Rev. War info in NC

Thanks for this forum, Zeke, I live in troutman,nc. Iredell county. I am currently doing research for the rev. war in this area. Would like to compare notes or maybe go on a relic hunt.
 

Hello fella's..the rev. war is my passion. I live in Montgomery co. (troy) and have a site narrowed down to a 4 or 5 mile area. It will be a good one if I get the time to put the foot work in. (alot of walking/alot of hills) e-mail me if you are interested in a joint outing. [email protected]
 

Hello, I have access to numerous maps of that era for the United States and Canada.? I live in Durham county and would be interested in sharing these maps with you all if interested. I also have Railroad, Topographic and battlefield maps of North Carolina during the Civil War era (Over 110 of them).
 

I live in Greensboro, a few miles from Guilford Courthouse National Park (or Monument?), one of the important battles near the end of the war. Have a map a local historian did showing the movement of Conrnwallis troops and the Americans around the county, and the battlefield. Fortunately (or unfortunately, the park (no detecting!)occupies only a portion of the actual battlefield. My neighbors who grew up here had found cannonballs in the area as kids. In the 1890's the city decided to build a recreation park next to the battlefield, and actually dug several swimming lakes in the battle area outside the park.
fyi for civil war buffs - Jeff Davis fled Richmond to Greensboro, with the Confed Treasury on his train, and spent a number of days here. They left here by wagon to flee to Charlotte, and there is much legend as to where the gold went.
Am new to detecting, mostly interested in history. Lot's here, both Revolutionary & Civil War.
jim? ?
 

I would love to hook up with one of you guys to do some relic hunting. I've been itching to get on a battlefield site.....thats not protected by the historians.

I found a link in the Lexington Dispatch newspaper site that talks of Civil and Revolutionary battlefield sites along the Yadkin River. A man is wanting to build a road race course and a woman is fighting against it. Might be a site that we're able to get on to hunt. http://www.the-dispatch.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2005506180328&source=email
 

Its a register to read site ...... so heres the article if you dont want to register.
The article also mentions a Spanish Fort being located in the area. Hmmmm.......maybe some Spanish gold is there waiting to be dug.


Road race course is subject of hearing

By WILLIAM KEESLER
The Dispatch


SPENCER | Development is colliding with history again at the Trading Ford of the Yadkin River.

Entrepreneurs will take their request for a conditional-use permit for a two-mile road-racing course near the closed North Carolina Finishing Co. plant Monday night to the Rowan County Board of Commissioners.

David Risdon, a Boston investment banker who owns the former factory, said his proposed High Rock International Raceway could attract 500,000 to 600,000 visitors a year and inject $100 million into the economies of Rowan and Davidson counties.

But a preservationist contends the project would destroy part of a Civil War battlefield, undermine efforts to preserve other historic sites in the Trading Ford area and dash hopes of ever creating a major regional tourism attraction there.

"To lose it now would be an unbelievable travesty," said Salisbury resident Ann Brownlee, founder and president of the Trading Ford Historic District Preservation Association. "You can put a racetrack anywhere. Civil War battlefields don't grow on trees."

Risdon, who bought the finishing plant in 2000 after Color-Tex shut it down, and Frank McGuire, a former Connecticut policeman who headed security at the plant, are partners in North Carolina Warehouse LLC.

They want to put a 2.2- to 2.3-mile road-course track on a 130-acre parcel across Highway 29-70 from the factory building as well as a race team performance center, guest cottages, a restaurant and an RV campground on the 60-acre factory site. They recently sold three acres of the factory site to Rowan County-based Aurora Motorsports, which plans to open a 5,200-square-foot race shop and showroom there, Risdon said.

He said he is also talking with other motorsports businesses who are considering opening similar facilities but who want to see whether the road course gets a permit. Because the soil and ground water at the site is contaminated with a long list of hazardous solvents and metals, he also needs a brownfields agreement with the state to develop the property.

Risdon originally also proposed a country club-like facility with chalets for sports car owners. He since has backed away from that idea, he said, because country club members would have to compete with out-of-town car clubs on weekends for use of the track. Also, the site's industrial zoning would not allow residential use. However, the track may sell memberships to owners wanting to race their cars on Tuesday and Thursday nights, Risdon said.

