Video Trip to Billows, Rockcastle County, Kentucky
This is a video of a trip down the Old Route 80 from Somerset going toward London. The settlement at one time, featured a Post Office, a General Store, and a silver painted log tavern which was located on the Laurel County side of the Rockcastle River. It was a meeting point for neighbors to purchase mercantile for farming, sustance such as sugar and flour and you could stay the night at the tavern. The tavern sported music and liquor, whether it was legal or illicite, I don't know. There is a story that is told that Drummers - traveling salespersons- would stay the night there, then in order was killed for their goods. Another local story tells how their bodies were thrown down a nearby well and the persons were never heard of again. The wagon road which ran from Billows up to the Isaac Mize mill site can still be seen where it runs below the present Hawk Creek Road. Hawk Creek Road is presently blocked because of mudslides which had covered the road but when it was open, it was a real adventure getting to the old Hawk Creek Bridge. The road was dirt and quickly turned into one continuous mud hole after a rain. Many times I would have to get out of my truck and measure the depth of the holes to make sure that my vehicle would not get sucked up by these monstrous mud holes. I revved the engine and then went for broke! During one trip to the Hawk Creek Bridge, I drove down to the mill site and promptly became stuck. It was about 7:30 in the summer evening, I was alone, no rope, no nothin'! I thought to myself, "Nice job Big Daddy Dave, now what?" A rock on the gas pedal, a bunch of thick tree branches, a little praying, alot of brute force pushing, and I was back on the muddy road again. Well back to the Billows story. There were many foot paths which led to the different home sites located along the river. More can be read at the photographed trip to Billows and up to Eagle Creek.
We peeked a look inside the old General Store, it's outhouse, Miss Ruby Adams home, and the new bridge. Miss Adams was a local legend because she had taught the majority of the community's children at one time or another. This was the site of the ferry which would cross the Rockcastle River when the river was high. You are able to wade across the river during the summer when the water is low but watch out for those toe biting crawdads! LOL!
We drove up to the site of the former tavern, turned around recrossed the river and then turned right onto Route 1249 (Sand Springs Road) to visit Eagle Creek.....