Editing High Shoals, North Carolina (section)

==History==
High Shoals was the location of the High Shoals Iron Works, founded by [[Switzerland|Swiss]]-born [[John Fulenwider]] in about 1795. Fulenwider developed one of the earliest methods of making [[pig iron]] with the charcoal process. During the [[War of 1812]], his High Shoals ironworks produced cannonballs for use by the [[United States Army]]. Fulenwider died in 1826 and is buried at High Shoals cemetery. The ironworks he developed remained in operation until 1875.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20110714161358/http://ncmarkers.com/Markers.aspx?sp=map&sv=O-54 North Carolina Highway Marker O-54] (primary sources listed at that site). Retrieved on 2008-07-05.</ref>

In the last decade of the 19th century, the community of High Shoals became totally owned by High Shoals Mills, a textile company founded by [[Charlotte, North Carolina|Charlotte]] industrialist [[Daniel A. Tompkins]].<ref>[http://docsouth.unc.edu/nc/tompkins/bio.html Biography of Daniel Augustus Thompkins], from the ''Dictionary of North Carolina Biography'', edited by William S. Powell. Copyright 1979-1996 by the University of North Carolina Press.</ref>

Eventually, the mill homes were sold to private owners. High Shoals was incorporated on November 6, 1973, the most-recently incorporated municipality in Gaston County.<ref>[http://www.co.gaston.nc.us/municipalities.htm Gaston County Official Government Website: Municipalities] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081222081108/http://www.co.gaston.nc.us/municipalities.htm |date=2008-12-22 }}</ref>