Ary, Kentucky

Troublesome Creek is a creek in Breathitt, Perry and Knott counties, Kentucky, a fork of the North Fork Kentucky River.
It is long with a gradient of , normally free-flowing, and with banks that vary between tree-lined and open.

Its headwaters are where its Left and Right Forks join at Hindman, the Knott County seat.
The creek flows down to join the North Fork of the Kentucky River near Haddix in Breathitt County.

Tributaries and other locations

* Its major tributaries are:
** Lost Creek just over upstream at an altitude of
** Hayes Branch upstream at an altitude of
** Halfway Branch upstream at an altitude of
** Riley Branch upstream at an altitude of
** Barge Creek upstream at an altitude of
*** Right Fork upstream at an altitude of
** Lewis Branch upstream at an altitude of
** Russell Branch upstream at an altitude of
*** Andy Branch upstream at an altitude of
*** Right Fork upstream
** Millers Branch (also Nix Branch and Harvey's Branch) upstream at an altitude of
** Caney Creek upstream at an altitude of
*** Right Fork upstream
** Fugate Fork upstream at an altitude of
*** Laurel Fork upstream at an altitude of
*** Left Fork upstream at an altitude of
** Lower Beaverdam Branch upstream at an altitude of
** Buckhorn Creek upstream at an altitude of
** Upper Beaver Dam upstream at an altitude of
** Cat Hollow upstream at an altitude of
** Francis Branch upstream at an altitude of
** Noble Branch upstream at an altitude of
** Steve Branch upstream at an altitude of
** Rowdy Branch upstream at an altitude of
** McNelly Branch upstream at an altitude of
** Tom's Branch upstream at an altitude of
*** Right Fork upstream at an altitude of
*** Left Fork upstream at an altitude of
** McJilton Branch upstream at an altitude of
*** Left Fork upstream at an altitude of
** Laurel Branch upstream at an altitude of
** Williams Branch upstream at an altitude of
*** Buck Fork upstream at an altitude of
** Beech Branch upstream at an altitude of
*** Right Fork upstream at an altitude of
** Balls Fork upstream at an altitude of
** Little Ball Fork upstream at an altitude of
** Pigeon Roost Branch upstream at an altitude of
*** Coalstone Branch upstream at an altitude of
*** Right Fork upstream at an altitude of
*** Left Fork upstream at an altitude of
** Coles Branch upstream at an altitude of
** Laurel Lick Branch upstream at an altitude of
** Bear Branch upstream at an altitude of
** Combs Branch upstream at an altitude of
*** Right Fork upstream at an altitude of
*** Left Fork upstream at an altitude of
**** Hog Wallow Branch upstream at an altitude of
** Trace Branch upstream at an altitude of
** Clear Creek upstream at an altitude of
*** Shop Hollow upstream at an altitude of
**** Right Fork upstream at an altitude of
*** Long Branch upstream at an altitude of
**** Right Fork upstream at an altitude of
*** Cockrell Trace upstream at an altitude of
**** Right Fork upstream at an altitude of
**** Gearheart Fork upstream at an altitude of
*** Dick's Branch upstream at an altitude of
**** Buzzards Branch upstream at an altitude of
** Montgomery Creek upstream at an altitude of
** Short Branch upstream at an altitude of
** Walker Branch upstream at an altitude of
** Mill Creek upstream at an altitude of
*** Buck Lick Branch upstream at an altitude of
** Big Branch upstream at an altitude of
*** Sweet Gum Branch upstream at an altitude of
*** Right Fork upstream at an altitude of
** Ogden Branch upstream at an altitude of
*** Baker Branch upstream at an altitude of
*** Pushback Branch upstream at an altitude of
** Cy Everidge Branch upstream at an altitude of
** Hindman upstream at an altitude (measured at the town courthouse steps) of and whose further tributaries and locations are in The Forks of Troublesome

within Perry County

Of its total length, are in Perry County, where it has had ten post offices over the years.

