In 1776 what is now the state of Kentucky was then part of Fincastle County, Virginia. At that time the Virginia state legislature voted to establish Kentucky, Washington and Montgomery Counties. This was proposed by Thomas Jefferson. In 1780 what was Kentucky County was devided into Jefferon, Fayette and Lincoln Counties. What would one day become Harlan Counto was then the far eastern boundary of Lincoln County.
Two years later the three counties were made into the District of Kentucky, and given a district court. This was done to help speed up courts, and to avoid long trips to Virginia. During the next ten years there were six more counties established by the Virginia legislature. What is now Harlan stayed a part of Lincoln County.
In 1792 Kentucky gained statehood, and by 1800 had added thirty-three more counties. The area which included the future county of Harlan became part of Knox County in 1799, and then in 1819 was devided again, resulting in the formation of Harlan County. It was the 60th county in Kentucky and reached to Cumberland Gap until 1967, when Bell County was formed. Harlan County was named for Major Silas Harlan, a Virginian who came to Kentucky in 1774 and took part in may battles fought with the Indians. The Major was killed in the Battle of Blue Licks fought near Maysville, Kentucky.
The Cloverfork area, according to a diary kept by Carr Bailey, was first visited in 1790, and was then later settled in 1794 or 1795. Bailey, a large landholder in Virginia, and his family came to Cloverfork and settled about two or three miles from his nearest Virginia neighbors on Yocum Creek. After his death sometime between 1807 and 1810 his wife Mary took over the plantation. It is said that it was near the spot where Elvie's Restaurant in Black Mountain stands.
Carr Bailey's daughter Susannah is recognized as giving birth to the first white child born in Evarts, Harlan County in 1795. She and her husband later moved to that section of the county named Cawood, and both died there. There is still a marker at her grave stating that fact.
There were other people moving into the Cloverfork area during this time - a flood of people moving away from the war and the settled areas and moving west looking for land, for a more peaceful life, of for a better life.
Steven Jones and his family moved across the mountains from North Caroline and settled at the head of what would become Jones Creek.
Jonathan Kelly and his wife Patience Spencer Kelly moved into the upper Cloverfork area during the early 1800's, as did Gilberts, Middletons, Farlers (Farleys), Balls, Parsons and Wynns. The first mayor of the city of Harlan was George Brittain Turner.
It was not until our own gold rush days -the "Black Gold" rush, that Cloverfork saw a big increase in its population.
Cloverfork is one of the three branches of the Cumberland River that meet at the site where the city of Harlan, the County seat of Harlan County, stands. The other two branches are Martin's Fork and Poor Fork.
From Harlan, KY HWY 38 more or less parallels the Cloverfork River. Along this route are several little communities. The first community that one passes through after leaving Harlan include Harlan Gas, Kitts, and what was once Rex. because of the way city and school district lines are drawn, the are considered part of Harlan.
Cloverfork begins where the railroad crossing separates the old mining communities of Rex and Golden Ash. Before HWY 38 was built a county road, which ran along the opposite side of the river, linked up these communities.
Golden Ash
Although once a prosperous mining town with a commissary and approximately sixty-five houses, Golden Ash has now almost disappeared. Only a few of the original buildings remain. The few families still living there sometimes plant gardens in the fields where dozens of houses once stood. According to B.W. Whitfield, Jr., the railroad reached Golden Ash around 1912. Williamsburg Capital opened a mine there in 1913. The company became a Whitfield operation in 1928. The name "Golden Ash" was a reference to the quality of coal mined there. Red ash coal is considered a higher quality than gray ash coal. The coal mined at Golden Ash was considered very high quality and very valuable, thus, the name "Golden Ash".
Black Joe
No one seems to remember how Black Joe got its name. What is known is that the post office that once operated there was listed as "Black Joe" while the railroad stop was called "Woods Station", or simply "Woods". The land at Black Joe was once owned by T.J. Asher, who built the first stretch of railroad from Pineville to Harlan.
The Harlan-Fox Coal Company opened there in 1918. During the next few years Black Joe became an important mining community. Another company that contributed to the development of Black Joe was the J.B. Blue Gem Coal Company which started mining coal at Black Joe in 1920. At one time Black Joe camp had houses for 60-70 families. A blacksmith shop owned by the Tweed's grandfather once stood along the county road at Black Joe. Although a couple of families still live near where the old camp was located, the camp itself is now gone. It is now a new community called "Eastbrook".
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