John Linville

William Linville and his son, early explorers of this area, were scalped by Indians in 1766 and remembered by having their name applied to one of the most scenic river gorges in the eastern United States. From its headwaters high on Grandfather Mountain the Linville River has patiently and powerfully carved this rugged steep-walled gorge which encloses the river for approximately 12 miles. Within the gorge the river drops a dramatic 2,000 feet before leveling out in the Catawba Valley. On the east of the gorge stands Jonas Ridge and on the west Linville Mountain. Elevation at the gorge's rim is 3,400 feet, and the elevation of the river here averages 2,000 feet. Plant communities range from lichens and shrubs on the cliffs to an understory of laurel and rhododendron along the river. In some spots the gorge shelters stands of virgin timber. Along Jonas Ridge an assortment of odd rock formations have been given names such as Sitting Bear, Hawksbill, Table Rock and the Chimneys, and these rocks attract beginner, intermediate and advanced rock climbers. With 39 miles of challenging trails, backpackers come to Linville Gorge in substantial numbers. They find an exemplary southern backpacking area. If you want more solitude during your visit, go to the southern half of the Wilderness, south of Conley Cove Trail (1.35 miles long) in the western portion and south of the Chimneys in the eastern portion. The rough northern section surrounding Brushy Ridge also receives fewer human visitors. A large black bear population attracts many hunters between late October and early January.

Men Who Helped Defend Fort Against Indians Later Were Early Settlers in Pi ke County

John Linville, early kinsman of the Pike county Linville of that name, fe ll with his father, William Linville, in an Indian attack in the Blue Ridge Mountains, ten miles below Linville Falls, in 1766.

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