August 1899, a group of businessmen gathered in Mt. Pleasant, North Carolina, to build a cotton mill to “provide able and secure employment for the residents of the area.” The original building still stands, the bricks were made by hand on site. The name for the new mill (Tuscarora Cotton Mill) was suggested by the company secretary, Paul Barringer. He was, according to company records, an authority on American Indian history.

The Tuscarora tribe of American Indians lived in villages along the rivers of what is now North Carolina. They were hunters, farmers, fishermen, and traders. There were an estimated 5000 Tuscarora Indians living in eastern North Carolina in 1600. Located mostly in the region between the Neuse and Pamlico rivers, they first encountered the English in 1650. The name Tuscarora is derived from an Iroquois term for “hemp gatherers.” The Tuscarora were also referred to as “shirt wearing people.” From 1713 to 1803, they migrated northward into Virginia, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and New York. In 1722, they were the last Indian nation named to the great Iroquois League, which is comprised of the Onondaga, Oneida, Seneca, Cayuga, Mohawk, and Tuscarora. Many supported the colonists during the American Revolution. Today, the remaining members of the Tuscarora nation live in western New York and southeast Ontario.

In August 1999, Chief Kenneth Patterson and Princess Jolene Gansworth and nearly two dozen other Tuscarora visited the plant in Mt. Pleasant to help celebrate the 100-year anniversary of Tuscarora Yarns. Constant change and improvement are what have kept Tuscarora Yarns successful. From steam to electrical power. From the automation of spinning processes to meeting changing customer demands.

Although much has changed, the Tuscarora Yarns’ family continues the fine heritage established by our name.