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B−History
History · Central City

Central City dates to 1826, and 1 of its places is on the National Register

More historic than 49% of U.S. towns · #83 of 142 in Kentucky. What drives it

Most of Central City was built recently: 4% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1975. Its Register listing is the Robert Thomas House. Below: 3 old photos and papers, maps from 1909 on, and the census since 1890.

1826founded
1on the National Register
4%homes built before 1940
3old photos & papers
4famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
From Central City’s archive · credits on each photo
Quick answers

How Central City began

When was Central City founded?

1826

Central City dates its founding to 1826 (Wikidata). The census first counted it in 1890.

First census: 1,144 in 18902020 census: 5,819200 years

How historic is Central City?

B−

More historic than 49% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1882.The full story ↓
History grade

What drives Central City’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Central City is more historic than 49% of U.S. towns, #83 of 142 in Kentucky. Its age holds the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.

B−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Central City’s overall grade.
Founding era1826, from Wikidata: founded 1776–1849, an older era than 75% of U.S. townsA−Homes built before 19404.1% of homes (±3.8) · typical KY town 5.9% · U.S. 8.4%CNational Register1 listing, 2 historic buildings, 3.5 per 10,000 residents · typical KY town 29.9 · U.S. 2.4C+
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 49%
NewerOlder
Kentucky towns of 2,500+ (142)Ahead of 42%

Kentucky towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical Kentucky town has 29.9 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Central City’s 3.5 sits below most of its state (30% of Kentucky towns have fewer) while its 2 historic buildings outnumber those of 60% of U.S. towns.

NoteThe founding year comes from Wikidata alone; no second source gives 1826.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from C to B. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±3.8 points).

Founding year: Wikidata (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →

What stands out about Central City’s past

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

A history waiting to be writtenOnly 3 old photos are in the public archives. The rest are in attics and albums.On the map since 19095 editions of the USGS map, 1909 to 1997. Watch Central City change.Deep rootsEstablished in 1826: 200 years of Central City.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Central City’s collection

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

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
1 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Retake an old view1940 Census Enumeration District Maps -…: stand where they stood+15Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
On the map

Central City on the map, 1909 to 1997

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

Central City on the 1909 USGS mapCentral City on the 1953 USGS mapCentral City on the 1963 USGS mapCentral City on the 1983 USGS mapCentral City on the 1997 USGS map1909Central City 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 Central City.

Timeline

Central City, 1826 to 1958

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

  1. 19th century
  2. 1826
    FoundingCentral City is established
  3. 1880In the archive1940 Census Enumeration District Maps - Kentucky - Muhlenberg County - Central City - ED …
  4. 1882Post officeThe Central City post office opens
  5. 1892Born hereZiggy Sears is born here
  6. 20th century
  7. 1909On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  8. 1911Born hereBernard Hickman is born here
  9. 1930Born hereBobby Watson is born here
  10. 1946In the archivePacific Coal Company, Lakeside Mine, Central City, Muhlenberg County, Kentucky. Private h…
  11. 1958Born hereMarty Mason is born here
The story

How Central City came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Central City.

Read it all →

The site of present-day Central City was originally known as "Morehead's Horse Mill" after local resident Charles S. Morehead's steam-powered gristmill. A larger community began to develop after the 1870 advent of the Elizabethtown and Paducah Railroad. A post office was constructed the next year in 1871 and called "Owensboro Junction" after the projected 1872 completion of the Owensboro and Russellville Railroad. By 1873, the settlement was large enough to be incorporated by the state legislature as "Stroud City", after local landowner John Stroud.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

By decade

Central City, decade by decade

2 decades in the archive, from the 1880s to the 1940s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.

1880s2 items
1940 Census Enumeration District Maps - Kentucky - Muhlenberg County - Central City - ED 89-2, ED 89-3, ED 89-4, ED 89-518801940 Census Enumeration District Maps - Kentucky - Mu…1950 Census Enumeration District Maps - Kentucky (KY) - Muhlenberg County - Central City - ED 89-2 to 918801950 Census Enumeration District Maps - Kentucky (KY)…
1890s–1930snothing yet
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Add from your album
1940s1 item
Pacific Coal Company, Lakeside Mine, Central City, Muhlenberg County, Kentucky. Private home of T. J. Jackson, bought f…1946Pacific Coal Company, Lakeside Mine, Central City, Mu…
1950s–1990snothing yet
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Add from your album
Today3 recent
Central City KY 2022a2022Central City KY 2022aFirst Baptist Church2015First Baptist ChurchKYMap-doton-CentralCity2004KYMap-doton-CentralCity
Then & now

Stand where they stood

No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.

1940 Census Enumeration District Maps - Kentucky - Muhlenberg County - Central City - ED 89-2, ED 89-3, ED 89-4, ED 89-5
Retake this view1940 Census Enumeration District Maps - Kentucky - Muhlenberg County - Central City - ED 89-2, ED 89-3, ED 89-4, ED 89-5, 1880

Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Central City’s page.

Retake this view · +15
On the National Register

1 historic place in Central City

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
1990
Robert Thomas House
Robert Thomas House
Buildings

Architectural styles listings

Dutch Colonial Revival1
Robert Thomas HouseDutch Colonial Revival

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

People over time

Central City, census by census

05001,0001,5002,0002,5003,0003,5004,0004,5005,0005,5006,0006,5001900192019401960198020002020Peak: 5,978

Between 1,144 and 5,978 people in every census since 1890.

14 censuses, 1890–2020.

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

Famous people

4 famous people were born in Central City

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

See all →
B
Bobby WatsonAmerican basketball player · b. 1930
B
Bernard HickmanAmerican basketball player and coach · b. 1911
Marty MasonAmerican baseball player and coach · b. 1958
Z
Ziggy SearsBaseball umpire · b. 1892

Questions about Central City’s history

What year was Central City founded?

In 1826, according to Wikidata. Central City’s post office opened in 1882, and the census of 1890 counted 1,144 people here.

How does Central City rank for history?

Central City is more historic than 49% of U.S. towns, #83 of 142 in Kentucky. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.

What is on the National Register in Central City?

One place: the Robert Thomas House (listed 1990).

How old are the homes in Central City?

4% of Central City’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±3.8 points), against a typical 5.9% for a Kentucky town; the median home was built in 1975.

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).

From Wikimedia Commons (6), the National Register of Historic Places (1), Wikipedia, 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.