Francis Henry Fries

Francis Henry Fries (February 1, 1855 – 5 June 1931) was an American textile businessman and industrialist from North Carolina.

[2] He was the son of Francis Levin Fries and Lisetta Maria Vogler, the descendants of immigrants who came from Saxony under the auspices of the Moravian Church.

In 1878, Fries traveled with his brother and uncle to Europe, visiting the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Switzerland, and Italy.

[6] As a Democrat, he served on the staff of Governor Alfred Moore Scales, where he earned the title of "Colonel" which he would use in his professional career to distinguish himself from his father.

Looking for areas to develop along the Southern Railway, Fries began exploring the possibility of setting up textile mills along the Mayo River.

He then hired a local labor force to build a dam, a cotton mill and a full-service company owned town.