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History · Whitesville

Whitesville dates to 1844, and 19% of its homes were built before 1940

Its Register listing is the James L. Stinnett House. Its Register listing is the James L. Stinnett House. Below: maps from 1907 on and the census since 1870.

1844founded
1on the National Register
19%homes built before 1940
2famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
Photo: Brian Stansberry (photographer) · CC BY 4.0
Quick answers

How Whitesville began

When was Whitesville founded?

1844

Whitesville dates its founding to 1844 (Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history agree). The census first counted it in 1870.

First census: 257 in 18702020 census: 580182 years
Founding year: Wikidata; Wikipedia’s history section gives the same year. First post office: 1852.

What stands out about Whitesville’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 Whitesville are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.Shrank, then grewLost two-thirds of its people between 1910 and 1930, then grew 5-fold.Deep rootsEstablished in 1844: 182 years of Whitesville.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Whitesville’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Whitesville’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
People over time

Whitesville, census by census

020040060080018801900192019401960198020002020452 in 1910Low: 104

Lost two-thirds of its people between 1910 and 1930, then grew 5-fold.

16 censuses, 1870–2020.

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

Timeline

Whitesville, 1844 to 1980

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

  1. 19th century
  2. 1844
    FoundingWhitesville is established
  3. 1852Post officeThe Whitesville post office opens
  4. 1898Born hereEverett Kelly is born here
  5. 20th century
  6. 1907On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  7. 1947Born hereDavid P. Nash is born here
  8. 1980CensusPopulation peaks at 788
The story so far

Whitesville, in brief

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

Whitesville is a home rule-class city in Daviess County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 580 as of the 2020 Census, up from 552 as of the 2010 census. It is included in the Owensboro, Kentucky Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city was founded in 1844 by Dr. William White, and named for him. The current mayor of Whitesville is Patsy Mayfield.

Whitesville was established in 1844. Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses its population grew from 552 to 580 (+5%).

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

From the old history books

What they wrote about Whitesville in 1883

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

The first Deacons were James Milton and Minor Ford. Samuel Greer was the first clerk after the church was dedicated. The church remained at Boston till 1855, when it was moved to Whitesville. The church at Boston was known as the '• Antioch Church." The first church building erected at Whitesville …
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 517Read the page →
Read the text

The first Deacons were James Milton and Minor Ford. Samuel Greer was the first clerk after the church was dedicated. The church remained at Boston till 1855, when it was moved to Whitesville. The church at Boston was known as the '• Antioch Church." The first church building erected at Whitesville was 'n 1855. It was a frame building, 30 x 40 feet. The moving of the church to Whitesville occurred during Marshall's administration. There was a change made in the ofiices. James Milton still continued Elder, and the

Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
preachers. Services were held in various houses for a number of years before any established church was built. There are now three churches in the precinct: Baptist, erected in 1854, and the Christian in 1855, both in the village of Whitesville, and the Catholic church about 1860. Baptist Church.—I…
History of Daviess County Kentucky1883 · page 514Read the page →
Read the text

preachers. Services were held in various houses for a number of years before any established church was built. There are now three churches in the precinct: Baptist, erected in 1854, and the Christian in 1855, both in the village of Whitesville, and the Catholic church about 1860. Baptist Church.—In 1853, when not even a school-house could be had in which to hold worship, the first religious meetings of this church were held in the log-cabin residence of William Bart-

Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
preachers. Services were held in various houses for a number of years before any established church was built. There are now three churches in the precinct : Baptist, erected in 1854, and the Christian in 1855, both in the village of Whitesville, and the Catholic church about 1860. Baptist Church.—…
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 514Read the page →
Read the text

preachers. Services were held in various houses for a number of years before any established church was built. There are now three churches in the precinct : Baptist, erected in 1854, and the Christian in 1855, both in the village of Whitesville, and the Catholic church about 1860. Baptist Church.— la 1853, when not even a school-house could be had in which to hold worship, the first religious meetings of this church were held in the log-cabin residence of William Bart-

Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Whitesville is situated in the eastern part of Boston Precinct and is the second town of importance in the county. Its population is in the neighborhood of 400 inhabitants, and is a good business center for a large extentof country for a number of miles in all directions. The village received its n…
History of Daviess County Kentucky1883 · page 510Read the page →
Read the text

Whitesville is situated in the eastern part of Boston Precinct and is the second town of importance in the county. Its population is in the neighborhood of 400 inhabitants, and is a good business center for a large extentof country for a number of miles in all directions. The village received its name from Dr. Wm. Lee White.

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

Whitesville, decade by decade

Today6 recent
James L. Stinnett House2021James L. Stinnett HouseWhitesville-welcome-sign-ky2018Whitesville-welcome-sign-kyWhitesville-post-office-ky2018Whitesville-post-office-kyWhitesville-Main-ky2018Whitesville-Main-kyWhitesville-City-Hall-ky2018Whitesville-City-Hall-kyKYMap-doton-Whitesville2004KYMap-doton-Whitesville
On the map

Whitesville on the map, 1907 to 1953

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

Whitesville on the 1907 USGS mapWhitesville on the 1953 USGS map1907Whitesville 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 Whitesville.

On the National Register

1 historic place in Whitesville

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

place listed
1
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
1
each building in a district counts
first listed
2019
James L. Stinnett House
James L. Stinnett House
Buildings
All 1 listings
James L. Stinnett HouseBuilding · listed 2019

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

Famous people

2 famous people were born in Whitesville

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

See all →
Everett KellyAmerican football player · b. 1898
David P. NashUnited States Army Medal of Honor recipient · b. 1947

Questions about Whitesville’s history

What year was Whitesville founded?

In 1844, according to Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history of the town. Whitesville’s post office opened in 1852, and the census of 1870 counted 257 people here.

What is on the National Register in Whitesville?

One place: the James L. Stinnett House (listed 2019).

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 (6), the National Register of Historic Places (1), 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), 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.