history of papillion creek
Historical descriptions of the Papillion Creeks or nearby lands were found in Johnson’s History of Nebraska (1879), Lewis and Clark, and county historical accounts, including Andreas’ History of the State of Nebraska – Sarpy Co.
The following is Johnson’s description of Papillion Creek vicinities:
“Big Papillion Creek, a fine stream with numerous branches, furnishing sufficient water power for light manufacturing purposes, rises in Washington County, and flows in a general southeasterly direction through the eastern portion of this County. Little, or West Papillion Creek, draining the central portion of the County, and East Papillion Creek, draining the eastern tier of townships, are tributaries of the Big Papillion, and flow in the same general direction. Mill Creek is a small stream in the northeastern part of the County, emptying into the Missouri, at Florence.
"CHARACTER OF THE LAND.—The second bottoms or table lands of the Missouri are generally from one to two miles wide, and rise in gentle undulations from the low flood plains toward the bluffs, which are usually low and rounded from the northeast corner of the County down to Omaha, below which they are quite steep and broken, and the bottoms narrower. From the bluffs of the Missouri westward to the Papillions, the uplands are considerably rolling, with long sloping knolls, but nowhere, scarcely, is the surface so broken as to prevent plowing. The three Papillion Creeks, running from north to south, and from two to four miles apart, the first one about five miles west of the Missouri, have beautiful valleys, with a great deal of rich, level bottom land.
"Grasses are abundant and nutritious. Immense quantities of hay are annually put up on the meadows of the Papillions and their tributaries, and on the prairie, which always finds a ready market at Omaha.
"FOREST AND FRUIT TREES.—Formerly there were a number of fine groves of hardwood in the eastern portion of the County and along the bottoms of the Missouri, not much of which, however, is now left standing; but there is considerable natural timber yet along the Platte, Elkhorn and the Papillion, and where the original groves were cut off fine young timber is springing up.”
The Papillion Creek is mentioned by Lewis and Clark as noted in the excerpt below:
“July 21, 1804 - Camped in Sarpy County, a little above the mouth of the Papillion Creek [download a PDF with a timeline and map]
We came to the great river Platte. this river which is much more rapid than the Missourie has thrown out imence quantities of Sand forming large sand banks at its mouth and forced the Missourie Close under the SS. the Sands of this river Comes roleing down with the Current which is Crowded with Sand Bars and not 5 feet water at any place across its mouth, the rapidity of the Current of this river which is greater than that of the Missourie, its width at the Mouth across the bars is about 3/4 of a mile, higher up I am told by one of the bowmen* that he was 2 winters on this river above and that it does not rise (four) 7 feet, but Spreds over 3 miles at some places. Capt Lewis & my self went up some distance & crossed found it Shallow. proceeded on passed the mouth of Papillion or Butter fly Creek**"
* bowmen—Either Labiche of Cruzatter; the latter, in particular, seems to have spent considerable time in eastern Nebraska trading with the Indians. Both were half Omaha and were very likely born in the region, sons of French traders.
** Papillion or Butter fly Creek—Papillion, or Big Papillion, Creek reaches the Missouri in Sarpy County, within a mile or so north of the mouth of the Platte.
Sarpy County historical accounts include the following description:
“The principal river (of Sarpy County) is the Papillion, originally known as the Papio, which has two well-known branches, the Little Papillion and South Creek, the South Fork of the Big Papillion. The Big Papillion flows in an easterly direction and empties into the Missouri. All other streams in the county tend to the south, and swell the waters of the Platte.
“Papillion enjoys the unique position of being the county seat of a county more than a quarter of a century old. Yet the town has never been incorporated and has neither officers nor Trustees. Its location, on the South Fork of the Papillion, is an excellent one and makes it a natural trading point for the surrounding country.”
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