[5] It was established on 1901-10-04 by postmaster Sherman B. Holliday, and located (according to its application form) 5 miles (8.0 km) north of Hazard and 3.5 miles (5.6 km) south of Dwarf post office (on Troublesome Creek), which places it at the mouth of a tributary of Trace Fork that was known as Godsey Fork.

[9] A Heiner post office was established on 1918-10-18 by postmaster Zack Grass, and a small village named Whitsett was further upstream.

[8] The Bulan post office was established on 1919-05-15 by postmaster Evan Riley Nicholson, 1.5 miles (2.4 km) up Trace Fork.

[8] It served the Downing railway station and the nearby mining camp of the Lotts Creek Coal Company.

[8] Jake Branch was the location of a spur railway line built by the L&N in 1918 between Duane station and Hardburly.

[5] As a mining town it had its own company store, hospital, doctor's office, dentist, dry cleaner, baseball field, tennis courts, and a Y.M.C.A.

[8] With help from a USDA Federal Extension Service specialist from the University of Kentucky local community members organized to form the Hardburly Association and create a water system, local dump, garbage collections, and a park; with the money needed raised by holding community events.