A number of early Catawba Valley residents were skilled craftsman and were very good at making furniture and wagons. The broad and fertile valleys of the Catawba River with their lushness and accessibility and relatively mild weather were major draws for all of these newcomers. At the end of the eighteenth century, the American Revolution had much impact on the settlements along the Catawba River. One constant that settlers dealt with along the Catawba River was the recurring threat of flooding. Edgar, Walter, The Road to the Catawba River Valley from Partisans and Redcoats.