Timeline story
Simpsonville takes shape on the Louisville road
In Shelby County, Isaac Watkins petitioned to lay out Simpsonville in 1816 as a waystation on the Louisville–Shelbyville road.
A post office opened in 1821; the town incorporated in 1833. It was named for Capt. John Simpson, a Shelby County lawyer and Speaker of the Kentucky House (1810–11) who fought at Fallen Timbers (1794), won a seat in Congress in 1812, then died at the River Raisin on January 22, 1813.
By the mid-1820s the place was a busy Midland Trail stage stop — home ground for anyone driving US 60 past Bagdad today.
Cite this story
Published . Last revised .
Chicago
Snowden, Shannon. "Simpsonville takes shape on the Louisville road." Kentucky History Drive. Published September 23, 2026. Last revised September 23, 2026. https://kyhistorydrive.com/stories/simpsonville-takes-shape-on-the-louisville-road/.
MLA
Snowden, Shannon. "Simpsonville takes shape on the Louisville road." Kentucky History Drive, published 23 Sept. 2026, last revised 23 Sept. 2026, https://kyhistorydrive.com/stories/simpsonville-takes-shape-on-the-louisville-road/.
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