General

The Troublesome post office was established on 1882-05-01 by Joe C. Eversole.
Eversole's first choice of name was Boggs but this was not acceptable to the USPS, so Eversole named it after the Creek, one of several things named after the Creek.
It was originally located at the mouth of Balls Fork, and Eversole was not its postmaster, that being local storekeeper J. C. Boggs, from whom came the original choice of name.
Troublesome post office moved one mile down Troublesome Creek in 1910, to the mouth of Williams Branch, and closed in January 1914.

The Tub post office was established on 1923-07-23 by postmaster George W. Allen.
His original choice of name had been Troy after his (then) 26-year-old son, and it is unknown where Allen got Tub from.
It was located at the head of the Pigeon Roost Branch in several places over the years, and closed in 1933.

In 1918 Mowbray and Robinson had a mine in Upper Beaver Dam Branch,
Floyd Campbell had one in Cat Hollow, and Green Campbell one on a minor fork of Troblesome upstream.
Hays and Campbell had a mine up Francis Branch.
Walter Campbell had a mine on a minor fork of Williams Branch, upstream.

Lee Allen had a mine upstream on Troublesome, and S. M. Holliday had one at head of a minor fork upstream.
J. Smith had a mine on a minor fork of Left Fork of Tom's Branch, and Richard Smith had one at the head of Left Fork of McJilton Branch.
William Smith had one on a minor branch of the Left Fork of Pigeon Roost. and Lark Smith had one upstream on Pigeon Roost itself.

Jack Dobson's mine was upstream on Troublesome, and a Mr Ashley had a mine one a minor fork of Buck Fork, upstream.

Preston Williams's mine was on Williams Branch, upstream.

Both of Samuel Bush's mines were on minor forks of Left Fork Pigeon Roost, and William Brewer's was upstream on Left Fork.

Dwarf

The earliest of the post offices, Tunell Hill was established on 1878-07-24 by postmaster Joseph Hall.
It was named after the tunnel that Combs brothers Sam and Felix had cut for an aqueduct to their mill, and was at the mouth of Combs Branch.
It closed in 1881, and was re-stablished as Dwarf on 1883-07-13 by postmaster Thomas W. Gibson.
This name was another Combs association, this time with another Combs brother, Jeremiah, who was called "Short Jerry" because of his height.
The Dwarf post office still exists today, and is located a short distance up Combs Branch from Troublesome Creek.

George Combs had a mine up Coles Branch.
Wade Combs's mine was on a minor fork of Left Fork of Combs Branch.
C. C. Combs's mine was upstream on Troublesome itself, and Jerry Combs's mine was in a minor branch of Troublesome upstream.

The headwaters of Combs Branch are across a small ridge from Trace Fork.

Engle family mines and the Left Fork of Combs Branch

Albert Engle's two mines were on a minor fork of Laurel Lick, upstream. and upstream on Troublesome itself.
William Engle's was on a minor fork of Left Fork of Combs Branch.
Martha Cornett's was on a minor fork, upstream, of the same Left Fork, J. B. Stamper's two mines were one on another minor fork of Left Fork upstream and another upstream on Left Fork.
George Fugate had a mine upstream also on Left Fork itself.

Ary

The Ary post office was established on 1906-02-13 by postmaster Killus Combs.
Its original location is uncertain but was likely at the mouth of Pigeon Roost Branch.
Its original name was to be Dory after one of Killus's contemporaries in the Combs family, but this was rejected, and the origin of the name Ary is not known.
It moved several times between 1910 and World War 2, for short distances, finally moving down from Pigeon Roost to Balls Fork in 1946, where it still exists today.

Rowdy and Stacy

The Stacy post office was established on 1890-06-30 by postmaster Ira Allen.
Allen had wanted the name Noble because the post office was located at the mouth of Noble Branch, but that name had been already taken by another post office on Troublesome Creek.
(See Lost Creek for the adjacent Noble farm on its Cockerell's Branch.)

Ira Allen was also the postmaster of another post office simultaneously.
This was the Rowdy post office which he established on 1890-07-18.
It was located at the mouth of the Rowdy Branch and closed the same year on 1890-10-02.
The name of the branch and post office were, according to local lore, because of the "rowdy" nature of the inhabitants of the Branch.

