Middle Fork Kentucky River facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Middle Fork Kentucky River |
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| River mouth | Kentucky River just upstream of Beattyville 37°35′12″N 83°40′12″W / 37.58664°N 83.67009°W |
The Middle Fork Kentucky River is a river in Kentucky, United States. It's like a big branch of the main Kentucky River. This fork joins the Kentucky River near a town called Beattyville. It is about 85 miles (137 km) long.
Contents
Understanding the River's Water
The Middle Fork Kentucky River is part of the larger Kentucky River system. This system includes many rivers and streams that flow into each other.
When the River Floods
Sometimes, rivers can overflow their banks, causing floods. The Kentucky River area, including the Middle Fork, had a very big flood in early 1957. The water levels were much higher than ever before. For example, in Buckhorn, the water was 5.0 feet (1.5 m) higher than the previous record flood. Sadly, one person was lost in Cutshin Creek during this flood.
The flood caused a lot of damage in towns. In Buckhorn, some homes were under 10 feet (3.0 m) of water. In Hyden, about 30% of the homes were damaged. Many businesses in Hyden were also flooded. A local lumber company even lost a lot of its wood stock because the water swept it away.
Streams and Places Along the River
The Middle Fork Kentucky River has many smaller streams, called tributaries, that flow into it. Here are some of the most interesting ones:
- Its major tributaries include:
- Hell-for-Certain Creek
- Mill Branch
- Big Fork
- Devils Jump Branch
- Oldhouse Branch
- Polly Morril Branch
- Bull Creek
- Lower Field Branch
- Wolf Pen Branch
- Thousand Sticks Branch
- Henry Fork (also known as Osborne Fork)
- Davidson Fork
- Cutshin Creek
- Mile Branch
- Nighwaw Branch
- Elic Branch
- Asher Branch
- Betty Branch
- Owls-Nest Branch
- Banger Branch
- Roberts Branch
- Rockhouse Creek (at Hyden)
- Tantrough Branch
- Big Lute Branch
- Shack Branch
- Potato Knob Branch
- Puncheon Camp Branch
- Road Fork
- Left Branch
- Laurel Creek
- Hurst Creek
- Round Hole Branch
- Rough Branch
- Davis Branch (also known as Mart's Branch)
- Short Creek
- Munsey Creek
- Right Fork
- Hurricane Creek
- Wolf Fork
- Burnt Camp Creek
- Morgan Branch
- Left Fork
- Big Branch
- Camp Branch
- Johns Creek
- Right Fork
- Lower Bad Creek
- Bonnet Rock Branch
- Marion Fork
- Stinnett Creek
- Little Stinnett Creek
- Lick Fork
- Big Branch
- Greasy Creek
- Saltwell Branch
- Trace Branch (also known as Harmon Branch)
- Martor Fork
- Beech Fork
- Lower Bad Creek
- Pinch Hollow
- Upper Bad Creek
- Sang Branch (also known as Ginseng Branch)
- White Oak Creek
- War Branch
- Rye Cove Branch
- Roark Branch
- Turkey Branch
- Spruce Pine Creek
- Dry Fork
- Long Fork
- Mazie Branch
- Rough Branch
- Rainbow Branch (also known as Meadow Branch)
- Hell-for-Certain Creek
In the 1800s, the spot where Bull Creek, the Middle Fork, and Cutshin Creek all meet was called a "turkeyfoot." This was because the way the streams came together looked like a turkey's foot.
Hell-For-Certain Creek and Its Post Offices
The name "Hell-for-Certain Creek" has a fun story behind it. People say it comes from two travelers who had a really tough time getting through its waters. While some storytellers use a different pronunciation, it's important to know that the correct way to say it is "Hell-for-Certain."
The Osha post office was started in 1906 by William C. Begley. He wanted to name it "Hell For Certain" after the creek, but the postal service said no. So, he named it after his daughter, Osha. This post office was located at the mouth of Hell-for-Certain Creek and closed in 1907.
The Omarsville post office began in 1929. It was named after Omar Huff. This post office moved around a few times. In 1942, it moved to a store owned by Ethel and Sam Pilatos. Sam was from Greece, and in 1945, the post office was renamed Kaliopi after his mother. This was done because other post offices had similar names, and mail was getting mixed up. The Kaliopi post office closed in 1981.
Dryhill and Thousandsticks Post Offices on Bull Creek
The Dryhill post office was set up in 1897. It was on a "dry hill" right above the "turkeyfoot" area where Bull Creek, Middle Fork, and Cutshin Creek meet. Today, the Daniel Boone Parkway and Kentucky Route 257 cross the Middle Fork in this area. This post office served a store at the mouth of Bull Creek. It closed in 1908. Later, someone tried to reopen it, but the name "Dryhill" was already taken elsewhere. It became a rural branch of the Hyden post office in 1964.
The Gad post office started in 1905. The postmaster wanted to name it "Bull Creek," but that name was already in use. So, she chose "Gad," which is a name from the Bible. In 1924, it moved to Bull Creek itself, at the mouth of Thousandsticks Creek, and was renamed Thousandsticks. This post office closed in 2004.
The name "Thousandsticks" (for the post office, creek, school, church, and a nearby mountain) has two origin stories:
- Some say early settlers found many old, dead trees in the area. They called them "thousand sticks" because there were so many tree trunks.
- Others believe early travelers saw the aftermath of a forest fire. They named it "thousand sticks" because of all the charred tree stumps left behind.
Kentucky Route 118 is also known as the "Hyden Spur." It connects to the Daniel Boone Parkway at Thousandsticks and is the main road to Hyden.
