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History · Knottsville

Knottsville dates to 1836, and 13% of its homes were built before 1940

Below: maps from 1903 on and old-book passages.

1836founded

0on the National Register

13%homes built before 1940

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Quick answers

How Knottsville began

When was Knottsville founded?

1836

Knottsville dates its founding to 1836 (Wikipedia’s history). Its post office opened in 1833.

2020 census: 183190 years

Founding year: Wikipedia. First post office: 1833.

What stands out about Knottsville’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 Knottsville are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.Deep rootsEstablished in 1836: 190 years of Knottsville.

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

Decades since 1900 with photos

00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s

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Timeline

Knottsville, 1833 to 1915

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

19th century
1833Post officeThe Nottsville post office opens
1836
FoundingKnottsville is established
1836Post officeThe Nottsville post office closes
1837Post officeThe Knottsville post office opens
20th century
1903On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
1915Post officeThe Knottsville post office closes

The story so far

Knottsville, in brief

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

Knottsville is a small unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in eastern Daviess County, Kentucky. The population was 183 as of the 2020 census. The first house was built by Leonard Knott in the fall of 1827, for which the town was named. It was laid out in 1836 by William R. Griffith and James Millay.

Knottsville was established in 1836.

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

From the old history books

What they wrote about Knottsville in 1883

Passages that mention Knottsville, cut from the printed page as they were published.

The first settler in this precinct was Valentine Husk, who came in 1796, and after living a short time at Yellow Banks settled at the mouth of Pap Creek. In 1804 he moved to Knottsville Precinct, where he died. James Smeathers and James Adam's came very early; both subsequently settled in Knottsvil… — History of Daviess County, Kentucky, together with sketches of its cities, villages, and townships, educational religious, civil military, and political history, portraits of prominent persons, biographies of representative citizens, and an outline histor1883 · page 850Read the page →
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The first settler in this precinct was Valentine Husk, who came in 1796, and after living a short time at Yellow Banks settled at the mouth of Pap Creek. In 1804 he moved to Knottsville Precinct, where he died. James Smeathers and James Adam's came very early; both subsequently settled in Knottsville, and died many years ago. Richard C. Jett, born in Virafinia, settled on Blackford Creek in 1809. Hon. Benjamin Duncan was one of the pioneers. He was from Virginia, and died in the Kentucky Senate
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.

The first settler in this precinct was Valentine Husk, who came in 1796, and after living a short time at Yellow Banks settled at the mouth of Pup Creek. In 1804 he moved to Knottsville Precinct, where he died. James Smeathers and James Adams came very early; both subsequently settled in Knottsvill… — **History of Daviess County Kentucky**1883 · page 850Read the page →
Read the text
The first settler in this precinct was Valentine Husk, who came in 1796, and after living a short time at Yellow Banks settled at the mouth of Pup Creek. In 1804 he moved to Knottsville Precinct, where he died. James Smeathers and James Adams came very early; both subsequently settled in Knottsville, and died many years ago. Richard C. Jett, born in Virginia, settled on Blackford Creek in 1809. Hon. Benjamin Duncan was one of the pioneers. He was from Virginia, and died in the Kentucky Senate
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.

Wilson, father of Robert T. Wilson, came to the county in 1820, from Nelson County, and settled on a farm four miles west of Knottsville. The Mays came from Nelson County about the same time, and settled on the Hardinsburir road west of Knottsville. The first school in this part of tlie county was … — History of Daviess County, Kentucky, together with sketches of its cities, villages, and townships, educational religious, civil military, and political history, portraits of prominent persons, biographies of representative citizens, and an outline histor1883 · page 592Read the page →
Read the text
Wilson, father of Robert T. Wilson, came to the county in 1820, from Nelson County, and settled on a farm four miles west of Knottsville. The Mays came from Nelson County about the same time, and settled on the Hardinsburir road west of Knottsville. The first school in this part of tlie county was taught by a man named Walker, who happened to be passing through the country; it was taught on Pup Creek, on land afterward owned by John Bell, and the old log cabin in which it was held went to decay more
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.

Scans and text from the Internet Archive. Books published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.

By decade

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Weddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.

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On the map

Knottsville on the map, 1903 to 1953

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

1903Tell 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 Knottsville.

Places that used to be

Lost post offices

Knottsville had its own post office from 1837 to 1915. Another post office, Nottsville, opened and closed inside today’s town.

Nottsville

1833–1836

Knottsville

1837–1915

18301930today

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

Questions about Knottsville’s history

What year was Knottsville founded?

In 1836, according to Wikipedia’s history of the town. Knottsville’s post office opened in 1833.

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

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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 U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock), the USGS Geographic Names Information System and old county and town histories (Internet Archive). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.

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