Balls Fork is a stream that is mainly in Knott County, Kentucky in the United States. [1] It a fork of the Troublesome Creek tributary of the North Fork Kentucky River that it joins over the county line in Perry County. [1] It is 19.5 miles (31.4 km) long. [2]
It is not known where its name comes from. [2] Unlike many other locations in Kentucky, there are no local families recorded with the surname Balls for whom it could have been named. [2]
The mouth of Balls Fork is 23.875 miles (38.423 km) upstream on Troublesome at an altitude of 835 feet (255 m). [3]
The current Ary post office at the mouth of Balls Fork is actually on Troublesome Creek itself, [24] as was the original site of the earlier Troublesome post office that served Balls Fork from 1882. [25]
Balls Fork had six post offices in its history actually on the fork itself or its tributaries. [2] Three of them were refused the name Ball by the USPS because it had already been taken. [26]
The Talcum post office, an attempted Ball, was established on 1903-02-25 by postmaster Levi Collins. [26] It was located at the mouth of Cutoff Branch. [26] After closing in February 1913 it was reëstablished by postmaster Mrs Ida Francis on 1917-04-21. [26] It moved along Balls Fork several times in its lifetime, ending up 3.5 miles (5.6 km) downstream from where it started. [26] It closed in 1994. [26]
The Yellow Mountain post office was established on 1909-03-30 by husband and wife postmasters Reece F. and Louelzia Bolen. [26] It was on Mill Branch, 0.5 miles (0.80 km) upstream and named after the Yellow Mountain there. [26] It closed in 1951. [26]
In 1918, Bud Dobson's mine was on a minor branch 11 miles (18 km) upstream on Balls itself. [11]; and William Messer's 1.5 miles (2.4 km) upstream on Old Trace Branch. [12]
Joseph Sutton's mine was on a minor fork of Trace Branch, 1 mile (1.6 km) upstream; [27] John Ooten's on a minor branch of Pond Branch, 0.5 miles (0.80 km) upstream; [14] Lewis Evans's 0.275 miles (0.443 km) upstream on Pond itself; [14] and Joseph Patten's Balls itself, 17.5 miles (28.2 km) upstream; [19]
Richard Smith had a mine one on Wiley Branch, 0.5 miles (0.80 km) upstream; [20] and John Smith one on Wiley Branch, 2.75 miles (4.43 km) upstream. [28]
Grant Moore had a mine on Wiley Branch, 0.625 miles (1.006 km) upstream; [28] and Solomon Sloane one 0.25 miles (0.40 km) upstream on Hurricane Branch. [28]
William Stewart had a mine on Stewart Fork, 0.875 miles (1.408 km) upstream; [17] and John Conley one on Conley Branch, 1 mile (1.6 km) upstream. [18]
Georges Branch is across a ridge from the Coles Branch of Troublesome Creek. [6]
A Balls Fork post office was on the Fork itself, 7 miles (11 km) upstream. [1] It was established on 1879-09-11 by postmaster William G. Grigsby, and closed in December 1881. [1] [2] Although it would have been in Knott County today, it predated the creation of that county. [1]
James M. Grigsby's mine was on Old House Branch, 0.5 miles (0.80 km) upstream. [13]
The Vest post office, an attempted Ball, was established on 1886-01-31 by postmaster William Grigsby. [26] Anecdotally, although there is no record of such a person, it was named after a USPS official who validated the requirement for a post office. [26] It still exists today, and around it are a consolidated school, a store, and a crafts centre. [26]
The Bearville post office was established in 1952 by postmaster Lucinda Combs. [29] The name was a nickname of one of the members of a sprawling local family on Troublesome Creek and North Fork Kentucky River, one "Bear" Combs. [29] It was on Big Branch, 1.5 miles (2.4 km) upstream. [29] It closed in 1984. [29]
Henry Combs's mine was 1 mile (1.6 km) upstream on Roaring Branch; [7] J. S. Combs's was 0.25 miles (0.40 km) upstream on Hard Branch. [12]
The Soft Shell post office, an attempted Ball, was established on 1926-05-04 by postmaster Sarah Triplett. [26] It was named for the local Soft Shell church, a subgroup of Regular Baptists that differentiated themselves from the Hard Shell Baptists, and located on the mouth of Wiley Branch. [26] It closed in 1983. [29]
