The Cherokee called the river Long Man. Its journey begins outside of Rosman, where the North and West Forks join. The river gains identity as East and Middle Forks merge. The French Broad then gathers all other Transylvania rivers and creeks flowing east of the Continental Divide. Said to be the third oldest river in the world, the French Broad is unique in the fact that it flows north instead of south. From Transylvania, it meanders west to join the Holstein River and serves as the headwaters of the Tennessee River. It then connects with the Mississippi which empties into the Gulf of Mexico. The town of Rosman is sometimes evacuated due to the flash flooding of the river. In the 1960s, one flood forced residents to travel up and down Main Street in a row boat!