Early History of Rocky Mount

First came aboriginal hunters, armed with crude bows and arrows. They would discover the "Rocky Mound." Warring Tuscarora Indians, who sought the region's rich land, fish and game, would follow them.

Colonization by white settlers began in the late 17th century, but it wasn't until 1712-1713, following years of bloody battles, that the Tuscaroras were defeated and settlement of the area too place.

By the mid-1700's. sufficient settlement existed to support a church and a gristmill...and a "city" was born.

The county of Nash was formed in 1777 and derived its name from War hero, General Francis Nash. In 1816, the term "Rocky Mount" was used for the first time to designate the location of the area's first post office.

Located at the "Falls of the Tar" it would soon be joined by the area's first industry, Battle's Mill, later named Rocky Mount Mills. Built at the site of the gristmill, the mill was recognized as the state's second oldest cotton mill. When the mill ceased operation in 1996, it was the oldest operation textile mill in the Southeast. Today, Rocky Mount Mills is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and remains a local landmark for residents and Tourists alike.

Railroads, War and a New Beginning

The mill attracted the region's first railroad line - The Wilmington to Weldon. At the time of its completion in 1840, it was the longest, continuous railroad in the world.

The Civil War did not spare Rocky Mount. Federal troops in a one-day raid in July, 1863, destroyed the cotton mill, the railroad bridge and surrounding buildings.

It took several years to rebuild, but by 1867 a growing village of 300 residents was incorporated, and a new era had begun!

The Turn of the Century

The "New South" was emerging, and Rocky Mount was ready. A "Chamber of Commerce" was formed in 1904 and tobacco and "King Cotton" were staples of a booming economy.

In fact, by 1960 Rocky Mount boasted its ranking as the world's largest bright leaf tobacco market. It was also during this time that the area's economy diversified for the first time, spawning new industry and new job opportunities.

Nothing impacted the area more than the founding of Hardee's Food Systems in 1961. Formed by Rocky Mount natives Jim Gardner and Leonard Rawls, Hardee's grew to become a giant in the fast food business.

Today, Rocky Mount is home to major manufacturers in the fields of aeronautics (Honeywell), pharmaceuticals (Hospira), and diesel engines (Consolidated Diesel Co.). The area also boasts fast food franchising (Boddie-Noell Enterprises), food distribution (MBM Corp.), food preparation (Cheesecake Factory Bakery), agribusiness (Dale Bone Farms), and egg production (Braswell Foods), and residential development (Ford's Colony of Rocky Mount).

Stonewall Manor

(Stonewall Manor ­ Circa 1830) Bennett Bunn, builder of Stonewall Manor, was a wealthy plantation owner and businessman. He was a central figure in the business and social activities of the local area until his death in 1849.

In addition to his large land holdings in Nash and Edgecombe County, he owned many of the buildings in the little village at the Great Falls of the Tar River which had recently become known as Rocky Mount. One such building was a general store called Big Falls which was operated by his nephew, Redmun Bunn, and Benjamin F. Knight. Serving all of what was then known as Rocky Mount, the ledger from Big Falls remains inside Stonewall Manor and can be viewed today in its original form.

With cotton as one of the main crops on Stonewall’s plantation, Bunn also had direct dealings with Battle & Co (now Rocky Mount Mills), one of the first cotton mills in the South. His property bordered the mill. Along with these business dealings, Bennett Bunn also owned stock in the Wilmington and Raleigh Railroad. Originally planned to connect Wilmington to Raleigh, the company instead decided in the late 1830’s to connect to Weldon, with the tracks pointed towards Petersburg, Virginia and the industrial North. This railroad was essential for Rocky Mount, and crossed much of Bennett’s land immediately North of the Tar River.