John L. Triplett had a mine one on Balls itself, 18.75 miles (30.18 km) upstream; [22] and Thomas Triplett's land was 100 yards (91 m) farther up. [22]
Jason Richie had a mine on Beech Creek, 0.375 miles (0.604 km) upstream; [7] Hiram Richie had one on a minor branch of a minor branch of Balls itself, 5.625 miles (9.053 km) upstream; [22] and Peyton Richie one 13.25 miles (21.32 km) upstream on Balls. [12]
In the Fugate family two brothers had mines on Georges Branch, 0.125 miles (0.201 km) and 0.25 miles (0.40 km) upstream; [4] Daniel Fugate had a mine on a minor branch of Trace Branch, 1 mile (1.6 km) upstream; [27] and Samuel Fugate had a mine 3.125 miles (5.029 km) upstream on Balls Fork itself. [5]
W. F. Gearheart had a mine on a minor branch of Laurel Creek, 2 miles (3.2 km) upstream; [12] Lewis Gearhart one on Sand Lick Branch just over 1.75 miles (2.82 km) upstream past a spring; Elhannon Gearhart one on Balls itself, 15.125 miles (24.341 km) upstream; [30] Martha Gearhart one on a minor fork of Balls, 16.25 miles (26.15 km) upstream; [31] and Allen Gearhart one on Buck Branch, 0.25 miles (0.40 km) upstream. [19]
Rachel Patrick's mine was on a minor fork of Sand Lick Branch, 0.625 miles (1.006 km) upstream. [8] and James Patrick's was on a minor fork of Road Branch, 0.25 miles (0.40 km) upstream. [8]
Thomas Terry had a mine on Right Fork of Big Branch, 0.125 miles (0.201 km) upstream; [9] Rebecca Terry one on a minor branch of Pond Branch, 0.75 miles (1.21 km) upstream; [32] Bud Terry one on Pond itself, 1 mile (1.6 km) upstream; [15] and Benjamin Terry one on a minor fork of Wiley Branch, 0.75 miles (1.21 km) upstream. [28]
Green Bowling's two mines were on two minor forks of Balls, one 16.875 miles (27.158 km) upstream and the other 17 miles (27 km) upstream. [33] William Bowling's mine was 0.75 miles (1.21 km) upstream on Buck Branch. [20]
Balls Fork is a stream that is mainly in Knott County, Kentucky in the United States. [1] It a fork of the Troublesome Creek tributary of the North Fork Kentucky River that it joins over the county line in Perry County. [1] It is 19.5 miles (31.4 km) long. [2]
It is not known where its name comes from. [2] Unlike many other locations in Kentucky, there are no local families recorded with the surname Balls for whom it could have been named. [2]
The mouth of Balls Fork is 23.875 miles (38.423 km) upstream on Troublesome at an altitude of 835 feet (255 m). [3]
The current Ary post office at the mouth of Balls Fork is actually on Troublesome Creek itself, [24] as was the original site of the earlier Troublesome post office that served Balls Fork from 1882. [25]
Balls Fork had six post offices in its history actually on the fork itself or its tributaries. [2] Three of them were refused the name Ball by the USPS because it had already been taken. [26]
The Talcum post office, an attempted Ball, was established on 1903-02-25 by postmaster Levi Collins. [26] It was located at the mouth of Cutoff Branch. [26] After closing in February 1913 it was reëstablished by postmaster Mrs Ida Francis on 1917-04-21. [26] It moved along Balls Fork several times in its lifetime, ending up 3.5 miles (5.6 km) downstream from where it started. [26] It closed in 1994. [26]
The Yellow Mountain post office was established on 1909-03-30 by husband and wife postmasters Reece F. and Louelzia Bolen. [26] It was on Mill Branch, 0.5 miles (0.80 km) upstream and named after the Yellow Mountain there. [26] It closed in 1951. [26]
In 1918, Bud Dobson's mine was on a minor branch 11 miles (18 km) upstream on Balls itself. [11]; and William Messer's 1.5 miles (2.4 km) upstream on Old Trace Branch. [12]
Joseph Sutton's mine was on a minor fork of Trace Branch, 1 mile (1.6 km) upstream; [27] John Ooten's on a minor branch of Pond Branch, 0.5 miles (0.80 km) upstream; [14] Lewis Evans's 0.275 miles (0.443 km) upstream on Pond itself; [14] and Joseph Patten's Balls itself, 17.5 miles (28.2 km) upstream; [19]
