Cook Run (stream)
| Cook Run Tributary to West Fork Little Kanawha River | |
|---|---|
  Location of Cook Run in Calhoun County, West Virginia.[1] | |
| Nickname | Cooks Fork[2] |
| Location | |
| Country | United States |
| State | West Virginia |
| County | Calhoun |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Mouth | |
• location | about 3 miles southwest of Arnoldsburg, West Virginia |
• coordinates | 38°44′58″N 81°09′40″W / 38.74944°N 81.16111°W[3][1] |
• elevation | 747.51 ft (227.84 m)[1] |
| Basin features | |
| River system | Little Kanawha River |
| Tributaries | |
| • right | Beech Fork |
Cook Run, also locally known as Cooks Fork,[2] is a stream in Calhoun County, West Virginia, and a tributary of the West Fork Little Kanawha River.[3][1] It originates south of the unincorporated community of Arnoldsburg, and nearby to Beech.[1]
Etymology
The stream derives its name from the Reverend Barnabas Cook, a pioneer clergyman from New England who settled in the area during the early 19th century.[4][5] Cook is credited as one of the earliest ministers to evangelize the West Fork and organized its first church in 1822.[1][4] Cook was one of the earliest to settle in the area, having married into the local O'Brien and McCune families.[6] Nearby Saul Run, also known as Sauls Fork, is named after one of Cook's sons, Saul Cook.[2][5]
Folklore
Local paranormal folklore holds that the area around Cook Run, including nearby tributaries of the West Fork Little Kanawha River, are visited by the benevolent spirit of Alva Laughlin, a Union soldier who was captured and killed by Confederates during the Skirmish of Arnoldsburg in May 1863.[2] According to legend dating back to the early 1940s, Laughlin can sometimes be heard singing in the areas of McCunes Run, Sauls Fork, Road Run, Beech Fork, and down Cooks Fork, or Cook Run, where he reportedly stops to pray at the nearby Fairview Church.[2] The tradition is attributed to recollections that Laughlin was fond of singing hymns during his lifetime.[2]
See also
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Cook Run – Stream, West Virginia". geo.mytopo.com. U.S. Geographic Features from Mytopo. Retrieved 7 July 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Haught, James C. (Dec 1, 2025). "THE GHOSTS OF THE THREE LAUGHLINS - After Tragic Deaths, Do They Still Wander The Calhoun Hills?". The Hur Herald. Internet Archive. Archived from the original on 15 December 2025. Retrieved 7 July 2026.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - 1 2 "Geographic Names Information System". edits.nationalmap.gov. U.S. Geological Survey. Retrieved 7 July 2026.
- 1 2 Carpenter, Mattie Starcher (Feb 19, 2026). "History of My Community - Arnoldsburg". Calhoun County Centennial 1856-1956. The Hur Herald. Retrieved 7 July 2026.
- 1 2 Bishop, Wiliam H. (1927). History of Roane County West Virginia (1st ed.). Spencer, WV: HathiTrust. p. 482. Retrieved 7 July 2026.
- ↑ Weaver, Bob. "NO MOSS GROWING ON ADAM O'BRIEN - Primitive Adventures, Murderous Times, And More Progeny Than You Can Count". www.hurherald.com. The Hur Herald. Retrieved 7 July 2026.