Merchants Millpond State Park
| Merchants Millpond State Park | |
|---|---|
North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation | |
| Website | www |
Merchants Millpond State Park is a
millpond and Lassiter Swamp. Canoeing is one of the park's major attractions. Alligators
live in its large cypress swamps.
History
Settlement in the Gates County area began in 1660. Residents of early rural communities made a living by farming and lumbering. In the early 18th century, Hunters Millpond was built at the head of Bennetts Creek to provide a means of processing and marketing regional produce. Highway construction destroyed this millpond in 1922. But further downstream, Norfleets Millpond, which was built in 1811, thrived. Gristmills, a sawmill, a farm supply store and other enterprises made the area the center of trade in Gates County. Thus, the pond became known as Merchants Millpond.
Shortly before
Nature Conservancy
contributed an additional 925 acres (3.74 km2) of woodlands to the park that now encompasses more than 3,250 acres (13.2 km2).
References
- ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Merchants Millpond State Park
- ^ a b "Size of the North Carolina State Parks System" (XLS). North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation. July 1, 2020. Archived from the original on August 18, 2020. Retrieved August 17, 2020.
