Back in September of last year, I asked what I thought was a pretty simple question: when had the name of Perry County’s beloved stream changed from Shermans Creek to Sherman Creek?

I wasn’t the only one who noticed the change. Several readers emailed me to say that they noticed it, too, thanks to the construction of the new bridge on Rte. 34 in Shermans Dale. When the bridge was finished, a sign was installed to mark the creek. The new sign read “Sherman Creek;” yet it sat side by side with the old sign that read “Shermans Creek.”

So what happened to the “s?”

My research eventually led me to the U.S. Board On Geographic Names, the official federal “keeper” of place names. The Executive Secretary of the Domestic Names Committee, a very nice fellow named Lou Yost, confirmed that the official name of the creek had indeed become “Sherman Creek,” minus the “s,” perhaps due to a transcription or typographical error. I asked him to outline the process for restoring the creek’s proper historical name.

“It may take up to a year,” he warned. “And it will involve getting approval from all of the townships and boroughs that are touched by the creek.”

Not one to be daunted by a Kafkaesque challenge – after all, Franz Kafka is one of my favorite authors! – I enlisted the help of creek-lovers of all stripes, including, you, Dear Readers.

And now, eight months later, I’m pleased to report that the people of Perry County have prevailed. The “s” is back!

The creek, which has labored under the misnomer “Sherman Creek” for the past fifty years or so in databases, on topographic quads, and even in countless GPS systems — like the one that perhaps sits on the dashboard of your car or truck at this very moment – is now, once again, officially, and for all time, I hope, “Shermans Creek.”

This didn’t happen by accident. There was research help from the Shermans Creek Conservation Association, the Perry County Conservation District, and the Perry Historians. Thom Casey, a crack reporter from this very publication, helped stir the pot when some of the local councils were confused by the federal paperwork. Your elected township and borough officials deserve a large share of the credit. After all, they approved the change on your behalf.

And don’t forget your own role in the process. I was able to report to the Domestic Names Committee that public support for the return of the missing “s” was unanimous, thanks to the many emails I received in response to my columns on the subject.

So what happens now? Who makes those signs marking the creek? How do we get them replaced? And who’s going to pay for it?

Enter PennDOT, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, which is responsible for most of the signage along state roads. Most, but not all. Public signage is one of those absurdly complex systems with overlapping, and sometimes contradictory, jurisdictions, depending not only on whether the road is federal, state, or municipal, but also on the kind of signage that’s indicated. Why, for instance, should local municipalities be responsible for erecting speed limit signs under 35 miles per hour — but not above 35 –on state roads?

Kafkaesque, indeed.

I eventually found a very friendly public servant at the headquarters of PennDOT’s District 8-0, which includes Perry County, who listened to the whole story of the missing “s” and who, at the end of it, said simply, “We can replace that for you. It’ll probably take about a month.”

“That’s great!” I said. “But how much will it cost?” This was a question that came up in a lot of council meetings, apparently.

“Uh, it’s in our budget,” he said.

He was a shy fellow, and didn’t want to be singled out in these pages, despite the glory I was offering to heap on his shoulders.

He also didn’t want to be flooded with requests for sign changes from the general public. So if there’s a Sherman Creek sign in your neighborhood that’s driving you crazy, please let me know about it first, before you go calling PennDOT. It could be that your sign falls under municipal, as opposed to state, jurisdiction. I’ll do my level best to find out which it is, and point you in the right direction.

I, for one, can’t wait to cross my old friend, Shermans Creek, in Shermans Dale.

That’s Shermans. With an “s.”

This column was published in the Perry Co Times on 13 May 2010

For more information, please contact Mr. Olshan at writing@matthewolshan.com