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History of Fort
Mill
In 1763, the English gave the Catawba Indians 144,000
acres of land as a reward for helping them defeat the
French in the French and Indian War. The land covered
what is now Fort Mill and Indianland. The Catawbas were
constantly threatened by attacks from other warlike
tribes including the Shawnees and the Cherokees. They
asked that the colonial governor of North Carolina offer
them protection by constructing a fort. At that time,
the state line between North Carolina and South Carolina
had not clearly been drawn. Construction of this fort
was started but it was never completed. It is from this
fort that the Town of Fort Mill drew part of its name.
Years later, the area became part of South Carolina.
The Catawbas decided to capitalize on their land and
lease it to settlers. The Indians had used stones to
create an underwater roadbed in a shallow place in the
river. Named Nation Ford after the Catawba Indian
Nation, this provided the only crossing for many miles.
In 1850 a railroad trestle bridge was erected over the
ford. The road on each side of the ford became Nation
Ford Road. This crossing brought traders to the area
dating back to 1650. The road carried the traders from
Pennsylvania to Charles Towne (now Charleston). Parts of
this trail can still be seen on the Anne Springs Close
Greenway.
Just a short distance from the Indian Fort, was a spring
that provided fresh water for Indians and settlers for
centuries. Kanawha Spratt camped there with his wife on
the first night of their journey to Fort Mill. The
Catawba approached them with an offer of 4,000 acres of
land if they would stay and live among the tribe and
Spratt became the first white settler. In October 1780,
Lord Cornwallis and his troops camped at Spratts Spring
on their withdrawal from Charlotte. Cornwallis had
planned to cross the Catawba River at Nation Ford and
move on to Winnsboro. However, the river was flooded
with heavy rains, forcing the general and his troops to
stay at the spring. Years later the waters from this
spring were dammed and now the spring is under a lake.
Other settlers began moving into the Fort Mill area,
leasing 30 to 1000 acre tracts from the Catawba. In 1775
a gristmill was erected on Steele Creek where they could
grind their corn, wheat and grains into meal and flour.
The first village, Little York, sprang up around the
mill. There were a few homes, a store, a tavern and a
church. In this way the mill provided what was to be the
other part of the towns name. In 1840 the Catawba sold
their land to the state by way of The Treaty of Nation
Ford and the name was changed to Fort Mill. Fort Mill
received its charter as a town in 1873.
Springfield Plantation
In 1790 John Springs constructed a spacious plantation
house named Springfield in Fort Mill. It is the oldest
dwelling in eastern York County. During the final days
of the Confederacy, President Jefferson Davis and some
cabinet members spent 3 days and nights there as guests
of Col. Andrew Baxter Springs. Today, the property
remains in the Springs family.
White Homestead
Following his visit to Springfield, Confederate
President Jefferson Davis and his cabinet came down the
road to the White homestead. Built in 1820 by William
Elliot White, this is where the final meeting of the
cabinet took place in 1865. Col. Elliot Springs White
brought his bride there in 1922 after the home was
totally renovated. They lived out their lives there and
raised two children, Anne Springs Close and Leroy
Springs.
Springs Mills
On a morning in 1887, four Fort Mill men met for a
morning whittling session. Led by Capt. Samuel White,
they discussed the need for industry to provide
employment in Fort Mill. With cotton growing in
abundance, they decided that Fort Mill needed a cotton
mill. A public meeting was held, stock was sold and a
corporation was formed. The Fort Mill Manufacturing
Company, now known as Springs Mills, began operation in
1888.
Today Springs Industries has grown to be one of the
nation's largest textile complexes, with 40-odd plants
in the U.S., France and Mexico.
Fort Mill Today
The Town of Fort Mill, South Carolina combines great
history with modernization. The location near I-77, Hwy
21 and just 20 minutes south of Charlotte, N.C. makes
living in Fort Mill convenient to work and play. Most of
the population lives outside the city limits in the Fort
Mill Township. The population is currently just under
8,000 in the corporate limits and nearly 40,000 in the
entire Township. This is expected to double over the
next 20 years. Fort Mill is the fastest growing part of
York County. People are moving to Fort Mill for many
reasons. The biggest draw is the Fort Mill School
District.
Homes For Sale In Fort Mill
Subdivisions are popping up everywhere. Many are
"neighborhood style" developments featuring similar
style homes arranged around cul-de-sacs. Some of the
subdivisions are larger and have their own stores and
businesses. The average sales price in April, 2006, for
single-family homes was $308,576, and for condos/townhomes
was $113,686.There are homes available in all price
ranges.
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