Laurel Creek (Kentucky)

Laurel Creek
Laurel Creek
Physical characteristics
Source	Laurel Creek headwaters
• coordinates	37°13′46″N 83°49′29″W / 37.22948°N 83.82465°W
2nd source	Falls Branch headwaters
• coordinates	37°12′52″N 83°48′13″W / 37.21445°N 83.80351°W
3rd source	Collins Fork headwaters
• coordinates	37°15′36″N 83°45′37″W / 37.26008°N 83.76038°W
Mouth	Goose Creek
• coordinates	37°12′59″N 83°43′03″W / 37.21632°N 83.71759°W
• elevation	756 feet (230 m)

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

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]

Its major tributaries are:
- Skull Branch 0.875 miles (1.408 km) upstream,^[3] mouth at 37°13′30″N 83°43′52″W / 37.22490°N 83.73115°W / 37.22490; -83.73115 (mouth of Skull Branch)
- Mill Pond Hollow 1.5 miles (2.4 km) upstream,^[4] mouth at 37°13′37″N 83°43′52″W / 37.22701°N 83.73109°W / 37.22701; -83.73109 (mouth of Mill Pond Hollow)
- Chicken Branch 1.75 miles (2.82 km) upstream at an altitude of 825 feet (251 m) ,^[2] mouth at 37°13′41″N 83°44′26″W / 37.22795°N 83.74057°W / 37.22795; -83.74057 (mouth of Chicken Branch)
- Orchard Branch 2.25 miles (3.62 km) upstream at an altitude of 830 feet (250 m),^[5] mouth at 37°13′56″N 83°44′53″W / 37.23234°N 83.74799°W / 37.23234; -83.74799 (mouth of Orchard Branch)
- Collins Branch 2.375 miles (3.822 km) upstream,^[5] mouth at 37°13′59″N 83°44′53″W / 37.23299°N 83.74807°W / 37.23299; -83.74807 (mouth of Collins Branch)
- Falls Branch (a.k.a. Morgan Branch) 4 miles (6.4 km) upstream at an altitude of 890 feet (270 m),^[6]^[1] mouth at 37°13′50″N 83°46′56″W / 37.23056°N 83.78217°W / 37.23056; -83.78217 (mouth of Falls Branch)
- Hogskin Branch 4.5 miles (7.2 km) upstream,^[7] mouth at 37°14′02″N 83°47′32″W / 37.23392°N 83.79215°W / 37.23392; -83.79215 (mouth of Hogskin Branch)

Fall Rock, Hubbardsville, and Laurel Creek post office

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

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

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

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

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m Rennick 2000c, p. 15.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Hodge 1918, p. 15.
^ ^a ^b Hodge 1918, p. 14.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l Rennick 2000c, p. 16.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Hodge 1918, p. 16.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Hodge 1918, p. 17.
^ ^a ^b Hodge 1918, p. 18.

Sources

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.