Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Kirkersville. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1907Thurston 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 Kirkersville.
The story so far
Kirkersville, in brief
Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Kirkersville yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.
Kirkersville is a village in Licking County, Ohio, United States, along the South Fork of the Licking River. The population was 471 at the 2020 census. Kirkersville was platted in 1832 by William C. Kirker, and named for him.
Kirkersville was established in 1832. Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses its population fell from 525 to 471 (-10%).
Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.
From the old history books
What they wrote about Kirkersville in 1881
Passages that mention Kirkersville, cut from the printed page as they were published.
History of Licking County, Ohio1881 · page 501Read the page →
Read the text
“In 1852 that portion of the church living most convenient to Kirkersville began to feel that they ought to have a separate organization at that place, and in October of that year forty-four members received letters and formed the first Presbyterian church of Kirkersville. In the same year a Congregational church was organized in Columbia Center, and eight more received letters from the South
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
History of Licking County, Ohio1881 · page 475Read the page →
Read the text
night The National road was the means of building up many towns along its route, and among others Kirkersville, in this township; and, in fact, it is the only village in the township except Kirkersville station. It was laid out in 1832, by Dr. Williaiif C. Kirker, who owned some fine land at this point on South fork, at the mouth of Bloody run.
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.
Timeline
Kirkersville, 1832 to 1907
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
Between 264 and 626 people in every census since 1870.
13 censuses, 1870–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Kirkersville’s Wikipedia page.
Places that used to be
Places now gone and burying grounds
Kirkersville’s post office has been open since 1833.
Gone or out of use
O'Kunes Milllocale
1cemetery inside Kirkersville
Kirkersville
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
Questions about Kirkersville’s history
What year was Kirkersville founded?
In 1832, according to Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history of the town. Kirkersville’s post office opened in 1833, and the census of 1870 counted 295 people here.
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), 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.
Date?
2015
2009
2004