Name

History of Name:

Abner’s Fork

Artia

Barbeque

[R. Fork of Guesses Fork]

Bear Wallow

early post office – early postmasters included David Christian, Alexander Christian, Arthur D. Wyatt, Thomas A. Altizer, and Stewart Cole

Big A (ss) Mountain

Big Rock

Local history states the big rock was blasted away to make way for the Norfolk and Western railway.

Early postmasters included Joseph J. Jackson, Elmer Elswick, B.E. Elswick, Bud E. Elswick, and Thompson Elswick

Blackey

Booth Branch

John Booth and his wife Sarah ??  William Booth ??

Boyd Ridge

Probably named for Isaac Newton Boyd, Sr.

Breeding Branch

Named for Morgan Breeding

Brushy Fork

Brushytop Ridge

Bull Creek

Named for a bull elk that was killed on the creek sometime in the early 1800’s

Card

Early post office – early postmasters included Mary C. Ellis, Sparrell Phillips, Loran Vandykes {closed on Jan. 31, 1911 and mail then went to Skeggs}

Chicken Ridge

Childress Branch

On Rt. 460 below Dismal Creek – named for John W. Childress.

Clell

Clifton Fork

Combs Ridge

Conaway

Probably named for Methodist Minister – John C. Conway (Conaway).  He was buried in Burnt Poplar Hollow on Bull Creek and was later moved to Mountain Valley Memorial Cemetery in 1999.  He served in the Civil War as a Lt. in Thurmond's Partisan Rangers.

Convict Hollow

{Bull Creek} – was originally named Mudlick until a convict camp was set up at the mouth of the hollow.  When a convict escaped then the sheriff’s office couldn’t understand where they were talking about until they said it was in the “Convict Hollow”.

Council

Cow Town

At one time this was large field where people could graze their cattle while they moved them along the road.

Dave Branch

Named for the first settler on the hollow, Dave Looney.

Hollows in Dave Branch:

• Reese Hollow – named for Reece Ratliff – son of Richard and Aunt Lissie Ratliff on NewHouse Branch – they pastured their milk cows in Dave Branch – Reese went cow hunting and never returned, his mother went looking for him and found him dead behind a tree.

• Barn Hollow – an old barn stood at the mouth of the hollow

• Haunted House Hollow – an old log house used to stand at the mouth of this hollow.

• Ezra Smith Hollow – he owned the entire hollow

• Ezra Deel Hollow – he owned the hollow.

• Yellow Cliff, Alum Cliff or Reno H. Hollow – at the mouth of the hollow is a large cliff from which yellow material emerged.  It was split into two pieces with one side making a natural seat for kids to play on.  Larson Belcher owned the cliff and called it Alum Cliff because alum oozed out from behind it.  In the 1930’s a man by the name of Miller came into Buchanan County when Clarence Greenleaf first came to Grundy.  He prospected for gold but found none.

• Ice Cream Curve – kids used to rest there on their walk back home from Grundy and eat ice cream.

Davenport

Named for William Davenport, early postmaster about 1885?

Early Post Office – early Postmasters included Larkin Sykes, Robert O. Baldwin, Spencer Tunnell Ball, Floyd Artrip, Victoria Thompson, E.M. Boyd, and George W. Ball.

Davis Mountain

Deel Fork

Named for Moses F. Deel – he is buried at the head of Deel Fork.

Deskins

Early post office – first postmasters were John. H. Keen, Everett J. Keen, and Carrie Cox.

Dismal Creek

Civil War – camp declared the area "dismal" ??  Also it is said that someone in the Walker party named the area because he said it was so dismal.

Drill

Dwight

Elk Creek

Elkins Branch

Fletcher Ridge

Fox Creek

Garden Creek

Golden Springs

Early post office – early postmasters included Mattie L. Graham, Linia J. Childress, William R. Smyth, Nancy Vance, John Smyth, and David M. McClanahan.

Grapevine

Poplar Creek - named because so many grape vines grew their it was very difficult to cut any timber from the hollow as the trees would hang.

Grassy Creek

Grimleyville

Greenbriar

1.  Malechi Deel settled here from Greenbriar County, WV.  He raised cattle and was gored by a bull and died.  He had three sons, George, Willoughby, and Joshua.

2.  When road was built up from Prater, it was told that it was worked by convicts and that one of the guards beat the men with greenbriars.

Grissom Creek

Grundy

Felix Grundy – US Attorney General – US Senator from Texas

Guess Fork

Christopher Gist – early explorer of region in 1750 - probably traveled through what is now the northern part of the county.

Hale Creek

Old man Hale ??

