Stout Creek facts for kids

Stout Creek is a small stream in Michigan, located in the middle of Cannon Township in Kent County.

What is Stout Creek?

Stout Creek got its name from the family of Andrew Stout. He founded the lumber town of Plainfield in Kent County back in the 1850s. This town was located where the Rogue and Grand Rivers meet.

The creek starts deep inside a forest filled with oak, maple, and white pine trees. It then flows southwest through old sand dunes and areas where springs bubble up from the ground. Another stream called Schutte's Creek joins Stout Creek. Eventually, Stout Creek flows into Trout Creek, which is sometimes called "Kaiser's Creek." Trout Creek then joins Bear Creek, and they both flow southwest into the Grand River.

History and People

Long ago, this medium-sized creek was a water source for a small Native American village. This village was said to be nestled on a sandy slope nearby.

Later, in the late 1800s and early 1900s, potato fields bordered Stout Creek. These fields were later turned back into marshland. The creek also provided water for the cows and horses of a nearby small community. This community was home to people who belonged to the Seventh-day Adventist faith.

Plants and Nature

The Stout Creek valley has muddy spring beds and loamy hillsides. These areas are home to many beautiful woodland plants that nature lovers enjoy.

Some of the plants you can find here include:

• Marsh marigold
• Skunk cabbage
• Scour grass
• Partridge berry
• Wintergreen
• Elderberry
• Wild ginseng
• Wild ginger
• Bloodroot
• Blue violet
• White violet
• Yellow violet
• Hypatica
• Turk's cap
• Columbine
• Christmas fern
• Fiddle head fern
• Snowberry
• Sassafras
• Thorn apple
• And many other types of plants!

Legends and Local Stories

The Stout Creek valley is known for several interesting legends that local people share.

• Pow Wow Hill: There's a story about a nearby place called Pow Wow Hill. It's said that Native Americans once gathered there around a fire pit on top of the hill.
• Quicksand Pit: The marshland is rumored to hide a quicksand pit. A farmer in the early 1900s supposedly lost a horse in it!
• Prohibition Still: During the time of Prohibition (when alcohol was illegal), some nearby sand dunes were said to hide a secret place for making liquor.
• Arrowhead Treasure: In the early 1970s, local people enjoyed searching a sandpit that was believed to hold a treasure of arrowheads.

Today, you can reach the Stout Creek Valley by Seven Mile Road NE. It has become part of a wooded neighborhood where people live and commute to work, especially to Northeast Grand Rapids.