Meathouse Fork

Meathouse Fork
Meathouse Fork south of Smithburg, West Virginia
Country United States
State West Virginia
County Doddridge
Tributaries
 - left Toms Fork
Source Big Isaac Creek
 - location southeast of Miletus
 - elevation 1,190 ft (363 m) [1]
 - length 2 mi (3 km)
 - coordinates 39°13′09″N 80°34′34″W / 39.2191667°N 80.5761111°W / 39.2191667; -80.5761111 [2]
Secondary source Laurel Run
 - location northeast of Big Isaac
 - elevation 1,154 ft (352 m) [1]
 - length 1.6 mi (3 km)
 - coordinates 39°12′38″N 80°31′58″W / 39.2105556°N 80.5327778°W / 39.2105556; -80.5327778 [3]
Source confluence
 - location west of Big Isaac
 - elevation 935 ft (285 m) [1]
 - coordinates 39°12′00″N 80°33′20″W / 39.2000893°N 80.5556517°W / 39.2000893; -80.5556517 [4]
Mouth Middle Island Creek
 - location Smithburg
 - elevation 794 ft (242 m) [4]
 - coordinates 39°17′03″N 80°43′41″W / 39.2842512°N 80.7281587°W / 39.2842512; -80.7281587Coordinates: 39°17′03″N 80°43′41″W / 39.2842512°N 80.7281587°W / 39.2842512; -80.7281587 [4]
Length 19.7 mi (32 km)
Basin 64.6 sq mi (167 km2)
Hydrologic Unit Codes 050302010401, 050302010403 (USGS)
A map of the Meathouse Fork and its watershed

The Meathouse Fork is a tributary of Middle Island Creek, 19.7 miles (31.7 km) long,[5] in north-central West Virginia in the United States. Via Middle Island Creek and the Ohio River, it is part of the watershed of the Mississippi River, draining an area of 64.6 square miles (167 km2)[6] in a rural region on the unglaciated portion of the Allegheny Plateau.

Geography

The Meathouse Fork's entire course and watershed are in southern and central Doddridge County. It is formed in southeastern Doddridge County by the confluence of Big Isaac Creek,[2] 2 miles (3.2 km) long,[5] which rises approximately 1 mile (1.6 km) southeast of the community of Miletus and flows southeastward; and Laurel Run,[3] 1.6 miles (2.6 km) long,[5] which rises approximately 0.75 miles (1.21 km) northeast of the community of Big Isaac and flows westward, through Big Isaac. From this confluence, approximately 0.9 miles (1.4 km) west of Big Isaac, the Meathouse Fork flows generally northwestward, through the unincorporated communities of Avon, New Milton, Sugar Camp, and Blandville, to Smithburg, where it joins Buckeye Creek to form Middle Island Creek.[7][8]

The Meathouse Fork collects its largest tributary, Toms Fork, at Sugar Camp. In the vicinity of Sugar Camp and Blandville, it is paralleled by West Virginia Route 18.[7][8]

History

The origin of the name of this watershed and community, given by the earliest white settlers in the 1820s, was detailed by a local historian a century later:

On this spot of ground hunters from other sections who came to this community to hunt deer and bear built a log cabin in which to store their meat until they could move it to their homes in other and, sometimes, remote sections. From this meat house, the branch of Middle Island Creek which extends from near Smithburg to Big Isaac took the name of Meat House Fork.[9]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 The National Map elevation for GNIS source coordinates. Retrieved 2013-07-31.
  2. 1 2 Geographic Names Information System. "Geographic Names Information System entry for Big Isaac Creek (Feature ID #1535869)". Retrieved 2013-07-31.
  3. 1 2 Geographic Names Information System. "Geographic Names Information System entry for Laurel Run (Feature ID #1541516)". Retrieved 2013-07-31.
  4. 1 2 3 Geographic Names Information System. "Geographic Names Information System entry for Meathouse Fork (Feature ID #1543103)". Retrieved 2013-07-31.
  5. 1 2 3 United States Environmental Protection Agency. "West Virginia, Little Muskingum-Middle Island Watershed". Archived from the original on 2011-10-15. Retrieved 2013-07-31.
  6. ↑ U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset, area data for Meathouse Fork watershed, 12-digit Hydrologic Unit Codes 050302010401 and 050302010403. The National Map Archived 2012-04-05 at WebCite, retrieved 2013-07-31
  7. 1 2 The National Map Archived 2012-04-05 at WebCite, accessed 2013-07-31
  8. 1 2 West Virginia Atlas & Gazetteer. Yarmouth, Me.: DeLorme. 1997. pp. 24, 35. ISBN 0-89933-246-3.
  9. ↑ Randolph, Roy F. (1926), "History Of New Milton Community"; Doddridge County Agricultural Extension Division.
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