Baron Fork of the Illinois River
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| Baron Fork of the Illinois River | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Location | |
| Country | United States |
| Location | Northwestern Arkansas, Northeastern Oklahoma |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | |
| • location | Washington County, Arkansas |
| • coordinates | 35°56′26″N 94°26′22″W / 35.94056°N 94.43944°W[1] |
| Mouth | |
• location | Illinois River (Oklahoma) |
• coordinates | 35°51′03″N 94°54′50″W / 35.85083°N 94.91389°W |
• elevation | 640 ft[1] |
| Basin size | 1,660 sq mi (4,300 km2) |
| Discharge | |
| • location | Eldon |
| • average | 329 cu ft/s (9.3 m3/s)[2] |
The Baron Fork of the Illinois River is a tributary of the Illinois River in the U.S. states of Arkansas and Oklahoma. The stream is sometimes called Baron Fork River, Barren Fork Creek or simply Barren Fork.[1]
Official Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT) highway signs call the stream Baron Fork. According to a 2009 article in the Tahlequah Daily Press, that designation is rather modern, coming into use during the 1970s. Older maps and documents refer to the stream as Barren Fork. Ed Fite, administrator of the Oklahoma Scenic Rivers Commission, is quoted as saying that Barren Fork is more accurate historically. Fite says that when explorers came up the Illinois River, they found the creek had no water and named it Barren Fork. Even the U. S. Geological Survey maps used the name Barren Fork until the 1970s, then changed to Baron Fork thereafter. The 2009 article points out that the book, "Oklahoma Place Names," listed a former community in Adair County had a post office from November 12, 1895 until December 31, 1942, named Barren Fork,"...from the Barren Fork tributary of the Illinois River."[3]
