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Native Americans lived along the Yadkin River and crossed at the Trading Ford thousands of years ago. The importance of this major river crossing continues to this day. In 2003 Rowan county celebrated the 250th anniversary of its founding old Rowan initially included most of western North Carolina and extended to the Mississippi River. This was a fitting time to begin the preservation of the historic Trading Ford area which today stretches along both sides of the Yadkin River in Rowan and Davidson counties.