In 1918 Anderson Hays had prospected Noble Branch, Mary Allen had a mine up its left fork, and the Campbell heirs had a mine just up another minor branch upstream.
Andrew and Samuel Noble had a mine on Noble itself, upstream.

Stacy, in the meanwhile, lasted until its closure in 1933.
It was, however, re-established in 1944 by postmaster Pearlie Neace.
The environs had remained named Stacy, locally, after the post office closure, but the re-opened one used the name Rowdy.
It was still open in 2000.

Stacy family mines

George Stacy had a mine up the Right Fork of Beech Branch, and Jasper Stacy had one upstream on Troublesome itself. and another on a minor fork of Little Ball Fork.
Joseph Stacy had a mine upstream on the Coalstone Branch; and James Stacy had three, one on the Right Fork of Pigeon Roost Branch, and two (one on each side) upstream on the Right Fork of Combs Branch.
Elkannah Stacy's mine was on a minor branch of Pigeon Roost.

within Breathitt County

General

The Hardshell post office was established on 1917-08-11 by postmaster Garvey Noble.
The name came from a local church, of Hardshell Baptists, and the post office was located in several places between Clayhole post office (see below) and Noble Branch over its lifespan.
It became a rural branch of Lost Creek post office in 1959, located at the mouth of Caney Creek, and finally closed in 1994.

At the top of Russell Branch is Flint Ridge, higher than Troublesome Creek.
A. C. Russell was a local landowner at Russell Branch, and on its Right Fork Elisha Miller had a coal mine.
John E. Miller had a mine at Miller's Branch, and A. Raliegh had a mine upstream just up what was then known as Bear Branch, upstream from the mouth of Miller's Branch.

Robert Fugate had a mine on Troublesome itself, upstream, with J. B. Noble's mine at upstream, and William Ellis' mine a little further along at upstream.

The Fugate Fork was location of Isaac Miller's mine (on a minor fork) upstream, Henry Hudson's mine (also on a minor fork) upstream, and Jackson Miller's mine.
On Laurel Fork off Fugate, Thomas Ellis had a mine upstream, and Isaac Miller another mine upstream.
Miller had a third mine upstream along Fugate's Left Fork, and a fourth along a minor branch off Left Fork at upstream of Left.

The heirs of John Jones had a mine upstream on Troublesome itself, where now remains the Jones cemetery.
And Andrew Noble had a mine on a minor branch of Troublesome, upstream, where now remains the Noble cemetery.

Clayhole

The Clayhole post office was established on 1899-04-05 by postmaster Dulana L. Allen.
It was originally located upstream from the mouth of Riley Branch, and was reportedly named for the "sticky blue clay" in the stream bed.
It moved from Riley onto the main Creek in 1918, and after moving several more times to the mouth of Russell Branch, to the mouth of Barge Creek, and to the area downstream of Riley, it ended up in its present location at the mouth of Riley Branch.

Haddix

The town of Haddix was founded with the arrival of the railroad at the mouth of Troublesome Creek.
It had a railway station and a post office, established on 1916-07-08 by postmaster Floyd Russell, both named Haddix.
It is generally agreed by local historians that the railroad company named the town, station, and post office for the Haddix family, a family of settlers and local landowners that included amongst its number blacksmith Samuel Haddix and 1830s salt well and later 1850s coal miner William Haddix.
However, family member Tom Haddix claimed that they were all named after him in particular, as he had been the person who had done the surveys through Perry and Breathitt counties on behalf of the L&E railways, and owned the land that the railways used for right of way.

The Haddix post office was closed in November 1990, postal services being transferred to the Lost Creek post office.

within Knott County

General

The Mink post office was established on 1898-10-31 by Silas E. Boggs.
He had wanted the name Boggs, but that was rejected.
The post office was likely just downstream of Lick Branch, Boggs's country store being upstream of Emmalena (see below).
It closed after just a year in August 1899.

