Riverside Outfitters Canoe & Kayaking
Our Town
In 1901 F. H. Fries of North Carolina, chose the site that would later bear his name as the location for a cotton mill. The New River was required to generate the power for the new industry and a dam was constructed at Bartlett's Falls on the New River.
The building of the dam and cotton mill made the construction of three hundred houses necessary for the workers in the new industry. A post office, company store and other businesses followed and a railroad spur was built. After almost a hundred years of operation the Mount Vernon Mills closed, but the town continues to be a vibrant center for people seeking the outdoor recreational activities that the New River offers