The Pennington Creek Story
How the Chickasaw Nationa named Pennington Creek in Oklahoma
I love Oklahoma. I was born in Oklahoma City in 1950 but lived much of my early life in Southeastern Oklahoma.
There are two waterways loved by everyone in the area. One is Blue River which isn’t very blue but is big and full of catfish and other fish, as well as snapping turtles, water moccasins, and frogs — lots of frogs that are good for eating — only the legs, of course! The river is deep enough to swim in if you’re inclined to swim in freshwater.
The second beloved waterway is Pennington Creek. It is the only water source for the town of Tishomingo, Oklahoma. Tishomingo was named for the chief of the Chickasaw, who died from smallpox on his way walking — by force of the United States — to Tishomingo — the end of the Trail of Tears for the Chickasaw.
I’ve always loved Pennington Creek, in part because my great-grandmother was Lucretia Adeline Pennington. As an adult, I spent a fair bit of time in the area at the Slippery Falls Boy Scout Camp when our son was a cub scout and later a boy scout.
Years later, when I learned about the Pennington family, I wanted to know if the creek was named after a Pennington. It took a lot of investigation, and I finally found the story of the creek and many stories of my English ancestors. The story…
