Carntown

Stepstone Creek was named by surveyors in 1793 for the resemblance of its bed to a series of stone steps.            

Carntown was a settlement with an post office on KY 154, between Ky 8 and the Ohio River, just below the mouth of Stepstone Creek, 11.5 miles north northeast of Falmouth.   This site may first have been called Barker’s Landing and Stepstone but the post office was established on July 5, 1839, as Motier (mawt/u/yur) with Francis Chalfant, Postmaster.  In 1847 it was known as Stepstone Creek as noted in church records.  It was discontinued in 1872 and reestablished the following year as Motier with Hiram J. Carnes as Postmaster.   

From the R. L. Polk business directory of 1876-1877:  “Motier is also called Stepstone, a small village on the Ohio River, in the northeastern part of Pendleton County, 15 miles from Falmouth, the county seat. 186 miles by river or 138 miles by rail from Louisville, and 8 miles from Butler Station, on the Kentucky Central R.R.  It’s nearest shipping point is by rail.  Its exports are tobacco, hogs, wheat, corn and wine.  Tri-weekly mail.  Population 20.  H.J. Carnes, postmaster.”  Three businesses are listed:  S. H. Fossit, general store; Hobbs, Carnes & Co, General Store and Leaf Tobacco Dealers; and, Jacob Rath, hotel and general store.  

Jacob Carnes, who had become postmaster in 1884 had the name changed to Carntown in 1891.  The post office was discontinued in 1920.   There is a tiny part of Pendleton County that touches the Ohio River.  That is where Carntown is/was.  In 1959, it was purchased from Matilda Vornhagen Timmerwilke by a stone quarry.  

1858-1912 Immaculate Conception Church, Stepstone, Ky.
1847 – Fr. L. Spitzlberger, pastor
1864 – Fr. Kuhlman, pastor  

by Donna Hoffman. Thanks for sending it to us Donna.