Cathey's Fort

[2]Cathey's Fort was built in McDowell County [3] by William Cathey in 1776. Cathey had purchased land near Turkey Cove at the foot of the mountains and there, where Cove Creek joined the North Fork of the Catawba River [4], he made his home. The fort was raised to protect Cathey's family and his neighbors from the Cherokee Indians [5]. Until Davidson's Fort was built soon afterward in what is now Old Fort, Cathey's Fort was the farthest western military outpost in North Carolina during the Revolutionary War [6]. Both forts played a part in the western campaigns of the war, including events leading up to the Battle of King's Mountain [7] on 7 Oct. 1780.

Additional Resources:

"Cathey's Fort." North Carolina Highway Historical Marker Program. http://www.ncmarkers.com/Markers.aspx?ct=ddl&sp=search&k=Markers&sv=N-26 [8]  (accessed August 31, 2012).

North Carolina Office of Archives and History. "Cathey's Fort: Consideration of potential development as a state historic site." 2004. http://digital.ncdcr.gov/u?/p249901coll22,647277 [9] (accessed October 19, 2012).

"McDowell County: The Cathey-Wofford-Greenlee House." Instructional Technology Section, North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. http://www.ncwiseowl.org/carolinaclips/counties/mcdowell/mcdowell/cathys.html [10]  (accessed August 31, 2012).

Brook, David L. S. "Division Of Historical Resources: Research Branch." Biennial report of the North Carolina Office of Archives and History. 2002-2004. p.7-12. http://digital.ncdcr.gov/u?/p249901coll22,25794 [11] (accessed August 31, 2012).

Image Credits:

North Carolina Office of Archives and History. "Cathey's Fort: Consideration of potential development as a state historic site." 2004. p.5. http://digital.ncdcr.gov/u?/p249901coll22,647277 [9] (accessed October 19, 2012).