Shanty Branch is a hollow formed by the creek called Shanty Branch. Shanty Branch drains into nearby Williams Creek. Shanty Branch is located in eastern Carter County off of KY SR 1654.
Below is a portion of an aerial image taken from 36,000 feet by the United States Geological Survey on 17 March 1952. There is a concise location listing immediately below this image and a more informative listing of these numbered locations below the photo. Click on the image for a larger view.
1. The C&O Rail line from Ashland KY to Lexington KY. There was a nearby platform at Grant KY to pick up local passengers. This was originally the 25 mile Ashland Coal and Iron Railway (AC&I) that ran from Ashland KY to Denton (Seaton) KY then merged with the Elizabethtown, Lexington, and Big Sandy Railway to Lexington KY. This 25 mile stretch of the AC&I was sold to the C&O in 1924.
2. In 1952 this would have been a very rough dirt and gravel road. It was later black topped and designated KY SR 1654.
3. The older Adkins Cemetery on a small point that juts out from the larger hill face. This cemetery sits below the top ridgeline. It has about 12 graves and about half are marked with thin cement block stones with names. The location on the photo is approximate. The exact GPS is 38.320780, -82.818281.
4. A newer Adkins Cemetery that sits on the top of the ridge. It has 6 graves and all are marked with robust tombstones. The location on the photo is approximate. The exact GPS is 38.322181, -82.817006.
5. Historic Adkins house built by Wiser Adkins (1840 – 1915) in 1897 Courier-Journal entirely from one gigantic tulip poplar tree cut in nearby Pickle Hollow. This was originally the home of Wiser Adkins and Margaret J Williams Adkins (1842 – 1925). This house was demolished in about 1996. The last Adkins heirs living there were the daughter-in-law of Wiser and Margaret Adkins, Ada Davis Adkins (1892 – 1988), and her sons Carl Adkins (1910 – 1986) and Willard Adkins (1920 – 1998).
6. Adkins barn
7. Pea Hollow
8. A huge rock that sat directly in the path of the dirt road up Shanty Branch. You can see that the road takes a sharp 90 degree turn to avoid this rock. Years later this rock was blasted away resulting in a straighter road.
9. House where William Thomas “Bill” Wilburn (1911 – 2010) and Nell Gay Wilburn (1923 – 1999) lived. Bill Wilburn was a local preacher active for decades in the Rush KY area. Later Homer Enyart (1913 – 1960) and Lena “Mem” Moore Enyart (1920 – 1984) lived here.
10. Seed Brainard’s Grave – A lonely mysterious grave on the hill between Pea and Pickle Hollows. There is an entire Williams Creek Basin Article on this grave at the link below. The location on the photo is approximate. The exact GPS is 38.322850, -82.823810.
Click on this line for a link for the Williams Creek Basin article on Seed Brainard’s Grave.
11. House where Charles Wilson “Charlie” Brainard (1869 – 1961) and Ella Adkins Brainard (1874 – 1960) lived. Ella was the daughter of Wiser and Margarett Adkins. Others that lived here later were Rupert Burton “Rube” O’Neil and Kathleen “Catty” Sexton O’Neil (1927 – 1967), Robert Theodore “Dick” Brainard (1926 – 1991) and Minnie Sue Moore Brainard (1932 – 2002), Homer Ray “Jug” Brainard (1834 – 1999) and Garnet Edna Prince Brainard (1945 – 1990), Charles Robert “Charlie” Wilburn (b 1937) and Judith “Judy” Bradford Wilburn Jarvis (b 1942), and James Willburn (b 1939) and Linda Evans Wilburn Bragg (1941 – 2019).
12. Pickle Hollow
13. House at the mouth of Pickle Hollow likely built by Clarence Sexton (1900 – 1954) who lived here with his wife Elizabeth “Lizzie” Brainard Sexton (1907 – 2001). Others that lived here are Raymond Burton (1914 – 1968) and Ruth Brainard Burton (1907 – 2001), Jim Floyd (1891 – 1975) and Flossie Floyd (1912 – 1990). John Paul “Johnny” Wilburn (1946 – 1978) lived here in a trailer after the house was razed.
14. Issac “Ike” Ison (1867 – 1945) and Elizabeth “Lizzie” Stephens Wilburn Ison’s (1890 – 1927) house. Later George Washington Wilburn (1914 – 2007) and Grace Clotine “Tat” Brainard Wilburn (1922 – 2012) lived here. While living here with their parents, brothers Charlie and James Wilburn dug a short alternate channel for Shanty Branch (the creek) by repeatedly plowing in the new channel, then using a scraper blade to remove dirt. They used horses and repeated this plow / scraper blade routine until the new channel was sufficiently deep. This new channel eliminated one crossing of Shanty Branch (the creek) to reach their house. Dick Carter (b 1947) and Beverly Savage Carter (b 1948) have a newer house on this lot today.
15. Barn associated with the #13 house cited above.
16. Alf Sexton Hollow
17. Alf Sexton used a rockcliff on the left of the hollow, as you proceed into the hollow, as a small barn. The location is approximate, but it is a short hollow.
18. Approximate location of Alfred James “Alf” Sexton (1921 – 1983) and Bessie Jane Enyart’s (1925 – 2020) house at the mouth of this hollow. The house had recently been razed, so it is not shown in this photo.
19. Approximate location of a previous house of George and Tat Wilburn. David “Dave” Moore (1907 – 1997) and Alice Moore (1917 – 1997) also lived in this house. The house had recently been razed, so it is not shown in this photo.
A huge thanks to former Shanty Branch residents and brothers Charlie Wilburn and James Wilburn for their kind and patient help. The Wilburn Brothers grew up in Shanty Branch. Pam Kelly Miller also supplied very gracious help with a Courier-Journal newspaper clipping and photos regarding the historic Adkins House.
Enjoy! Lon
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