Vardry McBee ( -1864) is known as the Father of Greenville, in spite of his living in North Carolina until 1834. In 1815, McBee purchased extensive properties in Greenville, and established flour, paper, and textile mills along the Reedy River. He also maintained a chain of stores in the region to facilitate the marketing of the goods he produced. As a landowner, he recognized the value of churches and schools, and donated lands from his own holdings for this purpose. With millwright John Adams, he constructed a dam on the Reedy River to provide additional water power for his many enterprises. Portrait by William Garl Browne, Jr., 1854.
Courtesy of William Moultrie Guerry.