Saunders Creek (Wisconsin)

Saunders Creek is a tributary of the Rock River which flows northward through both Dane County and Rock County, Wisconsin.

Saunders Creek
The Rock River at Indianford, Wisconsin which Saunders Creek flows into.
Etymology	Named after Jesse Saunders III, a local settler and landowner which the creek ran through.
Location
Country	United States
State	Wisconsin
Region	Dane County, Wisconsin, Rock County, Wisconsin
Physical characteristics
Source
• location	Rock River
• coordinates	42°48′54″N89°03′54″W / 42.8150065°N 89.0651125°W / 42.8150065; -89.0651125
• elevation	778 feet (237 m)
Mouth
• location	Rock River (Mississippi River tributary)
• coordinates	44°29′N93°17′W / 44.48°N 93.29°W / 44.48; -93.29
Basin features
River system	Rock River (Mississippi River tributary)
GNIS	1573740 [1]

History

Further information: Rock River (Mississippi River tributary)

Saunders Creek is a northward flowing stream located in the southeastern portion of Dane County, Wisconsin and the northern portion of Rock County, Wisconsin. The creek runs through the city of Edgerton, the township of Albion, and the city of Rockdale, Wisconsin. The creek also runs parallel with U.S. Route 51 in Wisconsin. The creek's Geographic Names Information System number is 1573740. ^[2]

Namesake

The creek is named after Jesse Saunders III (1789-1888), one of the many earlysettlers of southern Dane County, Wisconsin. Jesse Saunders came from the Saunders family, a prominent English American family which has its origins in Amersham, a town in Buckinghamshire, England. Jesse Saunders and his wife Esther Stillman Saunders (nee: Coon) (1800-1874) and their family first came to Wisconsin in 1842 from Allegany County, New York and settled the village of Albion alongside Freeborn Sweet (1810-1881), the first settler of Dane County, and Duty Jared Green (1802-1891). ^[3] Much of Albion at the time were ardent Seventh Day Baptists. By 1861 Saunders owned much of the southernmost land in the village of Albion. ^{[3] [4]} Saunders was critical in the foundation of the Albion Academy which was operated by the Northwestern Seventh Day Baptist Association until 1894. ^[5]

References

1. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Saunders Creek (Wisconsin)
2. "Geographic Names Information System". edits.nationalmap.gov. Retrieved 2025-08-22.
3. "History: Albion Seventh Day Baptist Church". Albion Seventh DayBaptist Church. Retrieved 2025-08-22.
4. "Map of Dane County, Wisconsin | Library of Congress". www.loc.gov. Retrieved 2025-08-22.
5. "Albion Academy". Wisconsin Historical Society. 2017-08-08. Retrieved 2025-08-22.