FRENCH BROAD RIVER AND OTHER STREAMS

THE Indian names for the French Broad probably differed among the different tribes and possibly even in a single tribe for different portions of the stream. Indians did not reside on that river after it became known to white men. One writer, H. E. Colton, says that it was called by the Indians, Tocheste, or Racer. Another writer, Dr. J. G. M. Ramsey, says that they called it Agiqua throughout its length. Another writer, C. Lanman, says they called it Pse-li-co. Two other writers, W. G. Zeigler and B. S. Grosscup, say that the Erati, or "Over-the-mountain" Cherokees, called it Agiqua, and the other Cherokees, known as Ottari, called it Tocheeostee below Asheville and Zillicoah above Asheville. The best authority on the subject, J. Mooney, says: "The Cherokees have no name for the river as a whole, but the district through which it flows about Asheville is called by them Un-takiyastiyi, 'Where they race.' "

It has been stated that its English name of French Broad is derived from a hunter named French. This is not true. To the white men who traded with the Cherokees and passed through the Holston Valley in what is now East Tennessee, the French Broad River was at first known as Broad River. There was, however, a river running from the Blue Ridge to the Atlantic Ocean which rose on the eastern side of that mountain range nearly opposite the head of the French Broad on the western side of that range, while the French Broad, through other streams, ultimately ran into the Mississippi River. The English owned the land on the eastern side of the Blue Ridge and the French claimed all the land to the west thereof lying on tributary waters of the Mississippi. Hence, in order to distinguish from the Broad River belonging to the English on the east this Broad River claimed by the French on the west, the latter came soon to be called, French Broad. In some of the early maps it is named Frank River, referring to the French. The name of French Broad was given to it before 1763, when the French formally relinquished all claim to the country through which it runs. Plainly this name was bestowed by hunters who came from the east of the mountains where they were acquainted with the

Broad River, up which they most probably travelled through the Hickorynut Gap; and it was about 1760 to 1762 when they made this addition to the geographical nomenclature of the mountain region.

The Indians had no name for the Swannanoa River. That by which it is known is due to white men. Numeorus origins have been given as those of the word, Swannanoa. Sometimes it is said to be a Cherokee word meaning "beautiful"; sometimes a Cherokee word meaning "nymph of beauty"; sometimes a Cherokee attempt to imitate the sound made by the wings of ravens or vultures flying down the valley; sometimes a Cherokee attempt to imitate the call of the owls seated upon trees on the banks of the stream; and one writer, J. Mooney, says that the word Swannanoa is derived, by contraction, from two Cherokee words, Suwali Nun-nahi, meaning "Suwali Trail," that, is trail to the country of the Suwali, Suala, or Sara Indians, who lived in North Carolina at the eastern foot of the Blue Ridge, and that this trail ran through the Swannanoa Gap. None of these is correct. "Swannanoa" does not mean "beautiful" or "nymph of beauty" and does not resemble the sound made by a raven or vulture in flying or any call of any North Carolina owl, and is not a Cherokee word and could not be produced by any contraction of "Suwali' Nun-nahi." It is merely a form of the word "Shawano," itself a common form of "Shawnee," the name of a well-known tribe of Indians. These Shawanoes were great wanderers and their villages were scattered from Florida to Pennsylvania and Ohio, each village usually standing alone in the country of some other Indian tribe. They had a village in Florida or Southern Georgia on the Swanee or Suanee River, which gets its name from them. Another of their towns was in South Carolina, a few miles below Augusta, on the Savannah River which separates South Carolina from Georgia. This was "Savannah Town," or, as it was afterwards called, "Savanna Old Town." The name of "Savannah," given to that river and town, is a form of the word "Shawano," and those Indians were known to the early white settlers of South Carolina as "Savannas." The Shawanoes had a settlement on Cumberland River near the site of the present city of Nashville, Tennessee, when the French first visited that region. From those

Indians these French, who were the first white men who went there, called the Cumberland River the "Chouanon," their form of Shawano. Sewanee in the same State has the same origin.

These Shawano Indians had a town on the Swannanoa River about one-half mile above its mouth and on its southern bank, when the white hunters began to make excursions into those mountain lands.

