How Centertown came to be
From Wikipedia’s history of Centertown.
Incorporated in 1890, the city is named for its location between Hartford and the Green River shipping port of Point Pleasant.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Most of Centertown was built recently: 6% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1974. Below: maps from 1909 on and the census since 1890.
Centertown dates its founding to 1890 (Wikidata). The census first counted it in 1890.
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Centertown’s history is told.
From Wikipedia’s history of Centertown.
Incorporated in 1890, the city is named for its location between Hartford and the Green River shipping port of Point Pleasant.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological SurveyEvery edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Centertown. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Centertown.
Between 79 and 462 people in every census since 1890.
14 censuses, 1890–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Centertown’s Wikipedia page.
Nobody well known was born in Centertown itself, so here are the best known from just nearby.
Centertown’s post office has been open since 1893. Another post office, Centretown, opened and closed inside today’s town.
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
In 1890, according to Wikidata. Centertown’s post office opened in 1866, and the census of 1890 counted 79 people here.
What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.
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 (4), 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.
1909Hartford sheet · 1:62,500