"The North Carolina Gazetteer" by William S. Powell states "Coldass Creek rises in nw Caldwell County and flows e into Johns River. Both this and Pinchgut Creek were named by two men hunting in the area. They followed a stream until it came to a fork. There they separated, each following one of the forks, and agreed to meet later and name each stream according to their feelings toward it. One man carried the food and the other the sleeping equipment. They became lost, but finally met the next day when they gave the two names to the creeks. Sometimes shown as Cold Water Creek on modern maps." The same book lists thirteen Bear Branches but none of them is in Caldwell County. Jim Campbell