Between 1700 and 1750 all the Shawanoes in the South removed to new homes north of the Ohio River where they soon became very troublesome to the white people and were answerable for most of the massacres in that region perpetrated in that day by Indians, especially in Kentucky, it being their boast that they had killed more white men than had any other tribe of Indians. Their town at the mouth of the Swannanoa River had been abandoned before 1776, but its site was then well known as "Swannano." At that time the river seems not to have been named; but very soon afterwards it was called, for the town and its former inhabitants, Swannano, or later Swannanoa River. One of the earliest grants for land on its banks and covering both sides and including the site of the present Biltmore, calls the stream the "Savanna River."

Other tributaries of the French Broad or streams entering it through other water courses derived their names in different ways and at different times.

Davidson's River got its name from Benjamin Davidson, the first settler on its waters, and was originally called "Ben Davidson's Creek."

Mills River was so named for William Mills, whose residence was on Green River in Rutherford County, who was born on James River in Virginia, November 10, 1746, and died at his home in Rutherford County, North Carolina, November 10, 1834.

Little River, of course, was named for its size, as was Green River for the appearance of its waters in the gorges. Muddy Creek got its name because its current was sluggish and waters often in contrast to one of its tributaries, Clear Creek. Muddy Creek at one time was known as "Little River." Cane Creek was famous for the great quantity of reeds or canes growing on its borders, but became more famous because on its waters was discovered, at what is now "The

Meadows" or "Blake Place," then owned by William Murray, in 1802, the celebrated Catawba grape, the only native American wine grape, a variety of Fox grape (Vitis labrusca).

The very peculiar names of some of the streams which run into the French Broad from the west and southwest in part of its course must have caused many persons to inquire as to the origin of those names. For many years before the Revolutionary War and for some years thereafter the dividing line between the western parts of North Carolina and South Carolina had not been run or even settled, and the disputed territory extended from some miles south of Greenville, South Carolina, northward about to Swannanoa River. South Carolina people in the northern part of that State hunted much over this disputed country, in which no white men then lived. About 1885, William Camp, a very old and intelligent surveyor of northern Spartanburg County in South Carolina, told me the following story:

Before the Revolutionary War a party of hunters from northern South Carolina visited the French Broad on a hunting trip and crossed to the western side not far above the mouth of Swannanoa River. Proceeding on their hunt, they camped the first night on an unnamed stream that ran into the French Broad, and there they had hominy for supper. They called this stream "Hominy." Next night they camped on the banks of a stream of which none of them had ever heard and named it "Newfound." Next night they killed some wild turkeys and had them for supper at their camp on the banks of another stream, which, for that reason, they named "Turkey Creek." Still further on they encamped on another stream and cooked mush for supper, but in dipping water to use in making the mush they unknowingly dipped in the water some sand which thus got into the mush. They called this stream "Sandyrnush."

On the other side of French Broad River going from Swannanoa River in the direction of Asheville the first stream of considerable size is that now crossed three times by Southside Avenue and called sometimes "Cripple Creek." It was known as the Big Branch at the time when Asheville's site was chosen for that of the county town of Buncombe in 1792. Later a man named Gash owned land on that branch,

living on that land near the entrance of McDowell Street into South Main Street, where was for many years later the Gash burying-ground. For a long while the branch was called Gash's Creek. Later it acquired the name of "Town Branch" and finally the senseless appellation of "Cripple Creek."

Through the northern portion of Asheville runs a branch once known as "Nathan Smith's Creek." About 1902 Mr. H. A. Lindsey knocked off a piece from an outcropping rock of gneiss on this branch just below Magnolia Street, and found inside several small nuggets of coarse gold. I have one of these mounted as a stickpin. Before reaching the river this branch unites with another which runs through Grove Park and was then called "Glenn's Creek," and, under the latter name, enters the French Broad River just above the "Casket Plant."

Next is "Beaverdam Creek," although no one seems to know where was the beavers' dam from which it got its name. Then, after passing "Davis's Branch," named for John Davis who lived on it opposite Montrealla, is Reems's Creek, so called for a man named Reems whom the Indians killed on that stream just above the iron bridge across it south of Weaverville. Then comes "Flat Creek," whose name is no doubt derived from the character of the land on its upper waters. "Ivy River" enters French Broad River about a mile above Marshall and gets its name undoubtedly from the large quantity of ivy (Kalmia) which grew on it, as further on "Laurel River" is named for its laurel (Rhododendron}.

