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History · Upton

Upton dates to 1841, and 29% of its homes were built before 1940

Below: 1 old photo or paper, maps from 1937 on, and the census since 1900.

1841founded
0on the National Register
29%homes built before 1940
1old photo or paper
Add an old photoShare a memory
Photo: Brian Stansberry · CC BY 4.0
Quick answers

How Upton began

When was Upton founded?

1841

Upton dates its founding to 1841 (Wikipedia’s history). The census first counted it in 1900.

First census: 125 in 19002020 census: 704185 years
Founding year: Wikipedia. First post office: 1856.The full story ↓

What stands out about Upton’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 1 old photo is in the public archives. The rest are in attics and albums.Deep rootsEstablished in 1841: 185 years of Upton.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Upton’s collection

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

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 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
Timeline

Upton, 1841 to 1937

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

  1. 19th century
  2. 1841
    FoundingUpton is established
  3. 1856Post officeThe Uptonville post office opens
  4. 1880In the archive1940 Census Enumeration District Maps - Kentucky - Hardin County - Upton - ED 47-7
  5. 1892Post officeThe Uptonville post office closes
  6. 1892Post officeThe Upton post office opens
  7. 20th century
  8. 1937On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
The story

How Upton came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Upton.

Read it all →

Upton was founded in 1841, and was initially known as "Leesville." It was renamed in 1856 in honor of George Washington Upton, who had helped develop the area as a stop along the L&N Railroad.

Upton was one of the targets of Confederate John Hunt Morgan during the Civil War. Upton was on the L&N Railroad, one of the key north–south railroads for the Union. The train station and nearby bridges were attacked during the day on December 26, 1862. The Union forces were quickly defeated and Morgan took advantage of the telegraph station in Upton to gather intelligence on Union troop disposition. Morgan then left Upton to destroy bridges at nearby Bacon Creek in Bonnieville and on the Nolin River.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

By decade

Upton, decade by decade

One decade in the archive so far: the 1880s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.

1880s1 item
1940 Census Enumeration District Maps - Kentucky - Hardin County - Upton - ED 47-718801940 Census Enumeration District Maps - Kentucky - Ha…
1890s–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
Today8 recent
Upton-post-office-ky2017Upton-post-office-kyUpton-businesses-ky2017Upton-businesses-kyUpton-United-Methodist-ky2017Upton-United-Methodist-kyUpton-RR-tracks-ky2017Upton-RR-tracks-kyUpton-City-Hall-ky2017Upton-City-Hall-kyUpton-31W-224-ky2017Upton-31W-224-kyUpton-224-ky2017Upton-224-kyKYMap-doton-Upton2004KYMap-doton-Upton
On the map

Upton on the map, 1937 to 1993

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

Upton on the 1937 USGS mapUpton on the 1954 USGS mapUpton on the 1967 USGS mapUpton on the 1979 USGS mapUpton on the 1993 USGS map1937Munfordville 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 Upton.

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 - Hardin County - Upton - ED 47-7
Retake this view1940 Census Enumeration District Maps - Kentucky - Hardin County - Upton - ED 47-7, 1880

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

Retake this view · +15
People over time

Upton, census by census

02004006008001900192019401960198020002020Peak: 731

Between 125 and 731 people in every census since 1900.

13 censuses, 1900–2020.

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

Famous people

Famous people close to Upton

Nobody well known was born in Upton itself, so here are the best known from just nearby.

See all →
Kelly RutherfordAmerican actress · b. 1968
Randolph BresnikAstronaut, Fighter pilot · b. 1967
Simon Bolivar Buckner Jr.American lieutenant general during World War II · b. 1886
B
Becky Ann BakerAmerican actress · b. 1953
Charles MiddletonAmerican actor · b. 1874
Suzan-Lori ParksAmerican writer · b. 1963
Places that used to be

Lost post offices and burying grounds

Upton’s post office has been open since 1892. Another post office, Uptonville, opened and closed inside today’s town.

Uptonville
1856–1892
Upton
1892–today
18501940today
1cemetery inside Upton
Big Springs

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

Questions about Upton’s history

What year was Upton founded?

In 1841, according to Wikipedia’s history of the town. Upton’s post office opened in 1856, and the census of 1900 counted 125 people here.

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). How TownRatings grades history →

From Wikimedia Commons (9), Wikipedia, 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.