History
What a wondrous sight for the first human eyes to behold when they looked upon this lush Eden of fertile lowlands, towering forests, and musical, pristine waters, cast against the magnificent backdrop of ancient, majestic mountains. This land has evolved from the first of America’s frontiers to the present-day treasure, rich in a history woven by Native Americans, trappers, hunters, explorers, homesteaders, soldiers, miners, botanists, inventors, religious leaders, playwrights, poets, scientists, musicians, educators, and everyday, special people.
Come explore our bountiful past. We invite you to become a part of the living memories that make Burke County unique and apart from any other place.
Berry Archeological Site
It is the oldest site of European settlement in interior North America. Since 1986 digging has been underway in north Burke County at the site of a 1567 Spanish fort known as San Juan, also the location of a Native American settlement called Joara. Captain Juan Pardo built his fort in the Upper Catawba Valley as part of an effort to establish a secure transfer route for the treasures of Mexico. Archeologists have exposed the ruins of four burned buildings and such Spanish artifacts as chain mail, shards of olive oil jars, and nails. Evidence suggests that the compound was attacked and destroyed in the spring of 1568. As part of the long-term research, Western Piedmont Community College and Warren Wilson College in Asheville, NC offer summer classes for students who wish to assist at this vitally significant dig.
Overmountain Victory Trail
Morganton lies halfway along the Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail, the 330-mile route taken by a hardy and patriotic band of citizen militia to
combat and defeat British forces in 1780
at the Battle of King’s Mountain. Thomas Jefferson recognized the patriot settlers’
contribution as “that Turn of the Tide of Success” in the Revolution. The defeated British leader, Major Patrick Ferguson, had threatened to invade the mountains “and lay waste the country with fire and sword”
if the rebels refused to come over to the British side. The militia mustered at Sycamore Shoals (now Elizabethton, TN) and came down out of the Blue Ridge near Spruce Pine, NC. A major historic landmark marks the passage of the small army through Burke County; the McDowell House at Quaker Meadows. Each year re-enactors gather for two weeks to retrace the famous route and commemorate key events.
North Carolina’s Gold Rush
When nuggets of gold weighing up to 28 pounds began turning up in Cabarrus County in 1799, North Carolina’s gold rush got underway in a flurry. By 1825, Burke and Rutherford Counties were leading the nation in gold mining; miners and investors rushed to the area, mining towns boomed, and the Bechtler family created their famous mint north of Rutherfordton. The discovery of gold at Sutter’s Mill in California coincided with diminishing returns from the Carolina mines, and
suddenly the boom was over.
Burke County’s Civil War Legacy
Although no major battles were fought in Burke County during the Civil War, or even in western North Carolina, small scale
raiding, reprisals, banditry, and wholesale cruelty were notorious in the area. Fiercely divided loyalties among communities and even families ensured lasting bitterness in the region. Major George W. Kirk, a Union raider operating from East Tennessee led devastating raids into the Carolina piedmont. On June 28, 1864, Kirk attacked and destroyed a Confederate training camp, Camp Vance, near Morganton and fought a skirmish against Home Guard pursuers up what is now highway 181. In April 1865, forces under Union commander General Alvan C. Gillem plundered and ravaged Burke County, ransacking homes, looting freely, and burning courthouse records. A statue and historic marker stands today at the Historic Morganton Courthouse
commemorating the more than 1,000 Confederate soldiers from Burke County.
Trail of Faith
A series of fifteen outdoor exhibits commemorate major events in the history of the Waldensian religious community from its years as a persecuted minority in the Middle Ages in the Alps of northern Italy to the 1848 Edict of Emancipation, which granted the same political and civil rights as other citizens, to the eventual immigration and settlement in Valdese in 1893. The tour begins at a visitor center with a brief
introductory talk on the trail.
Morganton Train Station
Built in 1886 and restored and rededicated in 2004, this building currently houses a railroad exhibit but is slated for future use
as a station for passenger service in Western North Carolina. It is part of the North Carolina Department of Transportation
stations improvement program.
Senator Sam J. Ervin, Jr. Library
Senator Sam J. Ervin, Jr. achieved enduring fame in 20th century American politics as the brilliant and quotable Chairman of the Watergate Investigation Committee in the 1970s. The late senator was a formidable figure in constitutional law, renowned for his debating skills. A special library on the campus of Western Piedmont Community College in Morganton houses his collection of books, papers, and personal memorabilia. Located in the Phifer Learning Resources Center, the library allows visitors to walk through a reconstruction of the senator’s office, complete with original décor and
furnishings.
World War II Memorial
A monument honoring Burke County’s
citizens who fought and died in World War II has been established on the courthouse grounds at the center of Morganton. This memorial was a project of the Burke Sunrise Rotary Club. In May 2006, Eagle Scout Matthew Zimmerman presented the town of Connelly Springs with a memorial dedicated in honor of all Veterans who have served our country. The memorial can be seen at The Connelly Springs Town Hall.
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