At the town of Rocky Comfort, South Indian Creek starts. This is known as the first settlement in this part of Missouri. There was an Indian camp just about where the Newton and McDonald county line is now. The town of Rocky Comfort's name derives from the ground being covered with rocks all over the hillsides, and the valleys of spring water bringing comfort. There were a few houses as early as 1850. The Post Office was established in 1865.
There is also a North Indian Creek and a Middle Indian Creek. The North Indian starts in Newton county near the town of Newtonia. Middle Indian starts near Stella. The creeks all come together near the town of Bolder City.
The next town is known as McNatt. At one time the town was known as Indian Springs. The first white men were told of these waters, known to the Indians as healing water. The Indians never told the white men of the location, but a man named Friend searched the hills until he found the famous four springs. In 1840, Mrs. Carrol used the water and found that the stories were true. In 1880, J. J. McNatt noticed the healing properties of the water, and on July 7, 1881, the town of Indian Springs was laid out. In seven days, two hundred lots were sold and twenty buildings were built. When at its peak, Indian Springs' population reached 2,000 people. A city park and bandstand were built, and many public meetings and picnics were held here for years. The springs were improved with walls and pipes. Bath houses and hotels were known far and wide along with a part of town called College Hill. A school house was built that was two stories tall. It was the best school in the county. The hotel was called the Planters and was only 100 yards from Lake McNatt. There was a mill at the end of Lake McNatt. The lake was three miles long and half a mile wide. The banks, valleys, and hills were the most beautiful in the area. A steamboat carried up to 75 people around the lake. Today, only the church and old mill dam exist. The whole town has vanished into history.
Elk Horn Creek has a story about a young Indian warrior who was in love with a young maiden. She rejected him time and time again until one night, the young man prayed to the Great Spirit to make him worthy of the maiden's love. He came to the spring the elk were known to use, when he heard the cries of a woman and the snorting of an elk. He ran to the spring just as the elk struck the woman. He shot one arrow into the elk and leaped onto the elk's back. He took his knife and sank it into the side of the elk which rolled over and died. The warrior picked up the woman and bathed her in the spring. It was the maiden. She had not been hurt seriously. For many years, that elk's horns stood over the door of their wigwam.
Anderson was first called Beaver Springs. The spring flowed out from beneath a high bluff and became a meeting place and picnic area for people in the county. Robert Anderson moved here in 1887 and started a country store and post office. Soon after, the railroads came through the town. Anderson was surveyed. Beaver Spring became Anderson in 1891.
In 1886, Dr. Faust, an employee of the Pennsylvania Oil Company,
struck a vein of white sulphur on the bank of Indian Creek. The well was
844 feet deep and the town of Sulphur Well City was built soon after the
railroad came through the area. The well was sealed up. All that remained
was a small stream of water conducted to a water tank and fountain near
the depot. This is now the town of Lanagan.
Indian Creek is about 27 miles long. The gradient is 8.7. The first 8 miles have a gradient near 10. The next section is 10 miles long and has a gradient of 8.7. The last 7 miles have a gradient of 7.8.
You can start here at Highway D, just south of Bolder City. Mile
3* is Wolfenbrager Bridge. This bridge is now closed but can be used as
a put in. Mile 7*, Lake McNatt starts. The mill dam at Lake McNatt backs
up the water for about 3 miles. Mile 8*, Elk Horn Creek enters from the
east. Mile 11* Bullskin Creek enters from the north. Mile 19* is Sellers
Ford. Highway 71 is 0.5 mile downstream. One mile past 71 is Highway 76
bridge. Mile 21* finds the town of Anderson. There's a nice park here called
Town Hole with public access. Mile 24* features a low water ford with a
rocky drop, runnable in high water only. Mile 25* comes to the town of
Lanagan with public access. Mile 27*, Elk River starts. Mile 27.5 there
is a low water bridge access. Indian Creek flows into Elk
River. Access is 1 mile down Elk River at Mt. Shira. It is only 4 miles
to the town of Noel from here.
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