Who hasn’t taken a leisurely drive along a winding county road in Union County? As you travel, you’ve no doubt noticed the names of roads, creeks and summits. Everything is known by its labels, Mount Emily, Sandridge, Ladd Canyon or Shaw Mountain, but what’s just as fascinating are the stories behind the names.

This series, On the Road Again, will take you to places in Union County that have an interesting history or would merit your personal exploration.

For starters, consider the Mona Lisa of Union County, Catherine Creek. She is beloved by hikers, campers, picnickers, fishermen and swimmers. Her 32 miles of winding beauty draw crowds of visitors every year, making her one of the most photographed creeks in Union County.

Alanna Spellman, a resident who has lived along the banks of Catherine Creek for the past 20 years, said that each winter Catherine Creek exhibits an unusual characteristic.

“It is one of few creeks that freezes from the bottom up,” she said.

During the cold weather, when there is a warming trend or rain, the ice up above the creek outside of Union starts breaking up. As it melts, it lets loose, pushing all that ice through the creek. When that happens, it gets piled up high along the banks of Catherine Creek and it makes an incredibly thunderous noise.

“It sounds like either a 747 landing on your house or a freight train coming through your property,” she said.

It is the sound of the force of nature at work. In spring, the waters in the creek are high, and the flow is rushing. However, in July, when those spring waters recede, that’s when you’ll occasionally see some young people tubing down the creek.

Wildlife is abundant on Catherine Creek, and for that reason, it’s a great place for bird watching. Spellman has noticed blue herons, hawks, kingfishers, owls and the song birds. Other wildlife seen along Catherine Creek include deer, elk, foxes, coyotes, mink and small river otters. Of course, the creek itself is home to trout, white fish, crawdads and occasional salmon.

For as much as we do know about Catherine Creek, she still holds secrets just like the Mona Lisa. Who is this lady behind the name? Who is Catherine?

Actually, the creek’s original name is not Catherine, but rather Sac sac’ hin ma, a Native American descriptive name, meaning canyon of the fish hawk.

It was only when the first European settlers claimed their homesteads in 1862 that she was renamed Catherine Creek.

The name Catherine is the English and French form of Katherine, and it was first documented on an 1863 map of Union County. Catherine Creek and her smaller tributary, Little Juliana Creek, (also called Elizabeth Creek on some early documents), were once believed to be named after two Godley sisters. However, this classic explanation was ruled out because the Godley family did not settle in Union County until the 1870s, years after the creeks were already named.

On the other hand, the James Hendershott family did settle in Union County before 1863, and James had a mother named Catherine and two sisters named Catherine and Elizabeth. These are only possibilities as nothing is conclusive.

Whoever Catherine really is, her identity is “so like the lady with the mystic smile.” She eludes discovery with a sort of pleasure, but in her cloak of secrecy, she welcomes, supports and draws all sorts of life to her fresh waters. Next time you’re out for a drive, take some time to explore the beauty of Catherine Creek and Catherine Creek State Park.