Located 40 minutes north of the capital city of Raleigh, Henderson, North Carolina is a city rich with history. The first settlers’ residence was built in what is now Henderson in 1785 by Samuel Reavis, Sr. Reavis called his farm “Lonesome Valley” which likely described the area at that time. Reavis’ son, Lewis Reavis, opened a store close to the stagecoach road in 1811 where he began to see an influx of settlers and the awakening of a city.