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History · Brownsville

Brownsville’s post office opened in 1826, and 1 of its places is on the National Register

Most of Brownsville was built recently: 6% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1981. Its Register listing is the Reed-Dorsey House. Below: maps from 1922 on and the census since 1830.

1826first post office
1on the National Register
6%homes built before 1940
4famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
Quick answers

How Brownsville began

When was Brownsville founded?

1826

The Brownsville post office opened in 1826, the earliest record of the town by name.

First census: 229 in 18302020 census: 875200 years
Founding year: the first Brownsville post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0).

What stands out about Brownsville’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 Brownsville are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.Shrank, then grewLost half of its people between 1830 and 1840, then grew 7-fold.On the map since 19223 editions of the USGS map, 1922 to 1965. Watch Brownsville change.Deep rootsA post office since 1826: 200 years of Brownsville.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Brownsville’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Brownsville’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
People over time

Brownsville, census by census

02004006008001,0001850190019502000229 in 1830Low: 112

Lost half of its people between 1830 and 1840, then grew 7-fold.

17 censuses, 1830–2020.

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

On the map

Brownsville on the map, 1922 to 1965

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

Brownsville on the 1922 USGS mapBrownsville on the 1954 USGS mapBrownsville on the 1965 USGS map1922Brownsville 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 Brownsville.

The story so far

Brownsville, in brief

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

Brownsville is a home rule-class city in Edmonson County, Kentucky, in the United States. It is the county seat and is a certified Kentucky Trail Town. As of the 2020 census, Brownsville had a population of 875. It is included in the Bowling Green metropolitan area. It is just outside Mammoth Cave National Park.

Its first post office opened in 1826. Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses its population grew from 836 to 875 (+5%).

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

Timeline

Brownsville, 1826 to 2000

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

  1. 19th century
  2. 1826Post officeThe Brownsville post office opens
  3. 1874Born hereM. M. Logan is born here
  4. 1890Born hereBeverly M. Vincent is born here
  5. 20th century
  6. 1922On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  7. 1925Born hereHarry Hyde is born here
  8. 1951Born hereKeith Madison is born here
  9. 21st century
  10. 2000CensusPopulation peaks at 921
By decade

Brownsville, decade by decade

Today6 recent
Park Entrance Sign2017Park Entrance SignReed-Dorsey House2014Reed-Dorsey HouseEdmonson County Courthouse2014Edmonson County CourthouseBank-and-lodge in2014Bank-and-lodge inEdmonson County Courthouse2007Edmonson County CourthouseBrownsville Kentucky Aerialc. 2002Brownsville Kentucky Aerial
On the National Register

1 historic place in Brownsville

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
1986
Reed-Dorsey House
Reed-Dorsey House
Buildings

Architectural styles listings

Vernacular Greek Revival1
Reed-Dorsey HouseVernacular Greek Revival

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

Famous people

4 famous people were born in Brownsville

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

See all →
M. M. LoganAmerican politician · b. 1874
B
Beverly M. VincentAmerican congressman for Kentucky · b. 1890
Harry HydeNASCAR crew chief · b. 1925
K
Keith MadisonAmerican baseball coach · b. 1951

Questions about Brownsville’s history

What year was Brownsville founded?

The Brownsville post office opened in 1826, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).

What is on the National Register in Brownsville?

One place: the Reed-Dorsey House (listed 1986).

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 (6), 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.