The Trading Ford, a four-mile stretch of the Yadkin River between Rowan and Davidson counties, has been the location of a prehistoric Native American village, colonial trading paths, fords, ferries, bridges, Revolutionary and Civil War battlefields and possibly a Spanish fort, among other things. In April 1865, an estimated 1,000 to 1,200 Confederates on York Hill on the Davidson County side of the river repulsed an attack by Union troops under Gen. George Stoneman on the Rowan side.

For several years, Brownlee has led an effort to protect the historic sites from a massive Interstate 85 road-widening and bridge-construction project, which has now been delayed. She also objects to a newly proposed expansion of Duke Power's Buck Steam Station, which she said would destroy the major ford that gives the area its name, as well as one of two Revolutionary War sites.

In 2003 the Davidson County and Rowan County boards of commissioners both passed resolutions asking that the interstate project be built in a way that would leave the area eligible for protection by the National Register of Historic Places. The National Register is now reviewing the area.

When Risdon was deciding what to do with the finishing plant site, he gave only brief thought to developing the Trading Ford entirely as an area for historical tourism. "I've never felt that was commercially feasible," he said. "We thought about it, but we didn't go very far down that road."

There is potential, however, to preserve some historical aspects of the area in conjunction with the race course, Risdon said. He has met with Brownlee and has offered to provide land for a museum and to allow public access to the first bridge across the river, the 1818 Beard Bridge, if it were rebuilt.

"I think that this is an excellent opportunity to emphasize the history of the area, and we're willing to do that," Risdon said.

In early April, Brownlee indicated a willingness to keep talking with Risdon, but after learning more about the project, she said she now wants the Rowan commissioners to deny the conditional-use permit. She fears the road course will so damage the land that National Register eligibility will be denied, and it will become easier for the I-85 and Bucks Steam Station projects to proceed.

"It greatly diminishes the potential of what we can do," Brownlee said.

Monday's hearing is expected to begin about 7:30 p.m. at the county building at 130 W. Innes St., Salisbury. Risdon said he expects a large crowd of car enthusiasts to attend.
 

If the decision turns badly for the preservationists, perhaps they would let a group metal detect the area before it's bulldozed? It's a bit of a drive from Greensboro, but I'd be interested. The old bridge area intrigues me - may imply an older ferry before the bridge in same area. Also - has the Spanish Fort been found, or is it just a "known to be in the area".
There was also Revolutionary War activity along the Yadkin River when Cornwallis was chasing Gen Greene towards Guildford Couthouse. The book "Road to Guildford Courthouse" has several pages on it. This book is a good history of North & South Carolina history in Rev War during Cornwallis's campaign. If someone comes up with permission to hunt, I'd love to drive down there. I'm quite new at this, having done some public park hunting, and beach hunting.
 

As being a history nut... I like to study the American Civil War and in recent years the American Revolution... I'd like to be updated on any developments you guys have on hunts...
 

jefferson davis was in greensboro, and so was a treasure train, but, it is not the same train, and they were not there at the same time....davis's train held a certain small amount of treasure, but most of this can be proven to have been disbursed to various people... in regards to this subject you will have to keep everything seperate regarding treasury treasure, davis's train treasure, and virginia bank fund treasure.{alot of this also can be proven to have been disbursed}.... otherwise your research will be a waste of a big part of your life............gldhntr.
 

Zeke, whatever happened to Ann Brownlee? I saw the "Hysterical" post, but I was wondering, did you get to hunt the racetrack? How about an update? 8)
 

Zeke and other NC hunters you might do a search on MooresCreek Battle.The park is off limits for hunting,but the redcoats had to get there from somewhere.Just a thought!
 

omnicognic said:
Zeke, whatever happened to Ann Brownlee? I saw the "Hysterical" post, but I was wondering, did you get to hunt the racetrack? How about an update? 8)

Oh Man......Shes been on the ball lately. She managed to get the widening project of Interstate 85 suspended until who knows when. She had submitted alot of areas to be put on the Historical Societys protection list. Some got passed and others didnt.

I'll dig up the latest article and post it. Still havent got over there to detect any.......but since seeing the areas that didnt get put on the list.........it might be feasible now.
 

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