Laurel Creek (Kentucky)

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Coordinates: 37°12′59″N 83°43′03″W / 37.21632°N 83.71759°W / 37.21632; -83.71759 (mouth of Laurel Creek)
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Laurel Creek
Physical characteristics
SourceLaurel Creek headwaters
 • coordinates37°13′46″N 83°49′29″W / 37.22948°N 83.82465°W / 37.22948; -83.82465 (Laurel Creek headwaters)
2nd sourceFalls Branch headwaters
 • coordinates37°12′52″N 83°48′13″W / 37.21445°N 83.80351°W / 37.21445; -83.80351 (Falls Branch headwaters)
3rd sourceCollins Fork headwaters
 • coordinates37°15′36″N 83°45′37″W / 37.26008°N 83.76038°W / 37.26008; -83.76038 (Collins Fork headwaters)
MouthGoose Creek[1]
 • coordinates
37°12′59″N 83°43′03″W / 37.21632°N 83.71759°W / 37.21632; -83.71759 (mouth of Laurel Creek)
 • elevation
756 feet (230 m)[2]

Laurel Creek is a creek that is a tributary of Goose Creek river in Clay County, Kentucky.[1] It is 7.5 miles (12.1 km) long.[1] The name comes from the proliferation of mountain laurel on its riverbanks.[1]

Tributaries and post offices[edit]

The Creek mouth on Goose is 0.75 miles (1.21 km) upstream of the mouth of Beech Creek,[1] and 9.25 miles (14.89 km) upstream from Oneida.[2]

Fall Rock, Hubbardsville, and Laurel Creek post office[edit]

Laurel Creek's eponymous post office was established by Joseph Hubbard on 1865-04-21, lasting until 1968.[1] It was originally located at the mouth of what is now named Morgan Branch, that used to be named Falls Branch, and primarily served the area of Hubbardsville.[1] It moved 3 miles (4.8 km) downstream to the mouth of Collins Branch some time before 1902.[1] It was a rural branch of Manchester post office from 1966 until its closure.[1]

Morgan Branch is also the location of the village, school, and post office of Fall Rock.[4] Fall Rock post office was established on 1924-05-22 by postmaster John Campbell, and named after the original name of Morgan Branch which was Falls Branch or Fall Rock Branch.[4] This in turn came from the name of the 10 feet (3.0 m) high waterfall that powered a local grist mill and was also used for social events.[4]

However, the village and school were originally named Pinhook, local oral histories stating that this was after a local fisherman who made fishing hooks out of safety pins bought in the local store.[4] Named John Campbell (not the aforementioned postmaster) he gained the name "Pinhook" Campbell.[4] The village and school were renamed from Pinhook to Fall Rock after the post office when schooling was consolidated in the county in the 20th century.[4]

Hubbardsville's second post office was named Caution, from 1902 to 1918, although postmaster George Hall wanted to call it Clio after his 5-year-old daughter.[1] That clashed with an existing post office of the same name in Whitley County, however.[1]

Millpond[edit]

The Millpond post office was originally named Bessie by postmaster John L. Campbell, who operated it between 1907-11-15 and 1909-06-15, possibly after his wife Elizabeth.[4] Its second postmaster Oscar Hornsby, who reëstablished it on 1921-05-14 in his own general store near to Lower Laurel School, wanted to retain the name; but the name Millpond was assigned instead.[4] Local oral histories disagree as to the origin of this name.[4] It was either named after the pond of Joe Hornsby's flour mill that was built in the 1880s, or it was named after the pond of an old sawmill.[4] Either way, the mill has long since vanished; and at the time of closure in August 1963 the postoffice was located just downstream of Mill Pond Hollow.[4]

General[edit]

In 1918, on Laurel itself John Coldiron had a mine 0.5 miles (0.80 km) upstream,[3] Joseph L. Hornsby had one 1 mile (1.6 km) upstream,[2] James Barnett one 2.175 miles (3.500 km) upstream,[5] Hannibal Morgan one 2.75 miles (4.43 km) upstream,[6] Daniel Baker one 3.25 miles (5.23 km) upstream,[6] and George Hall one 3.875 miles (6.236 km) upstream.[6]

Mrs Hounschell had one 0.75 miles (1.21 km) upstream on Chicken Branch.[2] John Howard's mine was 0.5 miles (0.80 km) upstream on Orchard Branch.[5] Elijah Campbell's was 1.25 miles (2.01 km) upstream on Falls Branch.[6]

Kentucky Route 11 mostly follows the course of the Creek.[1]

Connections[edit]

A gap at the head of Hogskin Branch connects to the Rader Branch of Little Goose Creek.[7]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Rennick 2000c, p. 15.
  2. ^ a b c d e Hodge 1918, p. 15.
  3. ^ a b Hodge 1918, p. 14.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Rennick 2000c, p. 16.
  5. ^ a b c d Hodge 1918, p. 16.
  6. ^ a b c d e Hodge 1918, p. 17.
  7. ^ a b Hodge 1918, p. 18.

Sources[edit]

  • Hodge, James Michael (1918). The coals of Goose Creek and its tributaries. Reports of the Kentucky Geological Survey 4th series 1912–1918. Vol. 4. Frankfort, Kentucky: The State Journal Company. (The coals of Goose Creek and its tributaries at the Internet Archive)
  • Rennick, Robert M. (2000c). "Clay County — Post Offices". County Histories of Kentucky (176). Morehead State University.

Further reading[edit]

  • Rennick, Robert M.; United States Geological Survey. "Barcreek Quadrangle (1952)". Robert M. Rennick Topographical Map Collection (33). Morehead State University.
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