Rockcastle County Roads

Below is a map showing some county roads in the Skeggs Creek area of Rockcastle County which were incorporated into the county road system in the late 1800s.

Following the map is a discussion of each.

LEGEND
1a	Kincaid Ridge Road
1b	East Fork Road
2	Walnut Grove Road
3	Bloss Road
4	Luner-Cleft Rock Road
5	Eagle Creek Road


1a	Kincaid Ridge Road This is not a county road, but since it and the East Fork Road intersect some of the others, I thought it appropriate to mention them. The Kincaid Ridge Road was the first real road through the southern Skeggs Creek area. Initially, Skagg's Trace split from the Wilderness Road near Hazel Patch in Laurel County and roughly followed Skeggs (Skaggs) Creek northward toward Crab Orchard. From all early pioneer accounts, this was a miserable journey. At some point early in the 1800s a north-south road was developed which ran primarily along the ridge tops from the Thomas Kincaid land (north and west of Blue Springs, see The "Reserved Line" Grants), through what became Pongo, and down to Eagle Creek. The road may have continued to the Rockcastle River. The Kincaid Road is mentioned in many land grants and deeds, sometimes called the "Big Road." As newer roads came into existence, use of this route declined, most likely because of its circuitous nature and distance from many of the homes along Skeggs Creek. You can access parts of the Kincaid Road today by vehicle.
1b	East Fork Road The East Fork of Skeggs Creek Road was also an early route and probably became the most-traveled path to Mt. Vernon from lower Skeggs Creek. I don't know when it was established as an official county road, but it was before the courthouse fire in 1873. You can no longer traverse the entire length of the East Fork Road; the northern section is still in use, but you must have an ATV to get through the southern end.
2	Walnut Grove Road Like the following roads, it didn't have an official name when approved by the Rockcastle County Court, but I'm naming it the Walnut Grove Road since it went past the church and cemetery of the same name. Much of this road is called the Boone Cromer Road today, at least until it crosses Long Branch when the name may or may not change, depending on who you're talking to or which map you're using. This road was built and accepted into the county system in 1879. Henry Clay Cromer was the road's surveyor and in charge of getting it in shape. The road was designated to go "from near William McQueen's at the East Fork of Skeggs Creek to Bradley's Mill." In May of 1879 Cromer came to court to present a change in the original road's design. He had added 300 yards of distance and testified "that said change was no disadvantage to said road but was an advantage to the traveling public. Said change begins at the mouth of the Long Branch and terminates at the creek below William Cromer's." We can't be sure what the original design called for, but it was a small change. The general vicinity of Bradley's Mill, later Hen Cromer's farm, can be seen here.
3	Bloss Road This road was unusual in that it was in the Rockcastle County road system, but lay partially in Pulaski County. William Shiplet was the head of a group of citizens who petitioned this road be built in August 1875. It was to run from "Bradley's Mill on Skeggs Creek and terminate at Line Creek church house in Pulaski County." James Wallen was appointed surveyor, with T.J. Nichols and William Cromer Sr "appointed reviewers to view out said proposed new county road." It was accepted into the county road system in August 1876. Incidentally, this road description places the Line Creek Baptist Church building in roughly the position discussed here. At the time, there was a road in Pulaski County which led from lower Line Creek to near the Pulaski-Rockcastle line toward Bloss. That road is no longer in existence, but one can still easily drive from Hwy 1249 to Bloss. This new road would have connected the northern Line Creek area with Skeggs Creek and Bradley's Mill. The first mile or so of this road (from Bradley's Mill to present-day Hwy 1249) is not used anymore. It was later re-routed, probably to eliminate the very steep grade present at the former Hwy 1249 intersection. This re-routed section is now the southern part of Boone Cromer Road.
4	Luner-Cleft Rock Road 22 Oct 1883, Rockcastle County Court: "It is ordered by the court that Henry Renner be and he is hereby appointed surveyor of that part of the county road in said county leading from the old Adam Renner farm and terminating at the East Fork Road near Holbert McClure in room of John Hibbard and that the following named hands do assist said road surveyor in keeping said road in good repair as the law requires, hands viz: William Kinser, William Mink, Isaac Doan, Bramlett Cromer, William Bullock, John G Renner, Joe W Mink, Sherman [not sure about the name] Mink, Henderson Mink, John Mink, Henry Hibbard, and Samuel McClure, Nathan McClure, Mat Bullock and all other hands who are in the bounds of said road and subject to work the same." It's possible this road turned north along the dashed line (as shown on the map above) instead of continuing toward Cleft Rock and then down to Skeggs Creek. The road today follows the solid line, but there are parts of an old road which run as the dashed line. One reason I think it may have turned north earlier is the involvment of all the Minks, who owned the on the west and north of the dashed route. Of course, they may have owned land further south and east, too; I don't know for sure. The Hibbard land was located near where the modern road (the Everett Renner Road, today) leading northward toward the Mink Cemetery turns off of the Luner-Cleft Rock Road. Adam Renner lived very near Pongo. The first third of this road, along with part of present-day Hwy 1249 and the Thurnie Bullock Road (or Dyer Branch Road), was sometimes called the Line Creek Road.
5	Eagle Creek Road The documents concerning the Eagle Creek Road (most of which is no longer traversable) are entertaining. Ingram Renner wanted a road built from the existing county road near the Buffalo Baptist Church (today's Hwy. 1249) to the mouth of Eagle Creek. It's hard to tell exactly when the initial petition was filed and the records don't spell out the problems, but obviously things weren't proceeding to Ingram's satisfaction. Seems like every few months he would appear before the court to complain about the road's progress, or, in his mind, lack of progress. He badgered and pestered and prodded until, in October 1881, the court said, in essence: "Fine, you want this road built? Then you can be in charge for a while. We'll make you Superindent of the project." Ingram said "Okay," and asked for, and was given, authority to impress "all males between 16 and 50 who lived within one mile" of the proposed road as a work detail. One can only imagine him going back down to Buffalo with the court's appointment in hand and immediately rounding up all the able-bodied men he could find and putting them to work. And he must have done just that, because just two months later at the December meeting (the day after Christmas), he announced to the court that the road was open. It was promptly accepted into the system as a county road.