One story goes he was having dinner at a friend's house when two strangers came to the door and were invited in to join the others at the table. Ben declared no, he did not. In other stories Ben presented a good case about how he was the prototype for Mark Twain's Huck Finn. The area near the rock is now a great place to stop for a picnic. Boat landings are located on both the south and north sides of the river.
Blue River is a community nestled beside a river of the same name.
It was settled in the 1800's by the Sparks family. In 1863, gold was discovered in the area and the Blue River Mining District was established. At one time more than 250 men were working the area. In 1900 Samuel Sparks and his sons laid out the town of Blue River as part of 320 acres they had acquired. There is a great viewpoint and hiking area from the top of the dam on Blue River Road.