Dear old and new friends of Old Rowan, The Trading Ford area of the Yadkin River, between Salisbury and Lexington, NC, is one of the most important historic areas in Piedmont North Carolina. It was the place where Native-Americans lived and crossed the Yadkin River thousands of years ago. It was the place where early explorers and settlers entered the old Rowan county area in the 17th and 18th centuries. It was the place where General Nathanael Greene’s army escaped the British in February, 1781, during the Revolutionary War. It was the scene of the last Confederate victory in North Carolina in the Civil War. Many of its historic sites are being needlessly threatened by a proposed I-85 widening project (TIP I-2304-A). We believe careful planning can accommodate widening I-85 while minimizing damage to these irreplaceable historic sites. There are reasonable and cost-effective alternatives! Please help by signing an online petition: http://www.PetitionOnline.com/tradford/petition.html (Please sign even if you previously sent an email to NCDOT.) This project is federally funded, so all of us have a stake in it! History is in our hands! Ann Brownlee www.tradingford.com * * * PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD! * * * ________________________________________________________________ Sent via the WebMail system at mail.webkorner.com