White Lick Creek

White Lick Creek is a 47.7-mile-long (76.8 km)[3] stream in central Indiana in the United States. It flows from its source in Boone County, near Fayette, into the White River near Centerton.

White Lick Creek
White Lick Creek in Plainfield, Indiana
Map of White Lick Creek
Etymology“Wa-pe-ke-way” or “White Salt”[1]
Location
CountryUnited States
StateIndiana
RegionCentral Indiana
DistrictBoone County
Hendricks County
Morgan County
Municipality Fayette
Brownsburg
Plainfield
Mooresville
Martinsville
Physical characteristics
Source 
 • locationFayette, Indiana, United States
 • coordinates39°58′23″N 86°25′22″W
Mouth 
 • location
Centerton, Indiana, United States
 • coordinates
39°29′35″N 86°23′20″W
Discharge 
 • locationMooresville, Indiana
 • average244 cu/ft. per sec.[2]
Basin features
River systemWhite River (West Fork)
Tributaries 
 • leftAbner Creek
West Fork White Lick Creek
McCracken Creek
 • rightClarks Creek
East Fork White Lick Creek

Name

White Lick Creek is named for a mineral lick which attracted deer.[4] In the past the stream had various names: East Lick Creek, White Lick River, Whitelick Creek and Whitelick River.[5]

Haunted White Lick Creek Bridge
Haunted White Lick Creek Bridge

According to an urban legend, just south of U.S. Highway 36 between Danville and Avon, there is a railroad bridge that is haunted by the ghost of an Irish immigrant. "Dad" Jones was hired to help build a former bridge that once stood. During the construction he died brutally, and it is said that his spirit still occupies the area.[6][7][8]

As legend goes, the work had progressed up to the point when the workers were pouring concrete into wooden frames. One day "Dad" Jones was on a wooden platform above a framework that was being filled when all of sudden the platform broke. His fellow workers had to helplessly watch "Dad" Jones sink deeper and deeper into the concrete. It is said that the workers could hear him pounding his fists against the sides of the framework until he finally suffocated.

The construction company and co-workers were puzzled as to what to do with his remains. The company eventually made the decision it would more economic and also too difficult to remove his body from the dried concrete block. Even though his co-workers rejected to continue to build the bridge with his body located inside, the company pushed for the construction to be finished.

Years after the completion of the bridge, locals reported they could still screams and pounding coming from a specific concrete pylon. Eventually the original bridge was torn down, and a new bridge was built. The remains of the old bridge can be found near the new one. Still today locals say they can hear screams and pounding coming from the bridge.

See also

References
  1. EM Blessing: "The Site of the First Settlement in Hendricks County."
  2. https://waterdata.usgs.gov/in/nwis/uv/?site_no=03353800&PARAmeter_cd=00065,00060,62614,00010
  3. U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data. The National Map, accessed May 19, 2011
  4. Scott, John; Scott, James (1833). The Indiana Gazetteer, Or, Topographical Dictionary: Containing a Description of the Several Counties, Towns, Villages, Settlements, Roads, Lakes, Rivers, Creeks, and Springs, in the State of Indiana. Douglass and Maguire. p. 193.
  5. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: White Lick Creek
  6. About.com - The Legend of White Lick Creek Bridge
  7. Southern Indiana Ghosts - Danville Bridge- Danville Indiana
  8. Haunted Indiana - White Lick Creek Bridge
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