Pride and prestige played a great role in the close-knit society that existed in Breathitt County. According to In the Land of Breathitt , the first families to come to the area of Kentucky County, Virginia that became Breathitt County were the Neaces and Nobles. Among historians, there is no doubt that the first documented families to set up residence within the county were the Nobles and Neaces.
History records two explained entrances into the state.
The first is a long narrative of their journey down the Licking River and Quicksand Creek. Then up the North Fork of the Kentucky River and Troublesome Creek to the mouth of what is now Watts. This story, although romantic, is most difficult to believe. This route into the state is most difficult, and to my knowledge, was never used by other settlers. This route would have been very difficult because of the constant twists and turns of Quicksand Creek and the extreme difficulty of maneuvering through the dense thickets of mountain laurel that lined the banks of both Quicksand Creek and the Kentucky River.