Apple Creek (stream), Missouri

Apple Creek
Stream
Apple Creek (stream) sign from Highway 61
Name origin: French: Rivière à la Pomme meaning "Apple River"
Country	United States
State	Missouri
Mouth	Mississippi River
- elevation	322 ft (98 m)
- coordinates	37°33′56″N 89°31′37″W / 37.56556°N 89.52694°W / 37.56556; -89.52694Coordinates: 37°33′56″N 89°31′37″W / 37.56556°N 89.52694°W / 37.56556; -89.52694

Apple Creek is a stream that rises in western Perry County, Missouri and empties into the Mississippi River, forming the boundary between Perry and Cape Girardeau counties.

Name

The name of Apple Creek derives from the French name Rivière à la Pomme. Since the Shawnee Indians cultivated farms and had a number of villages along this creek, it is probable that the early French travelers and hunters gave the name "Rivière à la Pomme" (later Americanized to Apple River or Apple Creek), from the apple trees which grew there.^[1]

History

Although it is not known who the original native inhabitants were of the Apple Creek area, the area eventually become home to the Shawnee and Delaware Indians. Having originated in present-day Delaware and Pennsylvania, the Shawnee and Delaware Indians had been pushed off their lands by white settlement.^[2] The Spanish encouraged Shawnee and Delaware immigration, and granted them two large tracts of land in the Apple creek watershed, with the intention of the Shawnee and Delaware acting as a buffer against the Osage Indians, who were not on friendly terms with the Spanish authorities.^[2] Some 1,200 Shawnee and 600 Delaware were convinced to relocate to the Apple Creek watershed, and in 1784 the group of Shawnee and Delaware migrated and settled down in the area of Old Appleton. The "Grand Village Sauvage" was to the west of present-day Old Appleton and the "Petit Village Sauvage" was to the east of Old Appleton.^[3][4] In the early 1800s, American settlers began encroaching on the Shawnee and Delaware lands around Apple Creek. The Shawnee also requested the Spanish authorities to grant them protection from the Osage in 1807.

By 1815 the situation with white settlers had worsened so much that territorial governor William Clark and United States President James Madison ordered all white intruders removed from Shawnee and Delaware lands. However, this order was largely ignored by the authorities. By 1816, the encroachment by white settlers left the US Federal Government no choice but to relocate the Shawnee and Delaware to lands further west.^[5][6]

Physical geography

Apple Creek has a number of tributaries:^[7]

Cultural geography

Apple Creek rises in the southern part of Perry County and flows east to form the boundary line between Perry and Cape Girardeau counties. A number of bridges cross Apple Creek, including Apple Creek CR 630 bridge the Apple Creek Railroad bridge, the wrought-iron Old Appleton Bridge, and the pony truss Old Appleton US 61 Bridge. A town by the same name lies north of Apple Creek in Perry County, Missouri. The town of Old Appleton, Missouri, was also earlier known as Apple Creek, but changed its name to Old Appleton in the years leading up to the establishment of its post office in 1876.^[8][9]

Communities

• Old Appleton

Photo gallery

• 

  Highway 61 bridge over Apple Creek

• 

  Apple Creek foot bridge

• 

  Highway 61 over Apple Creek

• 

  Apple Creek foot bridge

References

Geographical features of Perry County, Missouri Rivers Mississippi River Streams Apple Creek Bois Brule Creek Brazeau Creek Cinque Hommes Creek Saline Creek Capes Cape Cinque Hommes Islands Grand Tower Island Tower Rock Alluvial plains Bois Brule Bottom Brazeau Bottom Wildlife refuges Middle Mississippi River National Wildlife Refuge Conservation areas Red Rock Landing Conservation Area Seventy-Six Conservation Area

Municipalities and communities of Perry County, Missouri, United States County seat: Perryville Cities Altenburg Frohna Perryville Villages Biehle Lithium Longtown Townships Bois Brule Brazeau Central Cinque Hommes St. Mary's Salem Saline Union CDP Brewer Other unincorporated communities Allen's Landing Apple Creek Barks Belgique Brazeau Claryville Corners Crosstown Eureka Farrar Friedenberg Highland McBride Menfro Millheim Old Appleton‡ Schalls Schumer Springs Sereno Silver Lake Uniontown Wittenberg Yount Abandoned villages Dresden Fenwick Settlement Friendlytown Giboney Le Grand Village Sauvage Pointrest Seelitz Seventy-Six Starlanding Tucker's Settlement Footnotes ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties

Geographical features of Cape Girardeau County, Missouri Rivers Mississippi River Streams Apple Creek Capes Cape Rock State parks Bollinger Mill State Historic Site Trail of Tears State Park Historic sites Fort D Old Lorimier Cemetery

Municipalities and communities of Cape Girardeau County, Missouri, United States County seat: Jackson Cities Cape Girardeau‡ Delta Jackson Scott City‡ Villages Allenville Dutchtown Gordonville Oak Ridge Old Appleton‡ Pocahontas Whitewater Townships Apple Creek Byrd Cape Girardeau Hubble Kinder Liberty Randol Shawnee Welch Whitewater Unincorporated communities Arnsberg Burfordville Daisy Egypt Mills Friedheim Fruitland Millersville Neely's Landing New Wells Shawneetown Footnotes ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties

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