The name Bois Brule (French: Bois Brûlé) means “Burnt Wood” was given to both the creek and the flood plain by early French settlers.

The name was applied by the French to describe a burnt tract of forest found in the area.

[1] Bois Brule Creek is a tributary of Cinque Hommes Creek and flows into Cinque Hommes Creek in Bois Brule Bottoms north of Menfro, Missouri at 354 feet (108 meters).

[3][4] A number of drainage ditches empty into Bois Brule Creek, draining excess water out of Bois Brule Bottoms.

However, in 1798, a number of Irish Catholics were given permission to settle in the Bois Brule area.