803-548-3210 MENU HOME > CONTACT > LIFE IN THE CHARLOTTE REGION River Life Today Chemical production is based at our 28-acre site in Fort Mill, South Carolina, USA, and products are sold worldwide. A Rich Historic Setting The Nation Ford Trail, a popular trading route for Native Americans years before recorded history, crosses the Catawba River at a rare natural ford just south of Fort Mill. This trail, named after the Catawba Indian Nation near the southern side of the ford, is one of the oldest documented travel routes in the Southeast and has helped shape the history of the country. Traders used this path as early as the 1650s and it quickly became a major trade route. By the 1750s, the trail carried settlers from Virginia and Pennsylvania to the back country of the Carolinas. Two of the first to arrive were Thomas and Elizabeth Spratt who were befriended by the Catawbas and persuaded to make their home here. The Spratt family was instrumental in settling Fort Mill. Many of their descendants, including US Congressman John Spratt, still call this area home. The strategic importance of the Nation Ford became evident during the American Revolution. General Thomas Sumter and his men camped in the area. After Lord Cornwallis’ defeat at King’s Mountain, he tried to cross the Catawba River at Nation Ford only to be forced downstream by flooding water. During the Civil War, the Nation Ford became a focal point when Union forces set ablaze an important rail trestle at the site on April 19, 1865. A few days later, Jefferson Davis and his cabinet crossed the river at Nation Ford as they fled southwest. In the late 1800s, rising industrialists established several textile mills in the area which became part of Springs Industries. With its worldwide headquarters located in downtown Fort Mill, these mills flourished into the next century. Today, the area continues to make history and to grow in prominence as a center for industrial innovation. As part of this growth, Nation Ford Chemical, founded in 1978, has earned a reputation as one of America’s most respected custom manufacturers of specialty organic chemicals and is proud to call this historic site home. Active Lifestyle Historic Fort Mill, a suburb of Charlotte and just 25 minutes away from the city center, is in the heart of many recreational venues and nearby activities. Also within a short drive, residents can enjoy the Smoky Mountains or the Carolina beaches, considered among the best in the world. The abundance of activities, lower taxes and award winning school districts make York County a great place to live. © 2021 Nation Ford Chemical