In 1918 the Engle heirs had a mine on a minor fork of Trace Branch, upstream.
Alexander Francis's was in a minor fork of Long Branch of Clear Creek, upstream.
Bayliss Gearheart's mine was on a minor fork of Shop Hollow, upstream.
E. H. Gearheart's was on a minor fork of Montgomery Branch, upstream.

R. L. Morgan had a mine on Troublesome itself, upstream.
D. L. Fuller's mine was at the head of Short Branch, upstream.
N. W. Simpson had a mine at the mouth of Right Fork of Big Branch.
Bud Newland's mine was on Pushback Branch, upstream,
and Asa Dickenson's was on a minor fork of Pushback, upstream.
Joseph Tignor had a mine on Troublesome, upstream.

J. S. Boggs's mine was on Troublesome, upstream, and S. E. Boggs's mine was on a minor branch of Troublesome, upstream.

The gap at the head of Dicks Fork (altitude ) connects to the Big Fork of Lotts Creek.
The gap at the head of Clear Creek (altitude ) connects to the Youngs Fork of Lotts Creek.
The gap at the head of Ogden Branch (altitude ) connects to the Trace Branch of Balls Fork.
The gap at the head of Trace Branch (altitude ) connects to the Roaring Branch of Balls Fork.

Hindman

The city of Hindman is the county seat of Knotts County, and is located where Troublesome Creek separates into its Left and Right forks.
Its original name, before its establishment as the seat of the county, was The Forks of Troublesome.

Emmalena

The Emmalena post office was established on 1894-10-05 by postmaster Orlena Combs (a.k.a. Mrs Robert) Morgan.
It was, and still is, located on Troublesome Creek west of Hindman, and was established to serve an already existing small hamlet of roughly 300 people that had a store, church camp, and consolidated school.
The name is a portmanteau of postmaster, and local storekeeper, Morgan's first name Orlena with the first name of Emma Thurman, who was the wife of an interant schoolteacher who had also applied for the postmastership.
Orlena Combs Morgan was the great-granddaughter of early settler of the area Jeremiah "Long Jerry" Combs, and the post office has been run by Morgan family members since then.

Fisty

The Fisty post office was established on 1906-08-18 by postmasters Margarate and Joseph R. Ritchie.
It was named after a branch of the sprawling local Combs family, headed by "Fisty Sam" Combs.
It was, and still is, located at the mouth of Clear Creek.

Carrie

The Carrie post office was established on 1912-02-06 by postmaster Henry Combs.
It was named after his wife Carrie, who was also a Combs family member.
It was, and still is, located midway between Hindman and Emmalena.

Richie/Ritchie family mines and post offices

The Ritchie post office was established on 1900-01-12 by postmaster Abbie Ritchie.
It was originally located upstream of Clear Creek, and moved over its history to several places down the creek until finally ending at a point southwest of Emmalena and from Troublesome post offices.
It was named for the local Ritchie family, and was operate by family members until it closed in 1974.

Benjamin Richie had a mine in a minor fork of Cockerel Trace, upstream.
Joseph Richie's mine was on a minor fork of Dicks Branch, upstream.
Edward Richie's two mines were one at the head of a minor fork of Clear Creek, upstream, which had a trail connecting to the Short Branch of Troublesome, and another on Pushback Branch, upstream.
David Richie's mine was on Clear Creek, upstream.
Samuel Smith's two mines on Dicks Branch were one upstream, beside a school house, and the other upstream.

Combs family mines

Jordan Combs had a mine on another minor fork of Trace, upstream.
B. J. Combs's mine was on a minor fork of the Right Fork of Show Hollow, upstream.
William Combs's two mines were one on a minor fork of Clear Creek, upstream, and the other on Clear itself, upstream; Cleveland Combs's was on another minor fork of Clear, upstream; and Jerry Comb's was on a third minor fork, upstream.

Samuel Combs's two mines were one on a minor fork of Troublesome itself, upstream, and the second at the head of another minor fork, upstream.
J.R. Combs had a mine on a minor branch of Troublesome, upstream.

