Balls Fork facts for kids

Balls Fork is a stream, which is like a small river, mostly found in Knott County, Kentucky in the United States. It's a branch, or "fork," of Troublesome Creek, which then flows into the North Fork Kentucky River. Balls Fork joins Troublesome Creek in Perry County. This stream is about 19.5 miles (31.4 km) long.

No one knows for sure how Balls Fork got its name. It's a bit of a mystery! Unlike many other places in Kentucky that are named after local families, there are no records of a family named "Balls" living in the area who could have given the stream its name.

What is a Fork?

A "fork" in a river or stream is where a smaller stream branches off from a larger one, or where two streams come together to form a larger one. Balls Fork is one of these branches that flows into Troublesome Creek.

Branches and Important Places

The spot where Balls Fork meets Troublesome Creek is about 23.875 miles (38.423 km) upstream on Troublesome Creek, at a height of about 835 feet (255 m) above sea level.

Balls Fork has many smaller streams that flow into it. These are called tributaries. Here are some of the main ones:

Post Offices in the Area

A post office is a place where you can send and receive mail. In the past, post offices were very important for connecting communities, especially in rural areas like Balls Fork.

The main post office for the area, called Ary, is actually on Troublesome Creek. Before that, the original Troublesome post office also served the Balls Fork area starting in 1882.

Over the years, Balls Fork itself had six different post offices. Interestingly, three of them tried to use "Ball" in their name, but the United States Postal Service (USPS) said no because the name was already taken somewhere else!

Talcum Post Office

The Talcum post office was one of the ones that tried to be named "Ball." It opened in 1903. It was located near a stream called Cutoff Branch. It closed for a bit in 1913 but reopened in 1917. Over its lifetime, it moved several times along Balls Fork before finally closing in 1994.

Yellow Mountain Post Office

The Yellow Mountain post office opened in 1909. It was located on Mill Branch and was named after a nearby mountain called Yellow Mountain. This post office closed in 1951.

Vest Post Office

The Vest post office also tried to be named "Ball." It opened in 1886. People say it was named after a USPS official, even though there's no official record of that person. The Vest post office is still open today! Around it, you can find a school, a store, and a crafts center.

Bearville Post Office

The Bearville post office opened in 1952. It was named after a local family member, "Bear" Combs. This post office was located on Big Branch and closed in 1984.

Soft Shell Post Office

The Soft Shell post office, another one that tried to be named "Ball," opened in 1926. It was named after a local church, the Soft Shell church, which was a type of Regular Baptists. This church was different from the "Hard Shell Baptists." The post office was located where Wiley Branch meets Balls Fork and closed in 1983.

Coal Mines in the Area

The Balls Fork area was also home to many coal mines. Coal mining was a very important industry in Kentucky, providing jobs and energy. Many families in the area owned or worked in these mines.

For example, in 1918, there were mines owned by Bud Dobson and William Messer. Other families like the Grigsbys, Combs, Tripletts, Richies, Fugates, Gearharts, Patricks, Terrys, and Bowlings also had mines along Balls Fork and its smaller branches. These mines were a big part of the local economy and history for many years.