Tug Fork

Geobox|River
name = Tug Fork
native_name =
other_name =
other_name1 =


image_size = 300
image_caption = Tug Fork at Williamson, West Virginia
country = United States
country_

state = Kentucky
state1 = Virginia
state2 = West Virginia
state_

region_type = Counties
region = McDowell WV
region1 = Buchanan VA
region2 = Pike KY
region3 = Mingo WV
region4 = Martin KY
region5 = Lawrence KY
region6 = Wayne WV
length_imperial = 154
length_note =
watershed_imperial =
watershed_note =
discharge_location = Kermit, West Virginia
discharge_average_imperial = 1990
discharge_max_imperial = 4410
discharge_max_note = (1987)
discharge_min_imperial = 528
discharge_min_note = (1930)
discharge_note = cite web
url = http://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/uv?03214500
title = USGS 03214500 TUG FORK AT KERMIT, WV
work = National Water Information System
accessdate = 2008-04-24
publisher = U.S. Geological Survey ]
source_name = Big Stone Ridge
source_location = McDowell County
source_region =
source_state = West Virginia
source_lat_d = 37
source_lat_m = 16
source_lat_s = 38
source_lat_NS = N
source_long_d = 81
source_long_m = 26
source_long_s = 06
source_long_EW = W
source_coordinates_note = cite gnis|1548311|Tug Fork|2004-04-24]
source_elevation_imperial = 2604
source_elevation_note = cite web
url = http://gisdata.usgs.gov/XMLWebServices/TNM_Elevation_Service.asmx/getElevation?X_Value=-81.435&Y_Value=37.277222&Elevation_Units=FEET&Source_Layer=-1&Elevation_Only=FALSE
title = Tug Fork Source
work = Elevation Query
accessdate = 2008-04-24
publisher = U.S. Geological Survey ]
source_length_imperial =
source1_name =
source1_location =
source1_region =
source1_state =
source1_lat_d =
source1_lat_m =
source1_lat_s =
source1_lat_NS = N
source1_long_d =
source1_long_m =
source1_long_s =
source1_long_EW = W
source1_coordinates_note =
source1_elevation_imperial =
source1_elevation_note =
source1_length_imperial =
source_confluence_location =
source_confluence_region =
source_confluence_state =
source_confluence_lat_d =
source_confluence_lat_m =
source_confluence_lat_s =
source_confluence_lat_NS = N
source_confluence_long_d =
source_confluence_long_m =
source_confluence_long_s =
source_confluence_long_EW = W
source_confluence_coordinates_note =
source_confluence_elevation_imperial =
source1_elevation_confluence_note =
mouth_name = Big Sandy River
mouth_location = Louisa
mouth_district =
mouth_region =
mouth_state = Kentucky
mouth_country =
mouth_lat_d = 38
mouth_lat_m = 07
mouth_lat_s = 05
mouth_lat_NS = N
mouth_long_d = 82
mouth_long_m = 36
mouth_long_s = 06
mouth_long_EW = W
mouth_coordinates_note =
mouth_elevation_imperial = 545
mouth_elevation_note =
tributary_left = Dry Fork
tributary_left1 = Panther Creek
tributary_left2 = Peter Creek
tributary_left3 = Pond Creek
tributary_right = Elkhorn Creek
tributary_right1 = Mate Creek
free_name =
free_value =


map_size = 300
map_caption = Map of the Big Sandy River watershed, with its Levisa Fork (left) and Tug Fork (right) tributaties shown

The Tug Fork is a tributary of the Big Sandy River, 154 mi (248 km) long, in southwestern West Virginia, southwestern Virginia, and eastern Kentucky in the United States. Via the Big Sandy and Ohio Rivers, it is part of the watershed of the Mississippi River.

It is also known as the Tug Fork River. The United States Board on Geographic Names settled on "Tug Fork" as the stream's official name in 1975.

The Tug Fork rises in the Appalachian Mountains of extreme southwestern West Virginia, in southern McDowell County, near the Virginia state line. It flows in a meandering course through the mountains generally northwest, past Welch. Approximately 20 mi (32 km) northwest of Welch, it briefly forms approximately 4 mi (6.4 km) of the state line between West Virginia (northeast) and Virginia (southwest). For the remainder of its course it forms part of the boundary between West Virginia (east) and Kentucky (west), flowing northwest past Williamson, West Virginia. It joins the Levisa Fork at Louisa, Kentucky to form the Big Sandy.

The river flows through an especially remote mountainous region in its upper course. The river valley between Pike County, Kentucky and Mingo County, West Virginia was the scene of the famous Hatfield-McCoy feud in the late 19th century.

Toponymist George R. Stewart writes about the origin of the name "Tug Fork". In 1756 a small army of Virginians and Cherokees conducted war raids against the Shawnee. At one point they killed and ate two buffaloes and hung their hides on a tree. Later they returned and, being out of provisions, took the hides and cut them into thin strips called "tugs". These they roasted and ate. For this reason, the story goes, the stream was given the name "Tug". Stewart also points out another possible origin. Even if the story is true, the second explanation may have reinforced the name. In the Cherokee language "tugulu" refers to the forks of a stream, as in the Tugaloo River and other streams in former Cherokee lands named "tug". [George R. Stewart. "Names on the Land". Houghton Mifflin Company: Boston (1967).]

ee also

*List of Kentucky rivers
*List of Virginia rivers
*List of West Virginia rivers
*River borders of U.S. states
*Martin County Sludge Spill

References

External links

* [http://genealogy.about.com/library/weekly/aa043000a.htm Hatfield-McCoy: Reunion of the Millennium]