Mary Patton's Powder Mill

John and Mary Patton left Pennsylvania during the early days of the Revolutionary War and settled near here in 1777. In 1780, British Major Patrick Ferguson demanded that the settlers in this area stop resisting the British and pledge allegiance to King George III. If they did not, Ferguson warned, he would march over the mountains and lay the country waste with fire and sword. In response, more than 800 frontiersmen mustered at Sycamore Shoals, where local settlers helped to supply them for the coming battle. Significantly, Mary Patton provided at least 500 pounds of vital gunpowder. 

 The Overmountain Men marched into North Carolina, joined by other fighters along the way. On October 7, 1780, they won a remarkable victory over Ferguson at King's Mountain, helping to turn the tide of the war. The Patton powder mill continued operating until after the Civil War. Two of the kettles Mary Patton used to manufacture gunpowder are on display at Sycamore Shoals State Historic Park.