Catahoula Creek facts for kids
Catahoula Creek is a stream in the state of Mississippi, USA. It starts in Pearl River County and flows through Hancock County. After about 25 miles, it changes its name to the Jourdan River before flowing into the Bay of St. Louis.
This creek has a special name from the Choctaw language. A large Choctaw town called Center used to be located right on its banks. Center was an important place and even served as the main government center for Hancock County for a while.
Scientists often study the fish in Catahoula Creek. Also, some people still search for hidden treasure along its banks, hoping to find something valuable!
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Where Catahoula Creek Flows
Catahoula Creek begins high up, about 235 feet (71.6 meters) above sea level, in Pearl River County (30°43′35″N 89°29′16″W / 30.7265°N 89.4877°W). It flows for about 25 miles. It then joins Bayou Bacon (30°24′23″N 89°30′02″W / 30.4063°N 89.5005°W) in Hancock County. At this point, it becomes the Jourdan River, which then flows into the Bay of St. Louis. The area that drains into Catahoula Creek covers about 155 square miles (401 square kilometers).
The very start of the creek has a steep slope. This means the water can flow very fast there. Further down, the creek becomes much flatter. This area gets a lot of rain, about 52.8 inches (154.2 cm) each year. Because of the steep slopes and heavy rain, the water can sometimes rush quickly. This fast water can move the sand at the bottom of the creek. However, these fast-flowing periods usually only last for a few days.
Its Native American History
The name Catahoula Creek comes from the Choctaw language. Some people believe it means "beloved lake." Others think it means "lake people."
The Town of Center
A very important Choctaw settlement called Center was located near Catahoula Creek. It was found where Catahoula Creek and Playground Branch meet. This spot is about a mile east of the town of Caesar. The name Center comes from a word meaning "coming together" or "where everybody meets."
A Choctaw chief named Muchihira founded Center. He started the town after selling his earlier settlement at Picayune in 1800. Center grew to be the largest Native American town in South Mississippi. In 1815, about 1,500 people lived there.
Center became the first county seat for Hancock County. This meant it was the main government town. It had a courthouse, a post office, and other important buildings. However, in 1830, the Choctaw people were forced to leave their homes. This sad event is known as the Trail of Tears. After this, the county seat moved to Gainesville, and the town of Center was left empty.
Scientific Discoveries
Catahoula Creek has been a great place for scientists to study fish and other things.
- In 1975, scientists studied the longnose shiner fish in the creek. They also looked at the mouth of Dead Tiger Creek (30°24′29″N 89°32′25″W / 30.4080°N 89.5403°W), which flows into Catahoula Creek.
- From 1970 to 1976, another study focused on naked sand darters. The main study area was the part of Catahoula Creek below Dead Tiger Creek. They also studied Hickory Creek (30°28′35″N 89°32′16″W / 30.4763°N 89.5379°W), another stream that joins Catahoula Creek.
- Scientists have studied the blacktail shiner fish many times. They used a large group of these fish collected from Catahoula Creek in 1970. This big sample was taken all at once from the same spot. Using one large sample helps scientists avoid differences that might happen if they took smaller samples at different times or places.
The Search for Buried Treasure
There's a story that a lot of money was buried along the banks of Catahoula Creek. This supposedly happened in 1856 or 1857. An outlaw group led by James Copeland was said to have hidden three kegs full of money.
This treasure has never been found. Many people still search for it today. Because of all the treasure hunters, you can see many holes dug along the creek's banks!
