s Wikipedia page.

Famous people

2 famous people were born in Barlow

Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.

See all →
Eddie MooreAmerican baseball player · b. 1899
Earl GraceAmerican baseball player · b. 1907

Questions about Barlow’s history

What year was Barlow founded?

In 1872, according to Wikipedia’s history of the town. Barlow’s post office opened in 1903, and the census of 1910 counted 532 people here.

What is on the National Register in Barlow?

One place: the Barlow House (listed 1991).

Memory lane

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

Town Square →
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 (14), Wikidata (1), the National Register of Historic Places (1), Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, 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.