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Johnson County commissioners to hear presentation on potential renaming of 'Negro Creek'

Johnson County Board of Commissioners
Posted at 11:17 AM, Aug 25, 2021
and last updated 2021-08-25 12:17:44-04

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Johnson County Board of County Commissioners will receive an informational presentation on Aug. 26 at 2 p.m. about possibly renaming "Negro Creek."

The board will hear from county staff and members of the Negro Creek Renaming Committee to possibly change the name of the creek, according to a Johnson County news release.

The creek is located in the cities of Overland Park and Leawood and was named Negro Creek back in the 1850s. The presentation will provide research and the historical background behind the naming of the creek.

The creek is one of six places in Kansas and 757 places in the country with Negro or a related term in the name, according to the release. Johnson County is the first government entity to launch this kind of inquiry into renaming one of the six places. The other six sites are located in five Kansas counties.

The county previously established an email link for questions and name suggestions regarding the creek and a website that includes the history of the creek, maps and photographs as well as the renaming process.

"Changing the name requires community input and public support for the new name, community organizations, city councils in Overland Park and Leawood, the BOCC and state agencies," the release said. "If a new name is chosen locally, it must be approved by the state of Kansas and then submitted to the U.S. Board on Geographic Names, a federal agency."

The federal board normally takes up to six months to decide on a name change after the application is filed.

The meeting will be in the Johnson County Administration Building at 111 S. Cherry St., Olathe, Kansas, or people can watch online on the county website.