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History · Independence

Independence’s post office opened in 1840, and 3 of its places are on the National Register

More historic than 56% of U.S. towns · #72 of 142 in Kentucky. What drives it

Most of Independence was built recently: 2% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1999. 3 places in town are on the National Register, among them two historic districts with 50 buildings between them. Below: maps from 1950 on and the census since 1850.

1840first post office
3on the National Register
2%homes built before 1940
2famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
Quick answers

How Independence began

When was Independence founded?

1840

The Independence post office opened in 1840, the earliest record of the town by name. Wikidata gives 1842.

First census: 182 in 18502020 census: 28,676186 years

How historic is Independence?

B

More historic than 56% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: the first Independence post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Wikidata: 1842.The full story ↓
History grade

What drives Independence’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Independence is more historic than 56% of U.S. towns, #72 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 Independence’s overall grade.
Founding era1840, from the first post office: founded 1776–1849, an older era than 75% of U.S. townsA−Homes built before 19402.3% of homes (±1.2) · typical KY town 5.9% · U.S. 8.4%C−National Register3 listings, 52 historic buildings, 17.7 per 10,000 residents · typical KY town 29.9 · U.S. 2.4B+
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 56%
NewerOlder
Kentucky towns of 2,500+ (142)Ahead of 50%

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 Independence’s 17.7 sits near the middle of its state (45% of Kentucky towns have fewer) while its 52 historic buildings outnumber those of 85% of U.S. towns.

How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from C+ to A−. The pre-1940 share (±1.2 points) is firm at this size. The founding year is the first post office, not a stated founding date; Wikidata’s 1842 falls in the same era, so the grade doesn’t depend on which one is used.

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 →

What stands out about Independence’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 Independence are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.A historic districtThe Independence Historic District takes in 44 historic buildings.Deep rootsA post office since 1840: 186 years of Independence.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Independence’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Independence’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
On the National Register

3 listings protect 52 historic buildings

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

places listed
3
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
52
each building in a district counts
first listed
1994
Yeager, William A., and Edward Mohr Farmstead
Metcalfe-Stephens HouseYeager, William A., and Edward Mohr FarmsteadIndependence Historic District
BuildingsDistricts

Architectural styles listings

Queen Anne1
Metcalfe-Stephens HouseQueen Anne
All 3 listings
Yeager, William A., and Edward Mohr FarmsteadDistrict · listed 1994Independence Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 2024

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

Timeline

Independence, 1840 to 2001

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

  1. 19th century
  2. 1840Post officeThe Independence post office opens
  3. 20th century
  4. 1950On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  5. 1971Born hereHollis Hammonds is born here
  6. 21st century
  7. 2001Born hereMichael Mayer is born here
The story

How Independence came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Independence.

Read it all →

The area post office was established by Isaac Everett in 1837 as "Everett's Creek"; in 1838, this was changed to "Crews Creek" (presumably after the present Cruises Creek that is south of the city); in 1839, Thomas Hordern renamed it "Bagby".

In 1840, Kenton was formed from Campbell and Boone counties. Local farmer John McCollum donated a site at the center of the new county to be its seat of governance, and the name "Independence" was chosen to honor the liberation of locals from Campbell County. The post office was renamed the same year. Quickly settled, Independence was formally incorporated by the state assembly in 1842.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

By decade

Independence, decade by decade

Today6 recent
Deposit Bank Building, Madison Pike2020Deposit Bank Building, Madison PikeBig Bone Turnpike Sign2020Big Bone Turnpike SignBig Bone Turnpike Sign2020Big Bone Turnpike SignMural City of Independence KY foto by andy hemmer cincinnati2019Mural City of Independence KY foto by andy hemmer cin…Kenton county courthouse2007Kenton county courthouseKYMap-doton-Independence2004KYMap-doton-Independence
On the map

Independence on the map, 1950 to 1981

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

Independence on the 1950 USGS mapIndependence on the 1961 USGS mapIndependence on the 1981 USGS map1950Independence sheet · 1:24,000

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Independence.

People over time

Independence, census by census

05,00010,00015,00020,00025,00030,000185019001950200028,676

Grew from 182 people in 1850 to 28,676 in 2020, more than tenfold.

17 censuses, 1850–2020.

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

Famous people

2 famous people were born in Independence

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

See all →
Michael MayerAmerican football player · b. 2001
Hollis HammondsAmerican installation artist · b. 1971
Places that used to be

Old corners, places now gone and burying grounds

Independence’s post office has been open since 1840.

Hamlets and corners on the map
Oak RidgeRidgeview HeightsWhite Tower
Gone or out of use
Brucewood ChurchchurchIndependence Stationlocale
2cemeteries and burying grounds inside Independence
IndependenceSaint Cecilias

US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

Stories next door

History across the town line

Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.

Erlanger1 historic placeB−Ryland HeightsIts storynot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its townCovington47 historic placesA+ElsmereIts storyC

Questions about Independence’s history

What year was Independence founded?

The Independence post office opened in 1840, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records). Wikidata gives 1842.

How does Independence rank for history?

Independence is more historic than 56% of U.S. towns, #72 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 Independence?

Three places: the Metcalfe-Stephens House (listed 1998), the Yeager, William A., and Edward Mohr Farmstead (1994) and the Independence Historic District (2024).

How old are the homes in Independence?

2% of Independence’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±1.2 points), against a typical 5.9% for a Kentucky town; the median home was built in 1999.

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 (3), 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.