Author Pearl Buck once said “If you want to understand today, you have to search yesterday.” As you hike or bike or drive over the ridges and into the Catawba Valley and look at the old home and mill sites and cemeteries, it is obvious that there is a rich history behind the land, lives, and livelihoods in these valleys. The natural history of the valley is discussed in the Environment — Land section, but here we will discuss some of the human history that defines the valley today.

Native American History

Specific details about Native American history in the Catawba Valley has not been officially documented, but we can draw some logical connections from what we know.  The Catawba Nation was and continues to exist in the Catawba River watershed between North and South Carolina around the area now known as Charlotte.  The Catawba were a part of the Sioux Tribe, which was of the Mississsipian culture (typical of most of the southeast)¹. ‘Catawba’ is thought to be a Siouan dialect term which roughly translates to “people of the river.”

Though the majority of the Catawba nation was located in southern North Carolina, there is evidence that the Catawba people were involved in trading with Europeans to the north.  A major trading route, which later became a significant route for European expansion, runs right along what is now Rt. 81. It is possible that some of the Catawba people migrated north and established settlements in the valley, though this has not been confirmed.

European Settlement

Records of the first Europeans to visit the Roanoke area date back to the 1670s, when trading routes leading into the interior of the country were being explored and established.² It wasn’t until about 70 years later that Europeans began settling in the area, when James McAfee claimed land in the Catawba Valley in the 1741 (yes, the same McAfee for whom McAfee’s Knob was named!).

Telling the story of European settlement in the Catawba Valley is almost as easy as looking at a early maps drawn by settlers and explorers.  The map above was drawn based on the reports of settlers in 1751 and depicts all of Virginia and parts of Pennsylvania, Maryland,  North Carolina, and what is now Washington D.C.  The Great Wagon Road, highlighted in red, stretched from Philadelphia all the way into Georgia and served as a major route south and west for settlers following the end of the French and Indian War. This road was hardly a road — it really began as Native American footpath referred to as the Warrior’s Path.

A major hub along the Great Wagon Road was Big Lick³, or what is now known as Roanoke.  Though there is some dispute as to where the Wilderness Road began, there is no doubt that Roanoke served as a major crossroads for the western expansion of the United States.  From Big Lick, people could head in a number of directions to continue their journey — some of them just crossed the mountains to the north and found their home in the Catawba Valley!

The first Europeans to establish homesteads in the Catawba Valley were Scots-Irish, mostly Presbyterians, who were migrating out of Pennsylvania in search of cheap land and great opportunity.  For the most part, these people were middle-class farmers and craftsmen who had a knack for working in tough conditions and a reputation for independence.  As they pressed further westward, a wave of second generation German emigrants who were largely Protestant followed closely behind, establishing neat homesteads along the rocky hillsides.  There are still families living in the valley today who can trace their properties and family trees back to these original settlers.

Life in the Valley

The rocky hillside farms established when the Scot-Irish and Germans settled in the valley provided the background on which on which several generations of residents worked and lived in the Catawba Valley.   With transportation limited by the steep slopes, the Catawba Valley was largely self-reliant.  Many people living in the valley still tell stories of their aunts trading eggs for sugar at the Catawba General Store or about their fathers moving cattle on foot over the ridges where Rt. 311 runs today.  The old cheese factory located on the corner of Lusters Gate Road in Montgomery County used to source their milk from many of the dairy farms up and down the valley.  The old mills which are still standing today were used to grind wheat to provide flour for the valley residents.  With huge advances in transportation and communication, the Catawba Valley, like most places, has changed.  But there are still many reminders of the history of the valley. In fact, Montgomery County has designated its portion of the Catawba Valley as the North Fork Valley Rural Historic District to help preserve many of the historic sites and honor the valley’s heritage.

Historic Sites

* Know some history about other sites in the Catawba Valley? Send it to us and we will post it.

McDonald’s Mill – At least three mills were operated by five generations of the McDonald family at this site from the 1790s into the 20th century.  When the mill was a center of business activity, big wagons, pulled by eight horses, hauled 300-pound barrels of flour, beef, hams, chickens and cheese to a Lynchburg market and returned with many supplies. A neighborhood dinner honoring young men leaving for service in the Civil War was held on the mill’s second floor.  Today, the mill is owned and maintained by Ned & Janet Yost, members of Catawba Landcare.  The property has been placed under conservation easement to ensure it remains undeveloped into the future. ⁴

Catawba Hospital -  The Catawba Hospital was first established as the Roanoke Red Sulphur Springs Resort in 1857, attracting people with the healing qualities of the mountain areas and the sulphur and limestone springs on site.   A later owner, Joe Chapman, advertised the spring water as being capable of treating lung diseases and soon, the resort was attracting many people suffering from tuberculosis. In 1908, the Chapman family sold the hospital to the Commonweath of Virginia to establish the first Tuberculosis Sanitorium in the region.⁵

The Homeplace – The Homeplace was originally built by the John Morgan family in 1907.  Set on 600 acres, the family raised purebred horses, beef cattle, and later ran a dairy.  The house sat unoccupied for several years before going up for auction in Oct. 1978, when 63 acres including the homestead and dairy barn were purchased by Harold Wingate.  Renovation of the structure began in 1981 and the restaurant was opened in Sept. 1982.  Today, the Homestead Restaurant serves as a landmark for people hiking the Appalachian Trail and those living in the region.⁶

Falls Ridge Preserve (owned by The Nature Conservancy) – Located on the North Fork of the Roanoke River in the Ellett Valley, the Falls Ridge Preserve is a nature preserve owned and maintained by The Nature Conservancy.  They preserved this particular place for both its natural and historical value.  Besides its spectacular karst formations and waterfall, the site is thought to be just downstream  from a large Indian settlement, though only a few white flint arrowheads have been found on site. In 1823, the Governor of Virginia initially granted this property to the Birchfield family.  Later,  the Dudleys, a local family, acquired the land and used it to operate several enterprises including a wool carding mill, general store, post office, lumber milk gram mill, and a livery. In 1939, a kiln to produce burnt lime was installed at the falls by Harry Dudley. Calcium carbonate cliffs (travertine) deposited by the stream were blasted loose, crushed and carted by mule to the top of the kiln. Traces of this operation can be seen near the falls.⁷

 

1. Moore, D. 2002. Catawba Valley Mississippian: Ceramics, Chronology, and Catawba Indians. University Alabama Press [↩]
2. Information for this section largely derived from: Kagey, D. D., 1988. When past is prologue : a history of Roanoke County. Roanoke County Sesquicentennial Committee, Roanoke, Va. [↩]
3. the name Big Lick originated as a reference to the salt marshes or “licks” in the area which attracted wildlife [↩]
4. history provided in Western Virginia Land Trust Summer 2010 newsletter [↩]
5. history provided in the Catawba Hospital website. [↩]
6. history provided on menu at restaurant [↩]
7. history from the Falls Ridge Preserve website, produced by The Nature Conservancy [↩]