This information was compiled in May 2005 for the Henry River Reunion. The author is currently unknown. If you know whose research this is, please let me know so I can give them credit.

About the year 1860, just before the Civil War, a machine shop was located in eastern Burke County on Henry River because of the water power there. It was named Henry River for one of the early settlers in that section, Henry Whitener.

Early in 1900, Michael Erastus Rudisill, a native of Lincoln County, came from Cherryville, North Carolina, in Gaston County, to Henry River when he learned of the water power there. He came with the idea of building a cotton mill along this river.

He purchased about 1,500 acres and cut over land at about $3.00 per acre. He surveyed the land from Henry River up past what is now called Johnson's Bridge to determine how much land to buy. He figured the fall and how far the water would back up, and how much power he would have before building the dam.

Albert Pinkney Rudisill, a native of Lincoln County, came and engineered the building of the dam.

Others who came to Henry River about this time were Gus Quickle, a cousin of the Rudisills, Monroe Houser, a friend and neighbor, a brother Miles R. Rudisill, and two brothers-in-law, David William Aderholdt and Marcus Lafayette Aderholdt. These men formed a corporation known as Henry River Manufacturing Company, with the Aderholdts and Rudisills having controlling interest.

A housing development was begun near the mill site to house the operators and employees of this company. A large two story boarding house was one of the first buildings erected to serve as living quarters for those who helped build the mill. Other small houses were also built.

Michael Erastus Rudisill and his wife, Emma Aderholdt Rudisill, operated the boarding house. A sister of the Aderholdts (Lula) and her husband, Frank Moose, came here from Kings Mountain to help in the boarding house. Mr. Moose helped build the mill.

The mill was completed and the business was in operation about the year 1905 in the manufacturing of fine cotton yarns.

To supply water for the people in the village a well was dug in a flat just over the north side of the hill. A tunnel was then dug from the south side up through the hill until the water level was reached in the well. The water was then piped through the tunnel to the village.

The brick store building, which is still standing, was completed soon after the mill. It was the outgrowth of a smaller store that supplied the mill people with groceries and general merchandise. Marcus Lafayette Aderholdt was operator of the store.

Michael Erastus Rudisill was general manager of the cotton mill. David William Aderholdt acted as secretary and treasurer of the company and Miles R. Rudisill was manager of the company farm specializing in raising Aberdeen-Angus beef cattle along with growing of other farm products.

Daniel Cletus Hallman was the mill's first superintendent.

The mill was run entirely by water power until about 1914 when a steam plant was added to supplement the power.

In 1916 a flood destroyed the top portion of the dam. Sand bags were banked against the mill to protect it. The dam was rebuilt in about two years. A temporary dam was built to take care of the water during the building of the new dam so the mill could continue to operate.

It was not until about 1926 that the mill converted to electric power.

A bridge was built across the river in 1912. The county paid half the cost and the mill company was engineered by Michael Erastus Rudisill. Until the bridge was built all travel crossed by fording the river.

In the beginning the mill had about one hundred employees, including children as young as nine years old.

About 1907 the four owners built new homes just outside the village to give more room for employees in the company's houses. The two Rudisills built on the south side of the river and the two Aderholdts built on the north side. Three of the original houses are still standing and are in excellent condition. One of the homes was destroyed by fire in 1936.

The original stockholders sold out in 1917 to David William Aderholdt, John J. George, and Marcus Mauney of Cherryville, North Carolina, and a new company was formed. Others have shared in the company since then.

David Miles Aderholdt, son of David William Aderholdt became manager of the company after his father's death in 1935. He served as manager until his death. The mill is not now in operation.