Everidge/Everage family mines and post offices

The Tina post office was established on 1905-11-10 by postmaster Wiley A. Combs.
It was named for Clementina, the wife of John Wesley Combs, a state senator in the 1870s who lived on Irishman Creek.
It was originally located upstream on Montgomery Creek, but moved back and forth along Montgomery at least ten times.
The first move was downstream in 1910.

The next was when it was re-established, on 1920-09-04 by postmaster Elvira Everage, after it had closed in January 1914.
Several members of the Everage family were postmasters who relocated it to several different spots.
It ended up upstream on Montgomery, and closed in October 1978, because of Kentucky Route 80.

Sarah Everidge had a mine on a minor branch of Cy Everidge Branch, upstream.

Cornett family mines

Andrew Cornett had a mine on a minor branch of Mill Creek, upstream;
Jefferson Cornett's mine was on Sweet Gum Branch, upstream;
Green Cornett's was also on Sweet Gum, upstream;
and Susan Cornett's was on Troublesome itself, upstream.

Climate

The whole Kentucky River Basin is subject to regular flooding, caused by high rainfall, and because the banks of its various tributaries are generally steep, flood damage is usually to buildings, towns, and roads that are on the courses of the creeks.
The generally rocky terrain of the area causes rainwater to run off into many ephemeral creeks, that feed into the perennial ones, rather than being absorbed into the soil.
Much of the built environment in the area is along the creek beds, meaning that damage is mainly to it rather than to agricultural areas.

Although the former mines along Troublesome may have contributed to the risk of flooding, by compacting the soil and making it further less able to absorb rainwater, they however also have flattened out parts of the terrain providing areas where there is less runoff channelled into ephemeral creeks.

Troublesome Creek along with other Kentucky River tributaries suffered a major flood in January and February 1957, although that did not exceed the highest on record for Troublesome itself at that point, which had been the flood of February 1939.

A further major flood occurred, again because of high rainfall over the preceding three days, on 2022-07-28, killing 39 people.
There was property damage in many locations along the Creek including at Fisty, Carrie, and Lost Creek post offices.
Three of the deaths were in Hindman city, which was entirely underwater.

A reservoir on Troublesome for containing floodwaters was considered in 1958, but the idea was rejected because it wouldn't be large enough.
Ongoing reforestation projects at former mine sites along the creek have the aim of ameliorating the effects of rainfall, as their tree canopy and root systems absorb water.
The mines themselves also had retention basins, diversion ditches, and sediment ponds to catch rainfall run-off, although these are, like the considered reservoir, not large enough to ameliorate major floods.

Dredging the Creek is prohibited by rules for preserving endangered species like the local arrow fish, and may not be as effective as the creeks' own natural systems of self-regulation, and in any case the bedrock is not far below the creek bed and there is not much scope for dredging.
More significant effects may result from changing the land use practices, the construction of roads, deforestation, and farming, which increase sediment levels and raise the creek beds, leading to increased outflow during floods to the surrounding flood plains.

Things named after the creek

The Creek's own name was, anecdotally, given to it by early settler Colby Haddix; it appears in the 1820 Act of the state legislature that created Perry County.
It is likely simply named for how "troublesome" it is to navigate, with its many bends.
Several things, in addition to Hindman's original name and the aforementioned former Troublesome post office, are named after it:

James Still's book ''On Troublesome Creek'' is a collection of short stories.

The "Blue Fugates", nickamed the "Blue People of Troublesome Creek" by Cathy Trost in 1982, a family so-called because some of them had blue skin from inheriting methemoglobinemia, lived in the area in the 19th and 20th centuries.

The ''Troublesome Creek Times'' is a weekly newspaper for Knotts County that is published in Hindman, and the first charter member of the Associated Press's Newsfinder service for Kentucky.

See also

*List of rivers of Kentucky
*The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek

Cross-reference

Sources

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Further reading

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Rivers of Breathitt County, Kentucky
Rivers of Knott County, Kentucky
Rivers of Perry County, Kentucky
Rivers of Kentucky
Coal towns in Kentucky

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