▁ ▁History ▁ ▁The ▁Wilson ▁Creek ▁W ilder ness ▁area ▁was ▁once ▁used ▁by ▁the ▁Ch ero kee ▁Indians ▁as ▁a ▁summer ▁hunting ▁grounds . ▁It ▁was ▁settled ▁in ▁ 1 7 5 0 , ▁and ▁logging ▁began ▁on ▁the ▁dense ▁forest . ▁Mort imer , ▁once ▁the ▁largest ▁community ▁in ▁the ▁Wilson ▁Creek ▁area , ▁was ▁the ▁site ▁of ▁the ▁Ritter ▁L umber ▁Company ▁saw mill ▁which ▁was ▁destroyed ▁by ▁over ▁ 2 0 ▁inches ▁of ▁rain ▁in ▁ 2 4 ▁hours ▁in ▁July ▁ 1 9 1 6 . ▁The ▁week ▁before , ▁a ▁so aking ▁rain ▁had ▁already ▁s atur ated ▁the ▁ground ▁and ▁heavy ▁l umber ing ▁ag gra v ated ▁the ▁speed ▁of ▁the ▁water ▁r ushing ▁through ▁the ▁g orge . ▁After ▁a ▁year , ▁efforts ▁to ▁re build ▁brought ▁back ▁the ▁saw mill ▁and ▁a ▁text ile ▁mill ▁with ▁the ▁community ▁served ▁by ▁a ▁rail road ▁line . ▁The ▁mill s ▁provided ▁jobs ▁enough ▁to ▁sust ain ▁ 8 0 0 ▁residents . ▁If ▁still ▁in ▁existence , ▁Mort imer ▁would ▁be ▁the ▁county ▁seat ▁of ▁C ald well ▁County , ▁North ▁Carolina ▁( which ▁is ▁now ▁Len oir , ▁North ▁Carolina ) ▁However , ▁it ▁flo oded ▁again ▁with ▁Wilson ▁Creek ▁reaching ▁over ▁a ▁ 9 0 ▁foot ▁flo od ▁stage ▁on ▁August ▁ 1 3 , ▁ 1 9 4 0 ▁ending ▁all ▁efforts ▁to ▁bring ▁in ▁industry ▁leaving ▁the ▁area ▁virt ually ▁desert ed . ▁The ▁concrete ▁shell s ▁of ▁the ▁old ▁facilities