Elk Creek’s post office opened in 1856
More historic than 13% of U.S. towns. What drives it
Most of Elk Creek was built recently: 1% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 2005.
How Elk Creek began
When was Elk Creek founded?
The Elk Creek post office opened in 1856, the earliest record of the town by name. Another post office, Wilsonville (1831), opened inside today’s town and later closed.
How historic is Elk Creek?
More historic than 13% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
What drives Elk Creek’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Elk Creek is more historic than 13% of U.S. towns. Its age holds the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.
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 Elk Creek’s 0.0 sits below most of its state (12% of Kentucky towns have fewer) while its 0 listings outnumber those of 23% of U.S. towns.
Founding year: the first post office (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 →
Lost post offices and places now gone
Elk Creek had its own post office from 1856 to 1947. Another post office, Wilsonville, 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).
Questions about Elk Creek’s history
What year was Elk Creek founded?
The Elk Creek post office opened in 1856, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
How does Elk Creek rank for history?
Elk Creek is more historic than 13% of U.S. towns. 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.
How old are the homes in Elk Creek?
1% of Elk Creek’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±2.0 points), against a typical 5.9% for a Kentucky town; the median home was built in 2005.
Memory lane
What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.
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 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.