Big Creek (Perry, Kentucky) facts for kids

Big Creek is a small river, also called a stream, located in Perry County, Kentucky, in the United States. It flows into the North Fork Kentucky River. Big Creek joins the larger river about 1 mile (1.6 km) past a place called Typo. It's also about 5 miles (8.0 km) before Hazard. The stream is about 810 feet (250 m) above sea level at this point.

Big Creek is nearly 10 miles (16 km) long. A road called Kentucky Route 80 runs alongside it for part of its journey.

What is Big Creek?

Big Creek is a natural waterway. It is like a small river that flows into a bigger one. Many smaller streams, called tributaries, flow into Big Creek. These tributaries add water to Big Creek as it travels.

Streams Joining Big Creek

Many smaller streams flow into Big Creek. These are called its tributaries. Here are some of the main ones:

• Brown Fork joins Big Creek about 0.75 miles (1.21 km) upstream.
  • Curley Fork flows into Brown Fork about 1 mile (1.6 km) upstream from its mouth.
  • Campbell Branch joins Brown Fork about 1.75 miles (2.82 km) upstream.
  • Sheep Hollow flows into Brown Fork about 3 miles (4.8 km) upstream.
  • Bull Fork joins Brown Fork about 4.5 miles (7.2 km) upstream.
• Coal Harbor Branch joins Big Creek about 1.25 miles (2.01 km) upstream.
• Amy Fork (also called Right Fork) joins Big Creek about 3 miles (4.8 km) upstream.
  • Steep Field Branch flows into Amy Fork about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) upstream.
• Boar Branch joins Big Creek about 3.5 miles (5.6 km) upstream.
• Whittaker Branch joins Big Creek about 4.875 miles (7.846 km) upstream.
• Wolf Branch joins Big Creek about 4.875 miles (7.846 km) upstream.
• Ben's Branch joins Big Creek about 6.25 miles (10.06 km) upstream.
• Jack's Branch joins Big Creek about 7.125 miles (11.467 km) upstream.
• Buffalo Fork joins Big Creek about 7.75 miles (12.47 km) upstream.

History of the Area

The area around Big Creek has a rich history. In 1918, a school house was located about 5.25 miles (8.45 km) upstream along Big Creek. Over time, five different post offices served the communities along Big Creek and its tributaries.

Old Post Offices

Post offices were very important long ago. They were places where people sent and received mail. They also served as community gathering spots.

Catur Post Office

The Catur post office was the first. It opened on March 12, 1880. Benjamin T. Fields was its first postmaster. It was likely located on the Amy Fork, also known as Right Fork. However, it closed quickly, on December 6, 1880.

Begley Post Office

The Begley post office opened on March 31, 1910. It was named after a local family. Link Eversole was the postmaster. This post office was located right on Big Creek. It closed in April 1911.

Many people in the area worked in coal mining. Irvine Eversole had coal mines on Jenny Lick Branch. Link Eversole Jr. had a mine on Buffalo Fork. Link Eversole himself had a mine on Big Creek, about 9 miles (14 km) upstream. John Eversole also had a mine on Big Creek, about 8.25 miles (13.28 km) upstream.

Tug Post Office

The Tug post office opened on September 15, 1917. Ballard F. Fields was its postmaster. This post office was also on Big Creek. It might have been named after a local farmer named Tug Field.

Browns Fork Post Office

The Browns Fork post office opened in 1946. It was located on Brown's Fork. Marion Couch was the postmaster. This post office also closed in 1946.

Other Old Mines

Many other old coal mines were located along Big Creek and its branches. John Morgan and Bud Couch had mines on Steep Field Branch. Levi Couch had a mine on a smaller branch off Steep Field Branch. Cady Shepherd had a mine on Amy Fork. Wilson Baker had a mine on Boar Fork.

Peter Whittaker had a mine on Whittaker Branch, which was named after him. The Combs family had mines on Wolf Branch. Andrew Browning had a mine on Ben's Branch. Elihu Minyard had an old coal mine on Minyard Branch, a small part of Jack's Branch.

The Avawam Post Office

The Avawam post office had a very interesting history because it moved around a lot! It was first established on December 10, 1892. Alfred Couch was the first postmaster.

Alfred Couch wanted to name it "Couch" after his family. When that wasn't possible, he thought of "Wigwam" or "Agawam." A story says he named it after Agawam, Massachusetts. But, by mistake, it came out as "Avawam."

Avawam moved more than most post offices in eastern Kentucky.

• It started at the mouth of Brown's Fork.
• By 1915, it moved to Amy Fork.
• In October 1916, it moved with postmaster John D. Fields to Mudlick Fork on Amy Fork.
• In April 1917, it moved across the county line to McIntosh Creek.
• In October 1917, it moved back to Mudlick Fork, this time with Henry C. Fields as postmaster.

Many members of the Fields family lived and worked in the area. John Fields owned land on Amy Fork. Henry Fields and Rufus Fields had coal mines on Sheep Field Branch. Walter Fields had a mine on Amy Fork. Mrs. Charles Fields had a mine on Boar Branch. R. B. Fields had a mine on Big Creek, just upstream from Whittaker Branch.

The Avawam post office continued to move several more times between the 1920s and 1940. In 1941, it returned to Amy Fork (Right Fork). After a few final moves, Avawam reached its last location. It ended up about 1.2 miles (1.9 km) upstream on Amy Fork, a little past where Steep Field Branch joins.