Bear Creek (Red Bird River tributary)

Last updated
Bear Creek
Physical characteristics
SourceHighest headwater of the three forks
  coordinates 37°09′05″N83°41′14″W / 37.15141°N 83.68714°W / 37.15141; -83.68714 (Highest headwater of the three forks)
2nd sourceConfluence of the three forks
  coordinates 37°10′39″N83°39′52″W / 37.17750°N 83.66449°W / 37.17750; -83.66449 (Confluence of the three forks)
Mouth Red Bird River [1]
  location
6.25 miles (10.06 km) upstream [1]
  coordinates
37°13′42″N83°38′09″W / 37.22835°N 83.63583°W / 37.22835; -83.63583 (Bear Creek mouth)
  elevation
752 feet (229 m) [1]
Basin features
post offices

Bear Creek is a creek that is a tributary of the Red Bird River in Clay County, Kentucky. [1]

Contents

Bear Creek received its name after a bear was shot there, according to local history. [2]

Tributaries and post offices

The mouth of Bear Creek is 6.25 miles (10.06 km) upstream on Red Bird River at an altitude of 752 feet (229 m) above sea level. [1]

Barcreek post office

Barcreek was established on 1900-03-07 by Elijah Herd, and remained in operation until March 1969. [6] It was half a mile upriver on Bear Creek from its confluence with the Red Bird River. [7] Its name was most likely a corruption of Bear Creek, but could also have been a reference to a large local sandbar. [6] Herd's first choice of his own name had been rejected by the USPS because it clashed with an already existing postoffice in Boyd County. [8]

Green L. Langdon moved it upriver in 1914, close to, or possibly at, the site of what was later to be Spurlock post office. [6] It was relocated back to Bear Creek in the 1920s, and was 12 mile (0.80 km) up the creek when it closed. [6]

Spurlock post office

Spurlock post office was established on 1928-10-02, Silvania Herd's first choice of "Herd" similarly being rejected by the USPS because it then clashed with an already existing postoffice by that name in Jackson County. [9] Named after the Spurlock family, descendants of settler William Spurlock (18151855) from North Carolina who had arrived at Bear Creek in 1835, it lasted until July 1988. [9] It was located 1 mile upstream of the mouth of Banks Branch, a tributary of Red Bird River to the south of Bear Creek, to replace Barcreek post office after it moved back to Bear Creek. [9]

General

Across a ridge lies Laurel Creek. [1]

In 1918, Daniel Bowling had a mine 0.5 miles (0.80 km) upstream on Bowling Branch. [5]

See also

Cross-reference

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Hodge 1918, p. 103.
  2. Rennick 2013, p. 56.
  3. 1 2 3 Hodge 1918, p. 104.
  4. 1 2 3 Hodge 1918, p. 105.
  5. 1 2 Hodge 1918, p. 106.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Rennick 2000c, p. 29.
  7. Rennick 2016b, BARCREEK.
  8. Rennick 2000c, p. 43.
  9. 1 2 3 Rennick 2000c, p. 32.

Sources

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