Copyright Notice: This content is from the North Carolina Gazetteer, edited by William S. Powell and Michael Hill. Copyright © 2010 by the University of North Carolina Press. Used by permission of the publisher. For personal use and not for further distribution. Please submit permission requests for other use directly to the publisher.

This content is from the North Carolina Gazetteer, edited by William S. Powell and Michael Hill. Copyright © 2010 by the University of North Carolina Press. Used by permission of the publisher. For personal use and not for further distribution. Please submit permission requests for other use directly to the publisher.

Some place names included in The North Carolina Gazetteer contain terms that are considered offensive.

Preface to the 2nd edition
Preface to the 1st edition
Acknowledgments

"The North Carolina Gazetteer is a geographical dictionary in which an attempt has been made to list all of the geographic features of the state in one alphabet. It is current, and it is historical as well. Many features and places that no longer exist are included; many towns and counties for which plans were made but which never materialized are also included. Some names appearing on old maps may have been imaginary, but many of them also appear in this gazetteer.

Each entry is located according to the county in which it is found. I have not felt obliged to keep entries uniform. The altitude of a place, the date of incorporation of a city or town, may appear in the beginning of one entry and at the end of another. Some entries may appear more complete than others. I have included whatever information I could find. If there is no comment on the origin or meaning of a name, it is because the information was not available. In some cases, however, resort to an unabridged dictionary may suggest the meaning of many names."

--From The North Carolina Gazetteer, 1st edition, preface by William S. Powell

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Place Description
Rowan Branch

rises in E Sampson County and flows E into Six Runs Creek.
Rowan County (ROW-an)

was formed in 1753 from Anson County. Located in the central section of the state, it is bounded by Davidson, Stanly, Cabarrus, Iredell, and Davie Counties. Named for Matthew Rowan (d. 1760), acting governor at the time the county was formed. