During the American Revolution, the name Weeki Wachee applied to what we know today as Holmes Creek. The name is from the Muskogee language. It was well known to the British. The interpretive panel is displayed along the wooden fence in the parking & picnic area.

This beautiful spring-fed creek is one of the most pristine in Florida, containing a wide variety of wildlife species, including freshwater fish, turtles, alligators, frogs, snakes, and several species of waterfowl. It was originally called the Weekaywee Hatchee, "Spring Creek" or "Spring River," by Creek Indians, who were pursued into the valley and defeated by Federal troops. Holms' Town was a large Native American village where the Hoithlewaulee chief Holms and his Red Stick Creek followers lived. The name was changed to Holmes Creek during the early 1800s. The origin of the name is debated, with some believing it honors Creek Indian chief Holms, who migrated to the Florida Panhandle after the Creek War of 1813-1814. Recent research suggests that the name honors Dr. Holmes, an early settler of nearby Jackson County.