Richard Smith had a mine one on Wiley Branch, 0.5 miles (0.80 km) upstream; [20] and John Smith one on Wiley Branch, 2.75 miles (4.43 km) upstream. [28]
Grant Moore had a mine on Wiley Branch, 0.625 miles (1.006 km) upstream; [28] and Solomon Sloane one 0.25 miles (0.40 km) upstream on Hurricane Branch. [28]
William Stewart had a mine on Stewart Fork, 0.875 miles (1.408 km) upstream; [17] and John Conley one on Conley Branch, 1 mile (1.6 km) upstream. [18]
Georges Branch is across a ridge from the Coles Branch of Troublesome Creek. [6]
A Balls Fork post office was on the Fork itself, 7 miles (11 km) upstream. [1] It was established on 1879-09-11 by postmaster William G. Grigsby, and closed in December 1881. [1] [2] Although it would have been in Knott County today, it predated the creation of that county. [1]
James M. Grigsby's mine was on Old House Branch, 0.5 miles (0.80 km) upstream. [13]
The Vest post office, an attempted Ball, was established on 1886-01-31 by postmaster William Grigsby. [26] Anecdotally, although there is no record of such a person, it was named after a USPS official who validated the requirement for a post office. [26] It still exists today, and around it are a consolidated school, a store, and a crafts centre. [26]
The Bearville post office was established in 1952 by postmaster Lucinda Combs. [29] The name was a nickname of one of the members of a sprawling local family on Troublesome Creek and North Fork Kentucky River, one "Bear" Combs. [29] It was on Big Branch, 1.5 miles (2.4 km) upstream. [29] It closed in 1984. [29]
Henry Combs's mine was 1 mile (1.6 km) upstream on Roaring Branch; [7] J. S. Combs's was 0.25 miles (0.40 km) upstream on Hard Branch. [12]
The Soft Shell post office, an attempted Ball, was established on 1926-05-04 by postmaster Sarah Triplett. [26] It was named for the local Soft Shell church, a subgroup of Regular Baptists that differentiated themselves from the Hard Shell Baptists, and located on the mouth of Wiley Branch. [26] It closed in 1983. [29]
John L. Triplett had a mine one on Balls itself, 18.75 miles (30.18 km) upstream; [22] and Thomas Triplett's land was 100 yards (91 m) farther up. [22]
Jason Richie had a mine on Beech Creek, 0.375 miles (0.604 km) upstream; [7] Hiram Richie had one on a minor branch of a minor branch of Balls itself, 5.625 miles (9.053 km) upstream; [22] and Peyton Richie one 13.25 miles (21.32 km) upstream on Balls. [12]
In the Fugate family two brothers had mines on Georges Branch, 0.125 miles (0.201 km) and 0.25 miles (0.40 km) upstream; [4] Daniel Fugate had a mine on a minor branch of Trace Branch, 1 mile (1.6 km) upstream; [27] and Samuel Fugate had a mine 3.125 miles (5.029 km) upstream on Balls Fork itself. [5]
W. F. Gearheart had a mine on a minor branch of Laurel Creek, 2 miles (3.2 km) upstream; [12] Lewis Gearhart one on Sand Lick Branch just over 1.75 miles (2.82 km) upstream past a spring; Elhannon Gearhart one on Balls itself, 15.125 miles (24.341 km) upstream; [30] Martha Gearhart one on a minor fork of Balls, 16.25 miles (26.15 km) upstream; [31] and Allen Gearhart one on Buck Branch, 0.25 miles (0.40 km) upstream. [19]
Rachel Patrick's mine was on a minor fork of Sand Lick Branch, 0.625 miles (1.006 km) upstream. [8] and James Patrick's was on a minor fork of Road Branch, 0.25 miles (0.40 km) upstream. [8]
Thomas Terry had a mine on Right Fork of Big Branch, 0.125 miles (0.201 km) upstream; [9] Rebecca Terry one on a minor branch of Pond Branch, 0.75 miles (1.21 km) upstream; [32] Bud Terry one on Pond itself, 1 mile (1.6 km) upstream; [15] and Benjamin Terry one on a minor fork of Wiley Branch, 0.75 miles (1.21 km) upstream. [28]
Green Bowling's two mines were on two minor forks of Balls, one 16.875 miles (27.158 km) upstream and the other 17 miles (27 km) upstream. [33] William Bowling's mine was 0.75 miles (1.21 km) upstream on Buck Branch. [20]