Hanger

Early settler and postmaster – Robert and Josie Hanger

First postmaster was Andrew H. Hanger and then Miles Ratliff, Mathias Keen, Richard F. D. Perkins, Julia Perkins, John W. Matney, Stuart Matney, Isa Looney, and Mercide Perkins.

Harman

Named for H.E. Harman Mining Company which moved into Bull Creek in early 1930’s and established a coal camp there.

Hedge

{Probably somewhere on Guesses Fork} – early post office – early postmasters included William A. Justice – mail went to Hurley in 13 March 1896.

Height

Hess Fork

{Poplar Creek} – named after Dave and Pricey Hess – early settlers in the area.

Hobbs Branch

Home Creek

Hunt’s Fork

Hurley

Probably named for early member of the Hurley family - Samuel Hurley

Early post office in Buchanan County – early postmasters included John C. McCoy, William H. Baker, Hiram Hall, Riley Lester, Rathmer C. Johnson,  and William L Justus.

Hurricane

Indian Grave Gap

Indian skeleton found here.

Jackson Branch

Named for James J. Jackson

Janey

Janey Owens – named by her mother who was the Postmistress

Jewell Ridge

Probably named for several members of the Jewell family that lived there.

Jelico

Early Post Office {probably around Lee Town curve on Rt. 460} – first postmaster were John C. Lee, Samuel R. Hurley, Abe Cantrell, J. L. Elswick, Dorsey McClanahan – mail later posted at Artia, Va. (now Weller Yard).

Joe

Early Post Office in Buchanan County – probably somewhere around Davenport, Va.  Early postmasters included Cummons Duty, Calvin Gibson, and Robert James.

Johnny Branch

{Whitewood}

Jones Fork

Keen Mountain

From early settler – William “Bill” Keen and his wife Susannah

Kelsa

Kennel Branch

From early settler of the land ?

Knox Creek

Lane Hollow

Named after Sam Lane – his wife was the daughter of Christopher and Rachel Deel Stiltner.

Laurel Fork

Leemaster

Name of a log cutter for a logging firm – around 1908 community was given his name ?

Leftridge Brach

{R. Fork of Guess Fork} – Probably named for Lefridge Justus

Lester’s Fork

Levisa River

Probably originally the Lousia Fork of the Big Sandy – named changed probably due to a clerical error around 1820.  Probably originally named after the Duke of Cumberland’s wife as the good Duke financed early exploration of the region ?

Lick Branch

Little Prater

Longbottom

Looney’s Creek

Joseph Looney –  said it was named after John A. Looney which owned most of the property there.  After talking to one of the older people who lives there he told me on his head stone at the cemetery at the mouth of the hollow now states that. 

Lower Mill Branch

Lynn Camp

Malechi

Marvin

Matney

Mavisdale

Means Corn Valley – Indian word for corn and European word for valley – dale (named by Luther Keen and Dr. Howell)

Maxie

When the Post Office was established a long list of possible names was sent as proposals – the Post Office Department chose Maxie.

Mill Branch

Mount Heron

Wyatt Ratliff’s mother, Erie, named this.

Murphy

Named for Richard Murphy the first Postmaster – he was also a Justice of the Peace in the community for a period of time.

Neely Branch

Named for Neely McGlothlin

Oakwood

Oakwood Smokeless Coal Company

Page

Named for Page Pocohontas Coal Company which was named from Page, WV where some of the owners came from.

Patterson

Patterson brothers established a coal company and Post Office which was named after them.

Paw Paw

Paw Paw takes its name from the pawpaw fruit which once grew plentiful on the mountain sides along this creek.

Paynesville

Peapatch

One explanation was that the cool, sunny ridge was a great place to grow peas ??

Pearly

{Poplar Creek}

Pilgrim’s Knob

Brand of coffee that the community store there sold

Poetown

Named for Poe Ratliff – son of Silas Ratliff - Poe house stood where the library is now.

Pounding Mill

{Hurley}

Prater

Early Post Office – early story tells of three brothers.

[Big Prater, Little Prater, and Russell Prater]

Puncheon Camp

Race Fork

Raikes Branch

{Whitewood}

Rocklick

Possibly a salt lick in the area

Roscoe Hollow

{6 and 20 mile branch} – named after Roscoe Stiltner because he was the only one who lived there.

Roseann

Named for Roseann Leckie – daughter of Col. W.H. Leckie founder of Panther Coal Company.

Roth

Rowe

John S. Rowe

Royal City

There was a contest to name the new Post Office at the mouth of Watkins Branch.  Walter Jackson owned a store there that sold Royal brand shirts and he suggested the name of Royal City.

Santana