Hell for Certain, Kentucky
Encyclopedia
Hell for Certain is an unincorporated area
in Leslie County
, Kentucky
, United States
.
The unincorporated town of Dryhill, (37.1546° North, 83.4157° West), is the proper name of Hell for Certain, located seven miles north of the small town of Hyden
. Dryhill became known by this name because it is located near Hell for Certain Creek.
The area is sparsely populated due to the hilly, forested terrain, and is generally inhabited by families who have passed on their property from one generation to the next. In the late 20th century, a number of newer homes were built throughout the region by persons not native to the Appalachian region.
At the mouth of Hell for Certain Creek, at the Middle Fork of the Kentucky River, a mission church exists which was started in the early 1950s by the late Miss Evelyn Fuqua, who was a licensed minister in the Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches
.
The area has been extensively mined for coal
. The Geological Society of America
has borrowed "Hell for Certain" as a name for the tonstein
located there, and throughout the Appalachian basin.
Less well known is another creek also known as "Hell for Certain." This one is located in Lee County
, Kentucky (37.5819° North, 83.7023° West). There are also communities known as "Hell Creek" and "Whynot?" in Lee County.
The Bluegrass Brewing Company
of Louisville, Kentucky has named one of their beers after Hell for Certain. It's described as a Belgian Dark Ale
.
There is a story of how this area got its name. It is said that a preacher went to this area. When he went home his peers asked him where he went. His reply was, "I have no idea, but it was hell for certain." This story has been passed down for generations.
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
in Leslie County
Leslie County, Kentucky
Leslie County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of 2000, the population was 12,401. Its county seat is Hyden. The county is named for Preston H. Leslie, Governor of Kentucky...
, Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
The unincorporated town of Dryhill, (37.1546° North, 83.4157° West), is the proper name of Hell for Certain, located seven miles north of the small town of Hyden
Hyden, Kentucky
Hyden is a city in Leslie County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 365 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Leslie County. It is located at the junction of U.S. Route 421 and Kentucky Route 80, along the Middle Fork of the Kentucky River....
. Dryhill became known by this name because it is located near Hell for Certain Creek.
The area is sparsely populated due to the hilly, forested terrain, and is generally inhabited by families who have passed on their property from one generation to the next. In the late 20th century, a number of newer homes were built throughout the region by persons not native to the Appalachian region.
At the mouth of Hell for Certain Creek, at the Middle Fork of the Kentucky River, a mission church exists which was started in the early 1950s by the late Miss Evelyn Fuqua, who was a licensed minister in the Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches
Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches
The Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches is a theologically conservative fellowship of Brethren churches descended from the Schwarzenau Brethren movement of Alexander Mack of Germany.-History:...
.
The area has been extensively mined for coal
Coal mining
The goal of coal mining is to obtain coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content, and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from iron ore and for cement production. In the United States,...
. The Geological Society of America
Geological Society of America
The Geological Society of America is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the advancement of the geosciences. The society was founded in New York in 1888 by Alexander Winchell, John J. Stevenson, Charles H. Hitchcock, John R. Proctor and Edward Orton and has been headquartered at 3300 Penrose...
has borrowed "Hell for Certain" as a name for the tonstein
Tonstein
Tonsteins are a distinctive type of rock, composed largely of the mineral kaolin. Tonsteins occur in association with coals in the Carboniferous strata of Europe.The individual beds of tonstein are thin but laterally very extensive...
located there, and throughout the Appalachian basin.
Less well known is another creek also known as "Hell for Certain." This one is located in Lee County
Lee County, Kentucky
Lee County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of 2000, the population was 7,916. Its county seat is Beattyville. It is a prohibition or dry county.-History:...
, Kentucky (37.5819° North, 83.7023° West). There are also communities known as "Hell Creek" and "Whynot?" in Lee County.
The Bluegrass Brewing Company
Bluegrass Brewing Company
-History:The company was founded as a brewpub in Louisville, Kentucky in 1993 by Pat and Lamont Hagan. Since then the "BBC" has grown into three Brewpubs and a Microbrewery/Bottling operation. Bluegrass Brewing Company has won numerous awards for its beers and prides itself on brewing unique...
of Louisville, Kentucky has named one of their beers after Hell for Certain. It's described as a Belgian Dark Ale
Belgian beer
Beer in Belgium varies from pale lager to lambic beer and Flemish red. There are approximately 178 breweries in the country, ranging from international giants to microbreweries..-History:...
.
There is a story of how this area got its name. It is said that a preacher went to this area. When he went home his peers asked him where he went. His reply was, "I have no idea, but it was hell for certain." This story has been passed down for generations.
External links
- HELL FOR CERTAIN—A CARBONIFEROUS VOLCANIC ASH IN THE EASTERN USA, Geological Society abstract, Donald Chestnut.