How Did Walnut Creek Get Its Name?

WALNUT CREEK, CA — Have you ever wondered how Walnut Creek was named?

Hats off to the Santa Rosa Press Democrat which put together a fun rabbit-hole of a story about place names in the Bay Area.

So, how did Walnut Creek get its moniker?

"Residents of Walnut Creek will be happy to learn that they aren't called Nuts Creek anymore. The spot in Ygnacio Valley was originally called Arroyo de las Nueces, which Gold Rush settlers called Nuts Creek upon their arrival. The name was refined a bit by Milo Hough, who opened the Walnut Creek House hotel in 1855. In 1862, the town officially took the name Walnut Creek."

Read about how other cities and towns got their names on Santa Rosa Press Democrat.