Spring Creek was so named from the fact that it enters French Broad River from the southwest at the Warm Springs. Those celebrated springs were discovered in 1778 by Henry Reynolds and Thomas Morgan, sentries on the outposts of Tennessee settlements, who were in pursuit of stolen horses; and, for a long time after North Carolina had ceded to the United States the territory which now forms Tennessee, the people of the ceded lands claimed that these springs were included in the ceded country. In fact, the first grant for the land where these springs are was made by the State of Tennessee. Until 1886 they were known as the "Warm Springs"; but in that year the Southern Improvement Company bought them and changed the name to "Hot Springs."

Several streams flow into Swannanoa River on its northern side, eastward from Asheville. These are : first, Ross's Creek, named for a man called Ross who lived probably near the mouth of the creek, which was afterwards more generally known as "Chunn's Cove Creek," because a place on its upper waters, later the residence of Colonel Stephen Lee and now of Messrs. Armstrong, but then belonging to Colonel Samuel Chunn, had come prominently into public notice as the scene of a famous political debate in 1840 between John M. Morehead and Romulus M. Saunders, then candidates for Governor of North Carolina; second, "Haw Creek," called originally "Whitson's Creek" from William Whitson who settled the place at its mouth, now the home of Mr. Frank Reed, and next called T. T. Patton's Mill Creek when Mr. T. T. Patton occupied that farm and built a mill on the stream, and still later known as "Haw Creek," because of the large number of black haw (Viburnum] bushes which grew on its banks; third, "Grassy Branch," which enters Swannanoa River at Azalea; fourth, "Bull Creek," named from the fact that on that creek John Rice, its first settler, killed a buffalo bull, the last wild buffalo seen in Buncombe County; and last "Bee Tree Creek," at the mouth of which was made the first permanent settlement of white people in that part of North Carolina which was afterwards Buncombe County, although probably no one knows exactly on what spot those settlers found the bee-tree. The South Fork of Swannanoa River, on which are now the towns of Black Mountain, Montreat, and Ridgecrest, is often called Flat Creek.

MOUNTAINS

To one who approaches it from the east the Blue Ridge can be seen for a great distance and consequently looks blue. Hence its name must have been given by persons coming to it from that direction.

" 'Tis distance lends enchantment to the view,
And robes the mountain in its azure hue."

The Asheville plateau lies in that range of mountains called the Appalachian Mountains or Alleghany Mountains, of which the Blue

Ridge is the eastern portion. This system extends from northern New York to parts of Alabama, and is sometimes sixty to seventy-five miles broad. It is a singular fact that in North Carolina, where the greater part of this table-land lies, the streams which find their ways into the Mississippi rise in the lower Blue Ridge on the eastern side, and, after traversing this plateau from east to west, break through the mountains on the western side, thus making their exit through a range higher than that in which-they have their origin.

The name of Appalachian Mountains or Appalaches is said to have been given to them by the French in Florida under Laudonniere, ''who first became acquainted with them at the southern extremity, from the Indian name of a river that flows into the Gulf of Mexico, in Appalache Bay; but the English, who visited them principally in their more northern parts, preserved the Indian name there given of Allaghanies, which is supposed to mean Endless.'''' The Appalachian Indians lived in Florida, far south of these mountains, and, no doubt, it was from their account that the French first learned of this mountain range. The Alleghanies were a geographical group of Indians, composed of Delawares and Shawnees, living on Alleghany River in Pennsylvania and New York.

The name of Pisgah for the most prominent mountain in Western North Carolina seems to have been given about 1776, but by whom is not known. No doubt the name was taken from the mountain of that name east of the Dead Sea from which Moses is said to have viewed "the Promised Land," and was given to the North Carolina peak because of its extensive outlook. There was a celebrated South Carolina hunter of early days who lived in the northwestern part of that State whose name was Busby. Probably from him was called the mountain of that name south of Asheville.

The Bearwallow, Bald Top, Sugar Loaf, Pilot, and Point Lookout, mountains in the Hickorynut Gap region, are said to have been so named by William Mills.

