
In the state of Missouri you can find several ponds, lakes, creeks, rivers and springs. Some of these branch off from each other or merge together.

The ponds and lakes are “still” waters that are contained into one area while the rest are “free-flowing” waterbodies.
Each water body is unique in itself. I found one of these in Washington County while driving by. It is called Courtois Creek.
It is a “free-flowing” waterbody that ends up branching off into other creeks or forks. This creek is 38.6 miles long. It shares its name with the nearby town of Courtois.
The creek was “doubtless named for some French settler, but his identity has not been ascertained,” according to the Place Names File at the University of Missouri.
Courtois is a small community located in Washington County off of Highway C.