Adopted 6 January 1949 on Columbia River Basin manuscript 57, as labelled on BC map 1EM, 1915, and on BC map 4C, 1936.

Source: BC place name cards, or correspondence to/from BC's Chief Geographer or BC Geographical Names Office

"Among the less frequent habitues of Fort Steele before the turn of the century was one Red Fletnum....it is not recorded that he was a really bad man, although there were those who suspected his tendancy to err in the matter of horses. Red was simply that kind of a fellow who could readily mistake another man's horse for his own... Fletnum eked out a precarious livelihood picking up stray ponies and selling them for what he could get. No one minded much until, grown bold by reason of long immunity from punishment, Red sallied forth into Montana and annexed a bunch of ponies belonging to a rancher of Tobacco Plains.... Red must have made excellent time with his stolen stock for no trace of him did his pursuers see along the trail; on arrival [at Fort Steele] they learned that Red had a cabin on the west bank of the Kootenay River, about 15 miles north in the vicinity of Skookumchuk Prairie. Adding the provincial constable to their posse, they [regained] the trail. Towards nightfall, they reached Red's cabin and caught him in the act of rounding up the stolen horses, evidently with the intention of driving them back into the mountains. Red was arrested, but requested a fresh horse for the ride back to Fort Steele and the lockup. A short distance from Red's cabin they had to cross a small stream; as they picked their way across, Red put the spurs to his horse and galloped away: "Ta ta, friends, I've business up the trail." Red was gone, his swift fresh mount had carried him quickly from sight, the posse on their jaded ponies left far in the rear... " (as told by Ed Smith and published as Reminiscences of Kootenay Pioneers, Cranbrook Courier, 14 September 1923; republished 25 February 1970 in the same newspaper as "How Ta Ta Creek Got Its Name", copy on file C.2.53)

Source: included with note

"During the Wild Horse Creek gold rush of the 1860's, 'Shorty' or 'Red' McLeod - who had shot and killed a tinhorn card shark - was caught here by a constable. After giving the officer a good breakfast, Shorty disarmed [the constable] and escaped on his horse. As he rode off he cried, "Well, Corporal, ta-ta !" Later he made his way to the United States. Hence the creek's name." (from Tales of the Kootenays by Fred Smyth, Cranbrook, 1938, p.190-191).

Source: included with note

"He stole a horse and because he was pushing the horse, he had to have a new one. He'd ride into a logging camp and tell them, "I'm Red McLeod and I need some grub and another horse" and he swapped saddles. That's how Ta Ta Creek got its name: they were closing in on old Red, and Red's horse was done. He started a fire and then hid. They were out to look around the fire and feel around to see how quick it was. Red went back and stole their horses." (as told by Russell Fletcher, Provincial Archives Oral History Division, accession # 3696); "Red is the most famous character in this country. He came in the old days. His chief work was stealing horses. He always made the border before they could get him. He was a big husky red-haired fellow, just a lone chap from Nova Scotia. No one knew much about his history... They caught up with him around Bugaboo Creek and said "Come with us, Red." They all went down the road together and came to this little creek which had a road going up a bank. Red wheeled his horse up there and out came his 30-30 rifle, "Ta ta, boys !" and that's called Ta Ta Creek to this day." (as told by Maitland Harrison, Provincial Archives Oral History Division, accession # 346); "Norman 'Red' McLeod was always in trouble. There is a creek named after him, McLeod Creek. When he used to get into trouble, he'd go up there and hide. Every winter he'd get into trouble so they'd put him in jail. He said jail was the best place for the winter because you didn't have to work, and they had to feed you and you had a warm place to sleep. So every winter he'd spend in jail." (as told by Billy Clark, Provincial Archives Oral History Division; accession # not cited).

Source: Provincial Archives of BC "Place Names File" compiled 1945-1950 by A.G. Harvey from various sources, with subsequent additions

"...Red McLeod, the immortal horse thief... did nothing, absolutely nothing, to better the welfare of his fellow man. He hated toil of any kind and yet worked hard at his chosen profession. He had no roots to cling to and nearly every mining camp in the East and West Kootenay knew him, as did every rancher, and they knew him well. Billy Clark knew him too, and said he was a likeable enough fellow, but no one you would bring home for Sunday dinner. Red got himself involved in a couple of hotel shooting scrapes at Argenta and almost left this world; instead he got himself in trouble with the law. Horses were his weak point and one day down at Nelson he 'borrowed' a team of horses from a barn and sold them for $300. Later that night Red re-stole them and returned the team to their original owner.... One day he was caught over in the East Kootenay riding a horse the police had good reason to believe was not his. Enroute down to Fort Steele... Red and his police escort stopped for a drink beside a little stream. Suddenly Red leaped on his horse and charged across the creek and up a hill. As he vanished into the woods, he called down "Ta-ta!" to the flabbergasted policeman. The creek is now known as Ta Ta Creek." (Bruce Ramsay, Ghost Towns of British Columbia, Mitchell Press, 1963, p.125)

Source: included with note

Norman 'Red' McLeod died 31 August 1948 at Kaslo; obituary in Nelson Daily News 1 September 1948, including excerpts from a 1940 interview he gave with historian R.G. Joy.

Source: BC place name cards, or correspondence to/from BC's Chief Geographer or BC Geographical Names Office

Ta Ta Creek is identified by name in BC Sessional Papers 1901, p.483, in relation to a Skookumchuck road project carried out in late 1900. (June 2001 advice from historian Greg Nesteroff, Castlegar.) "Although I've gleaned quite a bit on Red McLeod's lawbreaking from the newspapers, I'm increasingly convinced his connection to the naming of Ta Ta Creek is apocryphal. What's more, Red might hold some kind of record for having the most place names wrongly associated with him. Various sources state McLeod Creek, McLeod Meadows, Horsethief Creek, and by extension Horsethief Falls (all in East Kootenay) were named for him, but in each case, closer examination seems to rule this out, or at least cast serious doubt..." (October 2007 comment from historian Greg Nesteroff, Castlegar.)

Source: included with note