Leaksville began in 1796 as a vision of John Leak. Prior to the Revolutionary War Leak settled on Matrimony Creek north of the Dan River in what was then Guilford County. By the early 1790s he had acquired about 900 acres of land along the Dan River. In 1795 he drew up plans and laid out a town that occupied the highest bluff on the North side of the Dan River near the Smith River. Observers felt that it was an excellent choice and that it would become a major river port for the area. The new town became official in 1796. Early lot sales were slow but hopes of river trade kept the town growing slowly.
The original town layout had north south streets of Hamilton, Patrick, Henry, and Monroe. East west streets were Washington, Jay, and Water. The town's eastern limit was the property line of the William Byrd tract known as the Wonderful Land of Eden. After 1813 Leaksville did benefit from the new economic activity from the Barnett Grist Mill.
By the 1830's the Morehead family bought out the Barnetts and started the first textile mill. This expanded the economic base of the area. Morehead had brought in John Hall Bullard to use northern textile knowledge to create and establish his mills. Once he completed his original task Bullard left the mills and became a merchant in Leaksville. His home is still standing in the middle of downtown, and his store was very successful. By this time in the 1840s the river traffic allowed the importation of northern goods of high quality which Bullard sold for very reasonable prices. He can be credited with creating a demand from settlers throughout the area who used Leaksville as their market, both to ship their goods and to purchase products for their families.
The Civil War halted plans for a railroad into Leaksville. After the war the town rebounded fairly quickly. Doctor Franklin King who came to area after the war with his bride became a major force for new businesses. Leaksville became a tobacco market hub for area farmers of both Rockingham county and southern Virginia. King and others began operations to sell plug or twist tobacco. A new bank was established, a railroad line eventually arrived in 1880s, albeit a narrow gauge line that improved early in 1900s to the wider gauge. Leaksville was able to take advantage of the increased river traffic and the industrialization of Spray by becoming a retail and banking center for the area.
As the Leaksville Factory area, now called Spray, expanded in the 1890's Leaksville continued its growth. Marshall Field in Chicago had become a major customer of the Spray Mills. Money problems caused B. F. Mebane to sell out to the large retail giant. They poured money into improvements and decided to build a new mill in Leaksville. The location chosen was between Washington Street and the river. By 1920 the mill was operating almost in the backyard of businesses along the south side of Washington Street. New development for housing for new mill employees brought a boom in construction and expansion of the town limits. The introduction of new looms to make high grade oriental carpets brought more workers and more prosperity. Schools were built for the larger population of children. A new hospital was built solidifying Leaksville in the lives of people of the areas around the city.
The Depression slowed growth but the town survived and then WWII caused disruptions in families as men enlisted and left to fight in distant places. Once the War ended Leaksville rebounded again. The mills in Leaksville, Spray, and the new town of Draper continued as the main employer. Almost one out of three people in the city worked in or for the Mills.
By the 1960s the three towns of Leaksville, Spray, and Draper meant the mills had to deal with three different groups to make desired changes. With the push of the mill management, in 1967 the three older towns became the new City of Eden.
~ Article provided by James 'Jimmy' Ivie, Eden Historical Museum Curator.
