Bonpas Creek is a tributary of the
Wabash River
The Wabash River () is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed May 13, 2011 river that drains most of the state of Indiana, and a significant part of Illinois, in the United ...
in
Illinois
Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...
.
[ It rises to the east of Olney in Richland County, Illinois. Flowing south, it forms the boundary between Edwards and Wabash counties. The creek is long.][U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data]
The National Map
, accessed May 19, 2011 It joins the Wabash near Grayville, Illinois
Grayville is a city in Edwards and White counties in the U.S. state of Illinois. As of the 2020 census, the city's population was 1,550, down from 1,666 at the 2010 census. Grayville is the birthplace of naval hero James Meredith Helm.
Histo ...
. In the last of its watercourse, it occupies part of a former Wabash oxbow bend. As such, the creek now also forms part of the state boundary between White County, Illinois
White County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2020 census, it had a population of 13,877. Its county seat is Carmi. It is located in the southern portion of Illinois known locally as " Little Egypt".
Hist ...
, and Gibson County, Indiana
Gibson County is a county in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Indiana. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 33,011. The county seat is Princeton.
History
In 1787, the fledgling United States defined the Northw ...
, as flows past Grayville in the former channel.
The name is derived from the early French settlers of the Illinois Country
The Illinois Country ( ; ; ), also referred to as Upper Louisiana ( ; ), was a vast region of New France claimed in the 1600s that later fell under Spanish and British control before becoming what is now part of the Midwestern United States. Whi ...
. The name probably means "good steps" or "good path". The name is pronounced locally as "Bom Paw".
Other locals such as those in nearby villages of Bone Gap, Browns, Bellmont and southern Illinois communities pronounce the name as Bum-paw, with the emphasis on the Bum. This pronunciation, though not completely true to the original French, is still much closer to the correct way to say the name. A legend about how Bum-paw got its name tells of an early pioneer father traveling in his wagon across the creek with his young son from their cabin to a nearby settlement. The father it is told gets his wagon and team of horses stuck in the creek. As he wades into the water it is said the young son is saying, "Bum-paw, Bum-paw" as the father pulls the team of horses and wagon across the creek.
See also
*List of Illinois rivers
This is a list of rivers in the U.S. state of Illinois:
By drainage basin
Gulf of Mexico
* Mississippi River
**Ohio River
*** Lusk Creek
*** Saline River
*** Wabash River
**** Little Wabash River
***** Skillet Fork
***** Elm River
***** Fox Rive ...
References
External links
Prairie Rivers NetworkUSGS Real-Time Stream Gage, Bonpas CreekSurfing the Lower Wabash with USEPA
{{authority control
Rivers of Illinois
Rivers of Richland County, Illinois
Rivers of Edwards County, Illinois
Rivers of Wabash County, Illinois