I'm in Minnesota but have forwarded this to some relatives in NC. They're relative newcomers to the state but hope they may help spread the word. Lois Willand ---------- >From: Ann Brownlee <girlywhig@webkorner.com> >To: NCROWAN-L@rootsweb.com >Subject: [NCRowan] Rowan/Davidson Historic Sites Threatened >Date: Sat, Mar 8, 2003, 8:53 AM > > Dear Friends, > > I'm sorry to report that all our efforts so far have gotten us nowhere. > :( > > To recap, there are a number of historic sites in the Trading Ford area > of the Yadkin River, shared by Rowan and Davidson counties. Together, > they comprise the most important historic area in this part of the > state. They include the roads, fords, and ferries over which our > ancestors travelled, Revolutionary War sites, and a Civil War > battlefield (Fort York/York Hill/Camp Yadkin). > > The proposed I-85 expansion project threatens four of them (the Trading > Path, the Yadkin Ford ferry and approach roads, the Trading Ford > Monument, and a 1.8 mile segment through the Civil War battlefield). > Two federal laws mandate the NC Department of Transporation to recognize > and minimize its impact on historic sites. NCDOT persists in not doing > either. > > Last spring, many of you sent emails in response to Dan Patterson's > appeal, asking NCDOT for a public meeting on this matter. In April > NCDOT promised us this meeting, then never did anything more about it. > > Many of you sent emails to NCDOT and NC's Historic Preservation Office > (HPO) advocating the recognition of these historic sites in > transportation planning. While HPO now recognizes the historic > importance of this area, they have done nothing to protect the > threatened sites. > > The following case study will give you an idea of how these matters have > been handled. This is *one* feature of the Civil War battlefield, the > only thing we've had any success at all in getting recognized, an > earthen military fortification (somewhat of a historic ancestor to a > foxhole). > > On March 6, 2002, an expert from the National Park Service examined and > authenticated this earthwork. It was brought to the attention of, and > shown to, the NCDOT representative on March 27, 2002. He took a photo > of it. On December 16, 2002, a second expert also examined and > authenticated the earthwork. He notified the state that it required > their attention. NCDOT agreed to re-evaluate it. If this re-evaluation > has been done, the results have not been made known. In January, 2003, > a crew doing preliminary testing (NCDOT doesn't even own the land yet) > ran over it with two trucks. On February 2, 2003, emails were sent to a > number of officials notifying them of this damage. No responses to > those emails were received. A little over three weeks later, a return > visit found one of the NCDOT trucks parked *on* the earthwork. More > emails were sent to a number of officials. We've now heard that NCDOT > is investigating it. > > We should all be appalled at this demonstration of NCDOT's disregard for > our heritage! > > It's time to get organized. A meeting announcement follows. Please > come, and spread the word to any groups and individuals you know who are > interested in our history. > > -------------------------------------- > > TO ALL INTERESTED IN ROWAN AND DAVIDSON COUNTY HISTORY > > * PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD * > > Announcing the first ever meeting of the > > > TRADING FORD AREA HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMITTEE > > > > > Geographically including a four-mile area along the Yadkin River near > I-85 > > Historically including: > > - The Trading Path and Trading Ford > - The Yadkin Ford and Ferry (also known as John Long's Ferry, Cowan's > Ferry, Hedrick's Ferry > - Greene's Crossing at the Trading Ford, Revolutionary War, February > 2-4, 1781 > - 1818 Beard Bridge (also known as Locke's Bridge) > - Camp Yadkin Battlefield (also known as Fort York, York Hill), Civil > War, April 12, 1865 > > Wednesday, March 26, 2003 > 7:00 p.m. > > Rowan Public Library > Stanback Auditorium > 201 West Fisher Street > Salisbury, NC > > (This event is not sponsored by Rowan Public Library) > > This is an initial meeting with the purpose of establishing an > on-going preservation effort. Initial focus will be on threats posed > by the I-85 improvement project. > > Future meetings will rotate between Rowan and Davidson counties. > > For further information, or to be placed on the mailing list if you > can not attend, please contact: Ann Brownlee, 400 Lantz Avenue, > Salisbury, NC 28144, 704-633-3125, whigkid@webkorner.com > > Save the Trading Ford: > http://home.webkorner.com/whigkid/tradingford/save.html > > * PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD * > > A printable version of this meeting announcement is found here: > > http://home.webkorner.com/whigkid/tradingford/meeting.html > > > ============================== > To join Ancestry.com and access our 1.2 billion online genealogy records, go to: > http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=571&sourceid=1237 >