Cribbs Hill Was The Stopping Place For Oxen Teams With Iron Enroute To Catlettsburg
By Squire V. H. Gallion and Lum Terry
Sandy Valley Enquirer
Thursday, December 10, 1942

	Wilson Creek is part of the Grayson grant which fell to David L. Ward by deed July, 1816, 
from Robert Grayson, son of William Grayson, and later was acquired by the two families, 
Wilson and Debord.  Mr. Wilson built a substantial home near the headwaters of the creek where 
now stands part of the original old house.  The place is easily located from the fact that an 
unusually large weeping willow tree now stands close by the U.S. Highway No. 60 and is a 
landmark known all over the country.  The Owingsville-Catlettsburg turnpike passes through 
this neighborhood (now U.S. 60), where once the ox teams passed at the rate of 2 miles per 
hour--quite a contrast from the present-day when the modern motor car and heavy-laden trucks 
whiz by at a high rate of speed.  Here is where the road from the Mt. Savage Blast Furnace 
intersected the Owingsville-Catlettsburg turnpike.  The road from the Mt. Savage Furnace, 
known as the Iron Road, iron being hauled on it by ox-team to Catlettsburg to be loaded on 
boats to be shipped to the Steel Mills on the Ohio River. Here also was a stopover place for 
the teams hauling pig iron.  Large cribs were built near the hill, known now for that reason 
as Cribbs Hill on U.S. 60, six miles East of Grayson.  The teams were fed corn and kept in 
the cribbs, teams an drivers staying overnight and resuming their slow journey early next 
morning toward the Ohio River.
	About the year 1860 other families migrated from Virginia--William Terry, Allen Carraway 
and William Smith, who are the forefathers of the people now forming a big part of this 
community.  The earliest school was supported by subscription from the citizens of the 
community.  For sixty days out of the year each individual paid his part of the teacher's 
salary.  Miss Tony Norris was the first teacher in the rustic old log school building.  
The seats were split logs, holes were bored in them to make legs.  Paper was not available 
for these early scholars and slates were used for lessons.
	During the period of the Charcoal Blast Furnace in Carter County, Wilson Creek was a very 
busy place, chopping and burning cord wood and digging iron ore to haul to the nearby furnaces.  
The signs of the old charcoal hearths are still visible everywhere.  For the past 45 years this 
has been strictly an agriculture community.  White burley tobacco is the leading crop.  In the 
fall of the year thousands of pounds of fine tobacco are sent from this community to the 
markets.
	Wilson Creek has furnished Carter County one county judge, William J. Smith, who was a 
very able leader and brought to Carter County many valuable improvements (bridges and etc.)  
There have been 8 magisterial officer from this community for No. 7 Magisterial District.
	During the Civil War Company K, 45th Kentucky, recruited several men from this community 
to mention a few names: William J. Smith, Bob Haywood, Steve Clark and Samuel Lusk.  A church 
has been established here for 75 years and the citizenry are strongly devoted to their 
religious faiths.

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