Morganton is found along Interstate 40 in the foothills of the Smoky Mountains. It was once a rich hunting ground for Cherokee and Catawba Indians. Morganton, incorporated in 1784, was named after General Daniel Morgan of the Revolutionary War. Local residents had several names for the Double Branch Creek pictured here. At one time it was called Moore Creek, named after a longtime sheriff that lived nearby. A grist mill utilized the water power of the creek and prompted some of the North Carolina residents to call it Millshoals.
     This little river makes its way toward Silver Creek, a site for prospectors and precious metals. Silver Creek snakes its way to the Catawba River, carrying all these North Carolina streams to the Atlantic Ocean.