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Bear Creek (Red Bird River tributary)
Bear Creek is a creek that is a tributary of the Red Bird River in Clay County, Kentucky.[1] Bear Creek received its name after a bear was shot there, according to local history.[2] Tributaries and post officesThe 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 officeBarcreek 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 1⁄2 mile (0.80 km) up the creek when it closed in March 1969.[6] Spurlock post officeSpurlock 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 (1815–1855) 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] GeneralAcross 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 alsoCross-reference
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