A City Boy's Creek

Tommy Towery

LHS '64

Normally, when you think about a creek, the image of a lazy stream deep in the heart of a country setting comes to mind. That was not true for the folks who grew up in urban Huntsville, Alabama. When they thought of a creek, it was the creek which ran through the town – Pinhook Creek. 

There were a variety of stories about it, including the one about it being the site of an unsanitary tributary without the proper means of propulsion. Throughout my childhood it varied in size, depending upon the city’s rainfall amount. Sometimes it was an impossible barrier keeping me from taking short cuts to where I was going. More than once I lacked the skill to cross it without the ability to keep my feet dry. I remember one special time when I was going to visit my cousin who lived on the opposite side of the creek and I ended up not being able to land on the dry target I aimed for and made the big splash that soaked me to my knees. I don’t know whether it had sewage in it or not, but it smelled like it did.

I had several similar incidents back when my Huntsville High School friend Mike Thompson and I used to try to take a shortcut to Carter’s Skateland. We started out from my house on East Clinton and walked to where we met the Memorial Parkway, and then had a decision to make. Back then the intersection of  Clinton and the Memorial Parkway was the first major choke point created by Huntsville’s rapid growth during the Space Race. The stoplight there became so congested that it was the first intersection chosen for conversion to a full interchange, which happened shortly after 1961. You should remember Carter’s was located on Traylor Island, which was actually a peninsula. Even then, the only entrance to the favorite skating rink was over a bridge accessed from Memorial Parkway. Using that route meant we had to walk north along the Parkway, cross the bridge, and then walk back to the Skateland located on the southside of the island. We found we could take a shortcut by walking down the street going past a lumber company and cut out the extra distance. We had to cross a railroad track, but it was not a problem. The only obstacle was a small waterway at the south end of the island that emptied into Pinhook Creek. I did not know it had a name, but checking today’s maps, it is listed as “Five Points Ditch.” If we crossed that ditch, we arrived at the backend of Carter’s building. Once again, depending upon the weather and the recent rainfall, sometimes it was a challenge. Several times I showed up at the skating rink with my jeans wet to my knees.

Today there are several plans to improve the landscape around Pinhook and I hope I’m around to see it.

I have one more connection to "creeks" as a student at Lee. I wrote a parody of the poem Sea-Fever by John Masefield which was published in Lee’s Traveller my senior year. Here it is. 

Pinhook Creek's Route and Future

Willard Finkbinder

Pinhook Creek is one of Huntsville’s most historically troublesome — and now most actively redeveloped — waterways. The short version: it’s a downtown creek that has shaped Huntsville’s flood history for decades and is now the centerpiece of a massive, multi‑phase revitalization and flood‑mitigation project. 

Pinhook Creek  

Although no local story explains the origin of its name, researcher William Read—writing in the Louisiana State University Bulletin—offered insight based on a Louisiana landmark called Pinhook Bridge. He suggested that the word Pinhook may have come from early settlers mishearing or mispronouncing the Indigenous term “pinsahuck,” meaning the linden or basswood tree.

What Pinhook Creek is

A small urban stream running through the heart of Huntsville, Pinhook Creek flows from the northeast side of downtown toward Memorial Parkway, joining other tributaries like Dallas Branch and Brogan Branch. Because it cuts through older commercial corridors and low‑lying terrain, it has long been prone to out‑of‑bank flooding during heavy rains. 

Why it matters: A long history of flooding

For decades, Pinhook Creek has been one of Huntsville’s most problematic flood zones. Businesses near the creek — especially around the old commercial corridors near Holmes Avenue, Dallas Street, and Five Points — repeatedly suffered water damage.

One example: John’s Photo Mart, a small camera shop surrounded by Brogan Branch, Pinhook Creek, and Fagan Creek, flooded three times between 1979 and 2003, with water reaching 1–2 feet inside the building. The city eventually purchased and demolished the building to prevent further losses. 

