Creeks are often named after people or landmarks. Here's why Knoxville uses numbers

Have you ever wondered why Knoxville's creeks are numbered rather than named after people or neighborhoods?

First, Second, Third and Fourth creeks are well-known in the Knoxville outdoors scene. All are an integral part of the city's landscape, distinguishing between neighborhoods or used as visual landmarks, and many have greenways running alongside.

Reader Tom Burke asked us to dig into why the creeks are numbered. Though he now lives in Illinois, the University of Tennessee at Knoxville alum still ponders it all these years later. He regularly visits Knoxville with his wife, a fellow alum, and keeps up with local news.

The ordinal number names date back to the 1790s when the city was settled and founded. First Creek was (unsurprisingly) the first

to be found by white settlers near what is now downtown. It was initially known as White's Creek for Knoxville founder James White, who ran a mill at the mouth of the creek in those days, according to the Historical Marker Database.

Second Creek became the western boundary for the city of Knoxville in the early days of the city's founding, according to the Knoxville History Project's founder, Jack Neely. First Creek acted as the eastern boundary.

"First Creek and Second Creek were north-south creeks that were roughly parallel, and formed a handy natural boundary for the city as it was originally conceived, when it was an administrative capital," Neely told Knox News.

Third Creek, being further west, was named in the first stage of westward expansion beyond Knoxville's original city limits later in the 19th century, Neely said. Fourth Creek was designated as white settlers moved further west in Knoxville and what became Knox County.

An early survey of Knox County from 1832 shows all four creeks listed with their ordinal names.

But why are they named for numbers rather than people?

"It may have just been a tradition, and a way to avoid controversy," Neely said. "Most of Knoxville's original streets weren't named for real people, but for trees, rivers, et cetera."

Know Your Knox answers your burning questions about life in Knoxville. Want your question answered? Email [e-mail].

Caitlyn Meisner is the K-12 education reporter for Knox News. Email tips and story ideas to [e-mail].

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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Creeks are often named after people or landmarks. Here's why Knoxville uses numbers