"During the summer months, the French Broad River is an excellent site for white-water rafting and canoeing. In addition to its natural scenic qualities, the byway also holds historical points of interest. The river was named for the French who settled in the territory during the 1700s." http://www.byways.org/browse/byways/12822/ " Index Meaning of Place Name: French Broad French Broad: River in North Carolina, so named because the country west of the Blue Ridge was held by the French, according to some authorities. Others hold that the river was named by a party of hunters for their captain, whose name was French. The latter part of the name is used descriptively." http://www.sacklunch.net/placenames/F/FrenchBroad.html http://64.233.161.104/search?q=cache:I1FZkFektUgJ:www.riverlink.org/riverguide .pdf+French+Broad+River+was+named+for&hl=en&ie=UTF-8 Julia