University Missourian., 1912-03-08
BOONE IS A COUNTY
|. Of HISTORIC CREEKS
The Early French Explorers
Were First to Name
Streams.
HINkSON SECOND LARGEST
Perche. Silver Fork. Turkey.
GrindstOne and Bear
Are Others.
HINkSON SECOND LARGEST


esting and historic streams and
creeks. The largest stream in Boone
County is Perche Greek which flows
north and south through the county.
five miles west of Columbia. Its first
name was Roche Prrchc Creek, mean
| ing pierced rock. Ii was named by
the French explorers who sailed up
the Missouri River before there We're
any settlements. At the place
where the creek empties into the
Missouri River al McBaine, there is
a large rock on bluff which the
French called pierced rock or Roche
! perche. Thus was the first stream
named in Boone County.
Next in importance To Perche
Creek is HinksOn Creek named for
! Henry iiinkson. one of the first set
tiers OF Boone County. He came here
! in 1916 and lived with his married
east OF Columbia on road now
! known as Clarke's Lane. He was the
first man to have law salt in Boone
courty: the ease was tried before a
/ justice of the peace and appealed to
/ the circuit court. This WAS the first
ease that WAS tried in the circuit
court. IiinksOn Crcch has siX iron
bridges and three railroad bridges
over it. The Iiinkson flows around
! Columbia in horse shoe bend. II
rises southeast Of C"ntraia.
Grindstonc Creek runs east of an
/ parallel with Hinkson Creek and
cmptics into it on the Marshall Cor
don farm. Il is spanned by two iron
bridges. Grindstone Greek got its
name from the fact that the early
settlers used rock from its bluffs for
making grindstoneS.
/ Named After kentucky Stream.
Silver Fork Greek runs between
/ Cpntralia and HallSville west and
southwest into Perche Creek. 1t was
named for Silver Creek in Madison
County, Kentucky. because the peO-
pie who lived along its banks had
migrated from there to Boone Coun-
Ity Ii is the only creek in the coun-
ty which is named for another creek.
Callahan Greek is northeast of
! RochepUrt and empties into Perche
Greek from the west side.
The only stream in Boone County
named for wild animal is Bear
Creek. which derived its name from
a peculiar incident. In the time of
the early settlers woman was
seated in one-roOm cabin with her
baby in cradle. A bear got on the
roof of the cabin and fell down the
chimney. The fire in the fireplace
scOrched him and the fall stunned
him. The woman had the presence
OF mind to take the baby and leave
the cabin. She remained outside un-
til her husband returned and he,
opening the door of the cabin. shot
the bear. The cabin stood close to
a stream, which afterward took the
name Bear Greek.
in Cedar Township Turkey Creek
crosses the Columbia and Ashland
gravel road south of Deer Park. 1t
got It's name because of the abund-
ance of wild turkeys found in the
neighborhOOd.
BORne Femme Means Good Woman.
| Another well known stream is
Bonne Femme Creek which crosses
the Columbia and Ashland gravel
road two miles north of Deer Park
Ii was named BOnne Femme or Good
Woman from an historical fact. The
early French explorers who came up
the Missouri River had trouble with
1.-The Indians and one Frenchman was
wounded. An Indian squaw dressed
TO allow the French to continue their
! journey. Thus the stream on which !
this incident happened took the |
name. Bonne Femme. A small stream |
cmptyng into it is called Little |
/ Bonna Femme. and a church situated |
near its banks is named BOnne |
/ Femme Church. The Baptist Asso- |
c;ation of Central Missouri has |
changed its name to Little Bonne |
| Ranric, Accnrjafipp
There are several smaller streams |
! i'm Boone County such as Sugar
Creek. Little Cedar Creek, Clear |
Creek and Fowler's Greek Rocky |
Fork Greek. named because of the |
rugged. broken country on its banks |
and the surrounding rocky hills, is |