Glens Fork is an
unincorporated community located in
Adair County,
Kentucky, United States. Its elevation is 810 feet (247 m).
Glens Fork is located in a region of
limestone, so the land is perforated by many
sinkholes and small
caves. Most of the area is a
karst
Karst is a topography formed from the dissolution of soluble rocks such as limestone, dolomite, and gypsum. It is characterized by underground drainage systems with sinkholes and caves. It has also been documented for more weathering-resistant ro ...
landscape, where there is no direct drainage into any streams, but instead the rainfall goes directly into sinkholes. There are several undeveloped caves in the area, including the Helms Caves which contained American Indian artifacts.
History
This community has been variously known as Glens Fork, Glennsville or Glenville (not to be confused with
Glenville in
McLean County) and Hardscratch and was named for its location on Glens Fork of Russell Creek, which was in turn named after
David Glenn, whose hunting party camped in the vicinity while securing supplies for
George Rogers Clark
George Rogers Clark (November 19, 1752 – February 13, 1818) was an American surveyor, soldier, and militia officer from Virginia who became the highest-ranking American patriot military officer on the northwestern frontier during the Ame ...
's
Illinois Campaigns.
Glenn and another hunter, William Stewart, had a cabin here used to store meat for the
Harrodstown
Harrodsburg is a home rule-class city in Mercer County, Kentucky, United States. It is the seat of its county. The population was 9,064 at the 2020 census.
Although Harrodsburg was formally established by the House of Burgesses after Boonesb ...
settlers as early as the fall of 1777.
David Glenn was one of
Harrod's company of Kentucky Pioneers who founded Harrodsburg in 1774.
The first deed at the Adair County courthouse dates from June 29, 1802, with the post office established on September 2, 1857, and discontinued on July 31, 1863, because of the
American Civil War. The post office was re-established on October 10, 1865, and has been in continuous operation since then. The name "Hardscratch" may refer to a Civil War campsite where living was hard.
On March 25, 1872, the town of Glenville was established by an act of the
Kentucky General Assembly.
The town boundaries were established as one-quarter of a mile in every direction from the northeast corner of the
Masonic Hall, which was established as the center of town.
At some point, the town government was discontinued, and Glens Fork became an unincorporated place again.
References
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Unincorporated communities in Adair County, Kentucky
Unincorporated communities in Kentucky