Shoal Creek (originally called the Sycamore River) is a river from its east point or from the north point on the Little Shoal Creek north of

Lawrenceburg, Tennessee The city of Lawrenceburg is the county seat of Lawrence County, Tennessee, United States, The largest city on the state's southern border between Chattanooga and Memphis, it lies on the banks of Shoal Creek. The population was 11,633 at the 20 ...

. The stream rises in northern

Lawrence County, Tennessee Lawrence County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 census, the population was 44,159. Its county seat and largest city is Lawrenceburg. Lawrence County comprises the Lawrenceburg, TN Micropolitan Statistical Ar ...

, and enters the

Tennessee River The Tennessee River is the largest tributary of the Ohio River. It is approximately long and is located in the southeastern United States in the Tennessee Valley. The river was once popularly known as the Cherokee River, among other name ...

in Lauderdale County,

Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = "Alabama (state song), Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery, Alabama, Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville, Alabama, Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County, Al ...

, where its lower reaches are impounded in the backwater of

Wilson Dam Wilson Dam is a dam spanning the Tennessee River between Lauderdale County and Colbert County in the U.S. state of Alabama. Completed in 1924 by the United States Army Corps of Engineers, it impounds Wilson Lake, and is one of nine Tennessee Va ...

. Historically, Shoal Creek (Sycamore River) was an important source of

water power Hydropower (from el, ὕδωρ, "water"), also known as water power, is the use of falling or fast-running water to produce electricity or to power machines. This is achieved by converting the gravitational potential or kinetic energy of a ...

for the

cotton Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective case, around the seeds of the cotton plants of the genus ''Gossypium'' in the mallow family Malvaceae. The fiber is almost pure cellulose, and can contain minor perce ...

industry in Lawrence County. Among the early users of the stream's water power was

David Crockett David Crockett (August 17, 1786 – March 6, 1836) was an American folk hero, frontiersman, soldier, and politician. He is often referred to in popular culture as the "King of the Wild Frontier". He represented Tennessee in the U.S. House of ...

, who settled near the creek bank in 1817 and started a

powder mill A powder mill was a mill where gunpowder is made from sulfur, saltpeter and charcoal. Milling steps Crude grinding and mixing operations such as the Frankford Powder-Mill of Philadelphia were a cottage industry until the industrial revolution ...

grist mill A gristmill (also: grist mill, corn mill, flour mill, feed mill or feedmill) grinds cereal grain into flour and Wheat middlings, middlings. The term can refer to either the Mill (grinding), grinding mechanism or the building that holds it. Grist i ...

and distillery. After these operations were destroyed by a flood in September 1821, Crockett left the area and moved to

West Tennessee West Tennessee is one of the three Grand Divisions of the U.S. state of Tennessee that roughly comprises the western quarter of the state. The region includes 21 counties between the Tennessee and Mississippi rivers, delineated by state law. Its ...

. The Crockett-Shoals region of Tennessee, including Lawrence County and surrounding areas, is named for Shoal Creek and this famous frontiersman who played an active role in establishing Lawrence County and Lawrenceburg. This history is commemorated by

David Crockett State Park David Crockett State Park is a state park in Lawrenceburg, Tennessee. The park is located on Shoal Creek (originally called the Sycamore River) and commemorates the historical activities of famous frontiersman David Crockett in the local are ...

. On July 13, 1998, flash flooding on Shoal Creek caused two deaths and led to the temporary loss of

water supply Water supply is the provision of water by public utilities, commercial organisations, community endeavors or by individuals, usually via a system of pumps and pipes. Public water supply systems are crucial to properly functioning societies. Thes ...

and

sewage treatment Sewage treatment (or domestic wastewater treatment, municipal wastewater treatment) is a type of wastewater treatment which aims to remove contaminants from sewage to produce an effluent that is suitable for discharge to the surrounding e ...

in Lawrenceburg. The flooding occurred after about of rain fell in just four hours, resulting in what was estimated to be a 100-year flood.

References

Rivers of Lawrence County, Tennessee Rivers of Lauderdale County, Alabama Rivers of Tennessee Rivers of Alabama {{Alabama-river-stub

See also

References