The Kirk
post office was established in November 1890, with the postmaster being James M. Withers. In addition to the post office, the community had a store, tobacco warehouses, a
stave mill, and a station on the
Louisville, Hardinsburg and Western Railway. The railroad was built through the town in 1888 and operated until 1941. The name honors Kirk, a town in Germany, and the place was named by Harvey McCracken, the president of the railroad company. In the early 20th century, Kirk was an "important town" of Breckinridge County, according to
The Handbook of Kentucky, a state publication. The population was 26 in 1900. Around that time, the community was described thusly in
The Breckinridge News: "The town of Kirk is situated on the 'Henderson route' branch and its inhabitants are of the most wide-awake and industrious kind." One prominent citizen of Kirk was John E. Monarch, who ran for
Kentucky state senator in 1925. The population of Kirk was 56 in 1940. After the railroad closed the population dwindled. The Kirk post office closed in 1965. Despite the population decline, Kirk still appears on county and state maps. ==See also==