Catawba and Northern Trail



The Catawba and Northern Trail connected the Lower Cherokee towns (Lower Cherokee Traders' Path) and Catawba Indian villages in the Waxhaws with the Yadkin River settlements where it turned into the New River and Southern Trail. The Catawba and Northern Trail began in York County, South Carolina and ended in Wilkes County, North Carolina. The length of that journey was about 100 miles (160 km).

Historical Background
Originally an Indian path, this trail connected North Carolina's European Yadkin River settlements with the Waxhaws settlements and the Lower Cherokee towns mostly in South Carolina. These eventually provided as much as 1/4th of the European settlers in what became Tennessee.

The first European colonists settled in counties along this trail as follows:


 * Wilkes NC 1750s
 * Alexander NC 1750s
 * Catawba NC 1740s
 * Lincoln NC 1740s
 * Gaston NC 1740s
 * York SC 1750

Route
Counties on the Catawba and Northern Trail (south to north)


 * South Carolina:  York
 * North Carolina:  Gaston, Lincoln, Catawba, Alexander, Wilkes

Connecting trails. The Catawba and Northern Trail forks off north from the Lower Cherokee Traders' Path in York County, South Carolina. The Catawba and Northern Trail heads due north to the Yadkin River settlements (North Carolina) where it joins the New River and Southern Trail in Wilkes County. The Upper Road and the south fork of the Great Valley Road both run trhough Charlotte, not far from the south end of the Catawba and Northern Trail.

Modern parallels. The modern roads that most closely match the old Catawba and Northern Trail are North Carolina State Highway 16 from Wilkesboro south to the Gaston County north border. From there a road parallel to the west side of the Catawba River such as NC State Highway 273 to South Carolina, and South Carolina State Road 274 south to Rock Hill would approximate the old route.

Settlers and Records
No lists of settlers who used the Catawba and Northern Trail are known to exist. However, local and county histories along the road may reveal that many of the first pioneer settlers arrived from places to the northeast along the route.

Most of the colonists in the the Yadkin River settlements and Waxhaws settlement were from the southeast corner of Pennsylvania. Many were from the Ulster part of Ireland. Other colonists may have reached the area from Maryland, or Virginia especially those areas near the Great Valley Road or Upper Road.