By traveling up the north side of the Potomac River, which was easier because of the mountainous terrain on the south side, the party missed the stream which gives the town its name. On the return trip, however, the explorers discovered the stream and subsequently placed it on the map as a ``new creek.'' Together with Professor Alexander Irvin, Mayo was also responsible for setting the boundary between Virginia and North Carolina. One of the rivers intersecting the line was named the Mayo River in his honor.
Alexander Irvin
Mayo