Where Pinhook Creek runs

A quick geographic sense of the corridor:

• North: Near Five Points and Dallas Street

• Through downtown: Crossing Holmes Avenue

• South: Toward Memorial Parkway and Governors Drive

Adjacent landmarks: Heart of Huntsville Drive, older commercial blocks, future greenway connectors. This corridor is now one of Huntsville’s most heavily invested redevelopment zones.

Map the route of Pinhook Creek through Huntsville

The clearest way to understand Pinhook Creek’s route through Huntsville is to trace it from its headwaters in northeast Huntsville, through downtown, and then southward toward Memorial Parkway, where it merges into the larger drainage system. Below is a precise, step‑by‑step map‑style description based on the best available geographic data and city engineering documents.

Pinhook Creek: Full Route Through Huntsville (Step‑by‑Step)

Concise takeaway: Pinhook Creek begins near Five Points, flows southwest through downtown Huntsville parallel to Dallas Branch, crosses under major streets like Holmes and Clinton, then continues south toward Memorial Parkway where it joins the larger stormwater system.

1. Headwaters — Northeast Huntsville / Five Points

Pinhook Creek begins as a small drainage channel in the Five Points area, collecting runoff from the neighborhoods around:

• Pratt Avenue

• Wells Avenue

• Beirne Avenue

It forms from several small tributaries that converge near the Dallas Street / Wellman Avenue area.

2. Flow Toward Downtown — Dallas Street Corridor

From Five Points, the creek flows southwest, running roughly parallel to Dallas Branch.

Key landmarks along this segment:

• Dallas Street

• Wellman Avenue

• Andrew Jackson Way

This is one of the most flood‑prone sections historically.

3. Downtown Crossing — Holmes Avenue & Clinton Avenue

As it enters downtown Huntsville, Pinhook Creek becomes a more engineered channel.

It crosses:

• Holmes Avenue (near the old Heart of Huntsville Drive corridor)

• Clinton Avenue (close to the former commercial blocks and the developing PARC project zone)

This area is the centerpiece of Huntsville’s major creek‑restoration and greenway expansion.

4. Southward Bend — Toward Memorial Parkway. 

After passing through downtown, the creek bends south and continues toward Memorial Parkway (U.S. 231/431).

It flows through:

• The low‑lying commercial zones east of the Parkway

• The future greenway corridor being built as part of the PARC project

• Areas where retaining walls and widened channels are under construction

This is where the city is adding pedestrian bridges, a suspended cable bridge, and widened flood‑control channels.

5. Confluence — Near Governors Drive

Near the intersection of Memorial Parkway and Governors Drive, Pinhook Creek merges into the larger stormwater system that ultimately drains south toward the Tennessee River watershed. This is the end of its identifiable above‑ground route.

Simplified Route Summary

• Origin: Five Points (north Huntsville)

• Direction: Southwest → South

• Major Crossings: Dallas Street → Holmes Avenue → Clinton Avenue

• Corridor: East side of downtown Huntsville

• Termination: Near Memorial Parkway & Governors Drive

Pinhook Creek is undergoing a massive, multi-phase transformation through the city's $65 million Pedestrian Access and Redevelopment Corridor (PARC) project. Long treated as a concrete drainage channel or ditch, the creek area is being overhauled to dramatically improve downtown infrastructure, flood resilience, and recreational access. 

Key Details of the Pinhook Creek Redevelopment: 

Backed by nearly $50 million in federal grants and matching state funding, the City of Huntsville PARC project targets three main areas: Flood Mitigation & Stream Restoration: Crews are expanding and excavation-widening roughly 3,200 to 5,600 linear feet of the channel from Holmes Avenue down toward the Parkway. 

This structural redesign converts the old drainage ditch into a naturalized riverwalk environment with pools designed to sustain aquatic wildlife while protecting downtown from flash flooding. 

The "Skybridge" Suspension Path: The most high-profile element is a 1,100 to 1,400-foot-long cable-suspended pedestrian bridge spanning Memorial Parkway and Governors Drive. The bridge will give pedestrians and cyclists a safe way to cross between the Lowe Mill district and the downtown city center.

Greenway Expansion & Parks: The space alongside the low-flow channel will feature more than 10 acres of new linear park space, over a mile of new trails, and three precast pedestrian bridges. This layout establishes a central "greenway transit hub" linking existing trails from Alabama A&M University, the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH), and South Huntsville.

