A JOINT RESOLUTION honoring the 250th anniversary of rowan county and the memory of matthew rowan.

Whereas, Rowan County was established 250 years ago on April 12, 1753, through an act of the General Assembly of North Carolina; and
Whereas, Rowan County, named for Matthew Rowan, an acting governor, continues to act in the best interest of those who govern her, the people; and
Whereas, this county has played a significant role in the development of all of North Carolina and her people:
(1)	First serving as home to important Yadkin riverbank dwellings of Native Americans, including the Guatari, Catawba, and Sapona, host to explorers of the North American Continent, including Juan Pardo, John Lawson, and John Lederer.
(2)	Becoming the crossroads of the colonial era backcountry, where the Great Wagon Road met the Indian Trading Path, bringing a flood of German and Scots‑Irish immigrants to be neighbors.
(3)	Emerging as a gateway for the next westward movement into the new frontiers of Tennessee, Kentucky, and beyond.
(4)	Later developing into one of the most productive agricultural centers in North Carolina, being among the State's first adopters of what was called "scientific farming".
(5)	Later helping to build the industrial base of the State, providing a home to early textile mills, mining, quarrying, and a major railway repair facility.
(6)	More currently leading the way in the development of an impressive quality of life infrastructure, including historic preservation, county‑run recreation, farmland preservation, arts programs, greenway building, and public access to Internet technologies; and
Whereas, Rowan County, formed from Anson County and once able to claim the farthest west county seat of any government in the young nation, her western border left simply to be marked by the wanderlust and courage of her citizenry, has supplied and continues to supply leaders in public service, journalism, commerce, the arts, and education who, like their forebears, continue to press upon borders and seek new challenges, striving all the while to build a better place for themselves and their families; and
Whereas, it is appropriate that the citizens of this county, including her 10 incorporated municipalities, set aside April 12, 2003, to mark the milestone of the County's 250th birthday; and
Whereas, the citizens shall celebrate this event throughout 2003 with a parade, appearances by dignitaries and celebrities, military jet flyovers, and other events right and proper for the occasion, a celebration that should be enjoyed and supported by all citizens of this great State; Now, therefore,

Be it resolved by the House of Representatives, the Senate concurring:

SECTION 1.  The General Assembly honors the memory of Matthew Rowan, takes official notice of the good works of the citizens of Rowan County this past quarter of a millennium, and extends its appreciation for the role they have played in building and sustaining the Tar Heel State.
SECTION 2.  The General Assembly commends unto the citizens of North Carolina the opportunity to join the people of Rowan County in their memorial festivities and urges their participation.
SECTION 3.  The Secretary of State shall transmit a certified copy of this resolution to the Chair of the Rowan County Board of Commissioners.
SECTION 4.  This resolution is effective upon ratification.
In the General Assembly read three times and ratified this the 10th day of April, 2003.

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		 Marc Basnight
	 President Pro Tempore of the Senate

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		 James B. Black
	 Speaker of the House of Representatives