By 1855, Paperjack Creek and the nearby Willow River had each attracted a few settlers. A rivalry developed between the settlements but was resolved in 1858 when the village was platted at the Willow River site. The creek’s unusual name is thought to have come from an early settler, a rag dealer who lived on its banks, since in those times a rag dealer was called a “paperjack.” The greenway served as a cow pasture through most of the 1900’s and now features native plantings and trails. A 1910 photograph shows Dr. Frank Epley’s trout ponds, which were northwest of this site on his hobby dairy farm, The Willows.