LEE LUNCH BUNCH

For Classes of ’64, ’65, ‘66

Thursday, October 22, 2026

11:00 am

Logan’s Roadhouse

Balmoral Dr. Huntsville, AL

Lee High School classmates from ’64, ’65, ’66, please save the date for our fall luncheon. 

Also, please remember to send your RSVP to one of the two cell numbers listed below. 

Limited seating so reservations are a must!

Thanks!

Looking forward to seeing you then.

Patsy Hughes Oldroyd ’65 (256) 431-3396

Judy Fedrowisch Kincaid ’66 (256) 656-3667

Remembering Dolly Parton

James Ballard, LHS '67, "Dolly came to Huntsville back in the 70s an she came to our little newspaper office and I managed to get a great photo of her. A very sweet lady !...Will try to find and scan it to you."

Susan Simms, LHS '65, "Really enjoyed the newsletter . . . and your mention of Dolly Parton.  I lived in Nashville from 1965 to 1969 . . . and in June of ’69 my then husband and his parents went to the Ryman Auditorium on one very hot Saturday evening.  Keep in mind the Ryman had NO air conditioning . . . you had to stand in line to get tickets . . . and with the tickets they gave out what I call a “Jesus fan” . . . and I was eight months pregnant with my first child . . . also, the majority of males in the audience were in overalls!

Dolly Parton was there as part of the Porter Wagoner show and she wore a blue dress.  

I’m grateful they’ve been able to keep the Ryman as a functioning building for special concerts . . . plus a piece of the original stage is now part of the current stage at Opryland.  Back in 1998, Jim McBride was kind enough to get me backstage passes and so I got to see quite a number of performers “strolling” around backstage . . waiting to be called to perform.  My biggest “issue” was that you really couldn’t hear the performers . . . so we were able to use our passes for seats in the audience.  Charlie Pride gave a very impressive performance that evening!  And, I remember Little Jimmy Dickens humming “Does Your Chewing Gum Lose It’s flavor on the Bedpost Overnight?"

I'm still featuring some Huntsville articles which are not Lee-specific. To be honest, I don't know how they are being received as something you enjoy reading or not. I wish one of you would let me know. Until then I will continue with a few more I have created and just hope it is interesting to you.

It said that Pinhook joined the Dallas Branch, which those who lived close to Lee might know about. When my family lived on Halsey and I was a first grader at Rison, we used to play the equivalent of "Pooh Sticks" on a bridge crossing there. We would drop objects on one side of the bridge and race across the bridge to see which one came out the other side first. One day when we were playing, one of the young girls playing with us ran right out in front of a pickup truck and was hit. I still have visions of her rolling down the road. I was only six years old and it scared me so bad I ran home without seeing how she was. I was so afraid I would be getting in trouble for playing that game with her. I still don't know what became of her.

The Wayback Machine

"Five Feet High and Rising"

Johnny Cash

1959

Five Feet High and Rising" is a song written and originally recorded by Johnny Cash. The song was recorded by Cash on March 12, 1959, for his third Columbia album and released as a single on July 6, 1959, with "I Got Stripes" (another song from the same recording session) on the opposite side. The song is a first-person account of the 1937 flood that Cash, then aged four years and 11 months, endured with his family. They had to leave their home and flee. It reached #14 on the US Hot Country Songs (Billboard).

Last Week's Questions, Answers, And Comments

Jimmy Bannister, LHS ‘66, "In 1965 Randy Goodpasture and I went to the Firecracker 400 Race in Daytona. We stayed in a little BNB on US1. The lady that owned the place would not allow any alcohol or girls in our room. The race was great and we had a good time.Spring break 1966, Randy Johnson, Randy Goodpasture, Roger Rozell and I went to Daytona. This time we had a motel on the beach and by chance Barbara and Carol Rousseau and Sylvia Boyd were staying in the same place. I don't remember much about it but I'm sure we drove them crazy. The only souvenir that I brought home was a Smirnoff bottle full of beach sand."