Its rugged top may account for the name of Craggy and the dark colors of fir and spruce may account for the name of the Black Mountain; but who gave these names is unknown.

Right [in same picture]—School Building of H. C. F. College, site now of Asheville Public School Building Upper right corner—Beaucatcher Summerhouse which gave peak its name

Lane's Pinnacle got its name from its owner, Charles Lane, who conducted "forges" on Hominy Creek near Luthers and on Reems Creek near Weaverville, digging much of his iron ore from Mine Hole Gap, which got its name from the excavation so made by him there. He was a near relative of General Joseph Lane, candidate for vice-president of the United States in 1860.

Mr. James W. Patton owned Beaucatcher Mountain, east of Asheville, and, about 1850, he erected on it a summer-house as a place of resort. Several young couples did their courting in visiting this summer-house; and that fact is said to have given rise to its name of Beaucatcher. During the war on the South it was fortified. After that war Mr. William Hazard built a residence there and changed the name to Beaumont. The late A. C. Avery, for many years a Justice of the Supreme Court of North Carolina, once remarked to me that his engagement to his first wife had been made on a visit to this summer-house on Beaucatcher. This lady was a Miss Morrison, a sister of the wife of Stonewall Jackson and of the wife of the Confederate General D. H. Hill.

Before elks were driven from these mountains they had a wallow on a Beaverdam mountain, which, on that account, was known as the "Elk Wallow" and then as "Elk Mountain." A cheese factory on the mountain prospered for several years in the seventies of the nineteenth century, but ceased operations some time later than 1875. The last elk seen in North Carolina was killed in what is now Mitchell County by William Davenport, except one killed by William Mills at about the same time six miles south of Asheville on Six-mile Branch.

Panthers (Puma or Cougar) disappeared entirely about 1835; Virginia deer about 1855; buffalo about 1786; and black bears and bay-lynxes (wild cats), like wolves, have become so scarce that it is now uncertain whether or not any wolves are in the mountains and certain that a black bear or a bay-lynx cannot be found elsewhere.

Gooch's Peak, commonly called Gouge Mountain, another Beaver-dam peak, was named for a man called Gooch.

In 1767 Colonel William Tryon, royal governor of North Carolina, caused to be run and marked a line between the lands of the

white settlers and the lands of the Cherokee Indians, extending from Reedy River at a point some miles south of the present City of Greenville in South Carolina, northward fifty-three miles to a Spanish oak on what is now Tryon Mountain. This line now, for most of its length, divides Greenville and Spartanburg counties, and passes less than a mile east of the modern City of Tryon. Colonel Tryon himself attended and directed the early portion of this survey and the mountain on which it terminated, in the "White Oak Mountains," was called for him "Tryon" and yet bears his name, and, after the lapse of more than a century, gave its name to the City of Tryon.

Several Indian names are said to have been used for French Broad River. Among these may be mentioned Pse-li-co, Tocheste, Agiqua, Tocheeostee, Zillicoah, Untakiyastiki, Zeehleeka (pronounced Tsay-lee-katy) and Esseewah; but an Indian name often applied to only part of a river and this was the case with French Broad River, its Asheville region being Untakiyastiki, "where they race." Other Indian names for western North Carolina localities were: Warwasseeta for Pisgah Ridge or Range, Elseetoss for Pisgah Mountain, Sokassa for Shaking Bald Mountain, Salola for Sugar-loaf Mountain, Esseedaw for Broad River, Sunnalee for Craggy Mountain, Seencyahs for Black Mountain, Osteenoah for Cold Mountain, Judykullas for Balsam Mountains, Chesseetoahs for Smoky Mountains, and Chewassee for Newfound Mountains.

On the headwaters of a branch which enters Haw Creek on the north in the farm of Mr. A. M. Dillingham is a cove known as "Cisco." When the country about Asheville was first settled a hunter named Cisco made frequent hunting tours into these mountains, a favorite hunting-ground with him being this part of the mountain which now bears the name of Piney Knob, east of Ross's Creek. On one occasion, after Cisco had been away from home on a hunting trip for more than a week, his friends became uneasy and went in search of him to the region of this cove where they found his body. He had died, apparently, from some natural cause. The cove received, in consequence of this, the name of "Cisco," which it yet bears.