Pipestem Falls takes its name from the hollow-stemmed shrub Spiraea alba, which grows profusely along Big and Little Pipestem creeks. Christopher Gist was the first white man to see Pipestem in 1750 while exploring for the Ohio Land Company. Shawnee Indians camped near this site in 1774 and used the hollow-stemmed shrub for pipestems, as later did white settlers. A beautiful, fully equipped State Park is located at the site.