Beals is perhaps the youngest town in Henderson County, since its post office was established as late as 1903, operated for two years and then discontinued until Joseph SIMMONS reopened it in 1924.

On the evening of August 6, 1904, when the train fell in the Green River at Spottsville, Beals consisted of three houses, and a dance was in progress in one of them. At that time, all activity centered around Mr. BEAL'S sawmill, where he made runners for boats, and his name was given to the town, first as "Beals' Switch".

Earlier residents had called it "Deer Path" and had attended the Sloan's Chapel Church (est. in 1880s) and Griffith Creek School. Their only connection with the western section of Henderson County was by railroad (after 1888) or boat. During the years before 1932 two ferries ran across the Green River operated by W. S. BENNETT and Annie STEWART.

William MOORE built the first grocery store and it is still functioning with the Harold KRUGER family in charge. KRUGER added an apiary of some ninety hives and sells homegrown honey. A block beyond KRUGER'S is the GIBSON Store and these two form the business section of town. Two Pentecostal churches are also located in the larger community.

Beals' heyday came in the 1920s with three more stores (Edgar SIMMONS, Jacob SMITHART and Eugene WEDDING); a grist mill; barber shop; two blacksmiths, Charlie ROBINSON and Jim CARTER; a restaurant operated by Walter PARKER; a brickyard, and the ELLISON brothers to run a sawmill and threshing machine.

The 1937 flood washed away businesses, church, school and many homes. The school was consolidated with Reed and many businesses did not reopen.

History of Henderson County, Kentucky by Dannheiser & Hazelwood