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History · South Carrollton

South Carrollton dates to 1838

Most of South Carrollton was built recently: 4% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1977. Below: maps from 1909 on and the census since 1870.

1838founded
0on the National Register
4%homes built before 1940
1famous people
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Photo: Brian Stansberry (photographer) · CC BY 4.0
Quick answers

How South Carrollton began

When was South Carrollton founded?

1838

South Carrollton dates its founding to 1838 (Wikidata). The census first counted it in 1870.

First census: 240 in 18702020 census: 141188 years
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1848.

What stands out about South Carrollton’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 South Carrollton are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.Boom and bustPeaked at 525 in 1890; 141 people lived here in 2020.On the map since 19095 editions of the USGS map, 1909 to 1997. Watch South Carrollton change.Deep rootsEstablished in 1838: 188 years of South Carrollton.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start South Carrollton’s collection

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

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
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People over time

South Carrollton, census by census

010020030040050018801900192019401960198020002020Peak: 525

Peaked at 525 in 1890; 141 people lived here in 2020.

16 censuses, 1870–2020.

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

On the map

South Carrollton on the map, 1909 to 1997

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

South Carrollton on the 1909 USGS mapSouth Carrollton on the 1953 USGS mapSouth Carrollton on the 1963 USGS mapSouth Carrollton on the 1983 USGS mapSouth Carrollton 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 South Carrollton.

The story so far

South Carrollton, in brief

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

South Carrollton is a home rule-class city in Muhlenberg County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 141 at the 2020 census, down from 184 in 2010. Founded as "Randolph Old Farm" in 1838, an early pioneer changed the name of the city to honor his son, Carroll. The name was prefixed with "South" in order to distinguish it from the city of Carrollton.

South Carrollton was established in 1838. Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses its population fell from 184 to 141 (-23%).

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

Timeline

South Carrollton, 1838 to 1909

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

  1. 19th century
  2. 1838
    FoundingSouth Carrollton is established
  3. 1848Post officeThe South Carrollton post office opens
  4. 1860Born hereAlfred Metcalf Jackson is born here
  5. 1890CensusPopulation peaks at 525
  6. 20th century
  7. 1909On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
By decade

South Carrollton, decade by decade

Today4 recent
South-Carrollton-welcome-sign-ky2018South-Carrollton-welcome-sign-kySouth-Carrollton-cc-ky2018South-Carrollton-cc-kyScarrollton-RR-tracks-ky2018Scarrollton-RR-tracks-kyKYMap-doton-SouthCarrollton2004KYMap-doton-SouthCarrollton

Questions about South Carrollton’s history

What year was South Carrollton founded?

In 1838, according to Wikidata. South Carrollton’s post office opened in 1848, and the census of 1870 counted 240 people here.

Memory lane

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

Town Square →
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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 Wikimedia Commons (4), 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.