Goose Creek (Oneida, Kentucky) facts for kids

Goose Creek is a stream, or small river, located in Clay County, Kentucky. It's one of two main streams that form the beginning of the South Fork Kentucky River. The other stream is called the Red Bird River.

Goose Creek is about 40 miles (64 km) long. It flows through a beautiful area with many smaller streams joining it.

What are the main streams that flow into Goose Creek?

Many smaller streams, called tributaries, flow into Goose Creek. Over time, many small communities grew along these streams. These communities often had their own post offices. By the early 2000s, there had been 48 post offices along Goose Creek and its tributaries, including the one in Manchester.

Some of the important tributaries include:

• Lick Branch
• Sharper Branch
• Furnace Branch
• Laurel Branch
• Hacker Branch
• Wildcat Branch
• Conolley Branch
• Beech Creek: This creek is also known for its wildlife.
• Laurel Creek
• Jacks Creek (also called Jacks Branch)
• Bolling Branch
• Island Creek: This creek has a Right Fork and a Left Fork.
• Hart Branch
• Needmore Branch
• Little Goose Creek
• The Manchester town branch
• Tanyard Branch
• Horse Creek
• Collins Creek
• Lockhart Creek (also known as Whites Branch)
• Shop-Bottom Branch
• Rocky Branch
• Granny Branch (also called Grannies Branch)
• Wildcat Creek
• Billy Branch (also called Billys Branch): This branch is about 2.5 miles (4.0 km) long. It was reportedly named after a member of the local Sevier family.
• Schoolhouse Branch
• Martins Creek
• Stewart Branch
• Brown Branch (also called Blythe Branch)
• Otter Creek: This creek has a Right Fork and a Left Fork, with even smaller streams like Swafford Branch and Knob-Lick Branch.
• Timbertree Branch (also known as Mud Lick): In the 1800s, it was called Timbertree Creek.
• Tom's Branch
• Mill Branch
• Mill Creek: This creek has a Right Fork and a Left Fork.
• Asher Fork (also called Ashers Fork): This stream is about 4 miles (6.4 km) long.
• Stewart Branch
• Hun Jackson Branch
• Grubb Branch (formerly Sams Branch)
• Indian Grave Branch
• Buck Smith Branch

The very beginning of Goose Creek, downstream to where Collins Creek joins it, was once called its East Fork. Today, it's just considered part of Goose Creek itself.

Near the start of Goose Creek, about 21.5 miles (34.6 km) upstream from Manchester, there's a place called Paint Gap. This is a natural opening in the land that leads to the Stinking Creek, which is a part of the Cumberland River.

Post offices along the creeks

Many small post offices were set up to serve the communities along Goose Creek and its tributaries.

Lockhart Creek and Lockards post office

Lockhart Creek was likely named after the Lockhart family, who owned a large piece of land there in the 1780s. It's also sometimes called Lockards Creek or Whites Branch, named after early settlers Hugh and Catherine White.

The Lockards post office opened in 1932 but closed just two years later. The postmaster, H. W. Short, originally wanted to name it White Hall.

Post offices on smaller creeks

• Hollingsworth post office: This post office opened in 1901 on the Right Fork of Island Creek. It was meant to serve the community of Brooks. The postmaster wanted to use the name Brooks, but there was already another post office with that name. It closed in 1905, reopened briefly, and then closed again in 1912.
• Botto post office: This post office opened in 1928, about 1 mile up Billys Branch. It closed in 1964.
• Ogle post office: This post office was located on Otter Creek.

Post offices along Goose Creek itself

• Hensley post office: This post office opened in 1905 with the name Hacker, but was renamed Hensley a few months later. Both names came from important local families. It closed in 1965.
• Treadway post office: This post office ran from 1887 to 1894, likely near the mouth of Jacks Branch. It was named after its postmasters, John H. Treadway and Peter R. Treadway.
• Bernice post office: This post office was established in the same area in 1907 by Elisha B. Treadway. It was named after his daughter, Bernice. It moved a mile upstream before 1939 and closed in 1955.
• Seeley post office: This post office opened in 1898 and was named after its postmaster, Peasant D. Seeley. It moved to different locations over the years, including near Lebanon Church. It closed in 1908.
• Disappoint post office: This post office was established in 1883 but closed very quickly, just a month later. Its exact location is not known.
• Lipps post office: This post office was first established at the mouth of Otter Creek in 1901 but was quickly canceled. It was successfully reestablished in 1903 and closed in 1935. It later moved upstream to the mouth of Mud Lick branch.
• Smallwood post office: This post office opened in 1876 and closed in 1879. It was named after a pioneer family in the area.
• Eros post office: This post office opened in 1899 and closed in 1902. It was located near the head of Goose Creek. The postmaster originally wanted to name it Callahan.

Goose Rock

The Goose Rock post office opened in 1891. It moved to several different spots along Goose Creek over the years. These locations included near Schoolhouse Branch, Rocky Branch, Grannies Branch, and a place called The Cut. By the early 2000s, it was at the mouth of Grannies Branch.

The area served by this post office also has a Goose Rock consolidated school.

A local story says the name "Goose Rock" came from a goose that built its nest on a rock in the middle of the creek. However, there isn't such a rock there today. It's possible the nest was on a cliff overlooking the post office instead.

Bright's Shade

The Brightshade post office was also located at different spots along Goose Creek during its history.

The name "Bright's Shade" originally came from the home of Wiley and Ester Bright. Their home was a popular stopping point for travelers along the creek. They had settled there in 1862. When the post office opened in 1883, it took this name. Later, the postal service removed the apostrophe and combined the words into "Brightshade."

The post office moved upstream several times, eventually reaching its final location at the mouth of Mill Creek by 1906. It closed in 1984.

Icecliff and Asher's Fork

The Icecliff post office was first established in 1904. It was named after a cliff covered with icicles near the post office. It closed in 1909 due to a fire.

The post office was reopened in 1929, again as Ice Cliff. It closed again in 1933.

It was reestablished a second time in 1940, but this time it was named Ashers Fork. It was named after the creek where it was now located, Asher's Fork on Goose Creek. This creek was named after the Asher family who lived in the area. The Ashers Fork post office closed in 1974.

Other interesting places along Goose Creek

• Goose Creek Salt Works: This was a place where people extracted salt from the ground, which was a very important resource in early times.