I’ve seen things that are close to what people imagine when they hear the word “hell picture.” In 2015, I was in eastern Arizona and saw dead trees as far as the eye could see, the remains of the devastating wildfires of 2011.
It was humbling and beautiful at the same time…in a weird way. I hope our beautiful eastern Kentucky never suffers the same fate. Hellscapes are not allowed in the Federation. However, there is “hell” and “heaven”, and the difference between them is less than 90 minutes.
Although you can’t see it, there’s a small, tiny community in Leslie County near Dry Hill, Hyden, and Saudansticks called “Hell for Thirteen.” It will be hidden on this map.
In 2014, a wonderful writer named Coleman Larkin chronicled his journey to a dusty town along the Middle Fork of the Kentucky River and submitted it to KY For KY for publication. He learned that the most common explanation for the community’s name among local residents was from the missionaries.
Hell for Certain, or Hell-Fer-Sartin, is located a few miles north of Hyden along the Middle Fork of the Kentucky River. The most common story about the origin of this name concerns missionaries who visited the area in the past. When asked where he had been, he said something to the effect of, “I don’t know, but it sure was hell!”
If you travel to Leslie County and try to find it, all you’ll find in terms of “photo souvenirs” are road signs.
And, as you can see, Hell for Certain is just under 90 minutes from “Heaven” or Kingdom Come State Park. It’s long been a joke in Appalachian Kentucky, and I’m grateful it’s still alive and well. Who would have thought that it would be such a short drive from Hell to Kingdom Come? By the way, the luxurious land looks like this.
You see, for some KY finding hell simply falls under the heading of “novelty.” There’s nothing there except a very cool name, except for a few houses – maybe a church. But what about the region? wonderful. I have traveled to eastern Kentucky this summer and know how beautiful it all is. A vacation to your neck of the woods will never disappoint.
(It’s best not to go unless you’re visiting relatives, but that’s a topic for another day.)
Funny town names in Kentucky
Baby names inspired by Kentucky towns
Gallery credit: MKat
