Hi.  We have several "Blues" near one another in the Ouachita Mountains.
These include the community of Blue Ball in western Scott Co., the
community of Blue Mountain a few miles away in Logan Co., and the nearby
Blue Mountain itself which gave its name to Blue Mountain COE Lake on
Petit Jean River.  The local county histories are vague on source of
original Blue Ball and Blue Mountain.  Dates may be mid to later 19th
century, although the mountain that looms over all of these is Magazine
Mountain, and that's probably 18th century French ("sugar in a
distinctive lump form"), and so is Petit Jean River of course, and
nearby Fourche La Fave River.  Of no relation, probably, Blue Ball is on
Dutch Creek, named after a Cherokee leader who settled way further down
on said creek with a group from the Eastern homeland.  Naming patterns
in Arkansas, and elsewhere, get complicated sometimes.  I'll check
around for more on Blue Ball.  Bye for now.
 
Leslie C. Stewart-Abernathy
Arkansas Archeological Survey
Arkansas Tech University
Russellville, AR