The Legend of Whitemans Creek

As a boy, I was told the following story and legend of the buried treasure at Whitemans Creek.

There was a settler who lived along the creek where it flowed into the Grand. He was wealthy and had a untrustworthy daughter, who along with her husband were eager to acquire his money. The old man aware of his daughter's greed, secretly buried his coins in a chest along the creek valley. Unfortunately after hiding the chest, he slipped while walking along the creek, striking his head on a rock. The unconscious man drowned, and with him went the location of his wealth. Thus named the creek... Whitemans.

Later in life, in the late 1990s an old Cayuga Storyteller recited a story to an acquaintance... who recited the story to me.

This story is about how the creek got its name according to Iroquoian memorized history. What is interesting to note, is that the old woman who was in her 80s, refused to write what she knew on paper because she believed the "word" would lose its power.

Some background before the tale...

After the American War of Independence most of the Six Nations land was surrendered by the British to the Americans without the Iroquois consent. In lieu of the homeland loss and as a reward for their alliance, the British purchased the Grand River Valley from the Ojibwa Mississauga. So in 1875 the Six Nations moved north to take possession of the Grand River Valley.

Some of our Cayuga people settled above Brant's Ford along the creek. When they came here, they brought apple seeds from their homeland and planted the trees along the creek. Some of these trees can still be found in the wild along the Apps Mill area. When the Cayuga settled here they were still vengeful and conducted a raid into the Cherry Valley, kidnapping two children. One was a German boy with the last name of Kemp, and the other was a little girl with the last name of Jamieson.

Both children were adopted and lived for the rest of their lives among the Cayuga on the Grand River. Kemp took a wife from the Iroquois and had a family. He settled at the mouth of the creek and the Grand River. In his senior years while out collecting firewood in the spring, he slipped along the creek and drowned. Thus the name Whitemans Creek.

The third version of how Whitemans got its name:

Two children were kidnapped by the Mohawks from the Genesee River. The children were brought back and lived among the Seneca. The girl's last name was Jamieson and the white boys Indian name was De-ha-na-ge-reh-gwenk... meaning "Cosmopolitan" because of his white skin. He became a herbist and medicine man. He married Jamieson. One day when out collecting herbs he fell into the creek, striking his head and drowned. Jamieson then married another Indian who adopted her name which is still present among the Six Nations. But the creek was named in his memory. In the Burrows diary there is also mention of a Jamieson woman drowning when trying to cross the footbridge to the mill.

There is another old unknown name for Whitemans... it was called Harrier's Creek.

This is a picture taken of the old cement dam at the mouth of Whitemans Creek in 2007, on the day before it was torn out. It was being removed for two reasons. First to allow migratory steel head trout better access to the creek spawning beds. Second to avoid liability. This crumbling dam that people loved to walk on, had a slippery apron under the water, which was a liability risk to the owners... the Five Oaks Christian Center.

This dam was built it back in the 50's by Five Oaks to create a swimming pool for children summer camps. Each spring large thick planks were inserted into the slots between the cement supports to backup the creek. The creek had a backup effect that was 100 yards shy of the Pottruff bridge. During the 1970-90 people could roll large tire tubes up the creek path and float down to the dam.

But each autumn, men had to wade into the creek, slowly pry up the waterlogged planks and slip a chain around one end. A tractor was used to pull the planks up and out. I actually got to install and remove the planks one year in the early 1980's with Stu Plumstead, Old Andrew and Big Jim. A breath-taking, bone-chilling fall experience!

The above picture is a shot of the dam from the south shore of Whitemans.

It is at this dam where I experienced many "first time" conquests. It was here that I learned to swim. I caught my first brown trout and speckled trout in the 4ft deep pool below the dam. I actually paddled a kayak up through the chutes all the way to within sight of the Pottruff bridge. It was here that I first body surfed shooting through the chutes in high summer rainfall levels... a super waterslide!

We also used this to bring our rafting customers to the old dam for a unique underwater experience. My sons had found a spot on the far south chute of the dam where one could lay back below the apron of the chute. The water from the chute flowed so fast, that it deflected up over a person's head, allowing them to breathe, while totally submerged. For those not as bold, the 4ft pool below the dam was a refreshing dip in the spring fed creek. The perfect spot on a hot summer day.


The above photo was taken in 1903 of my Great Aunts & Uncles posing in front of Whitemans Creek just before the mouth... they often went to the flats for Sunday picnics. Notice all the stone to fall and hit your "noggin" on!

If wishing to see some 1905 photos, click on the two links to view the old mill on the south side of the Whitemans Creek or to view the Grand River at the mouth of Whitemans Creek (you will have to scroll down on the link pages to find the photos).

Well, there is a "ton" of other stories to tell... so it is a good thing there is always another day!!!!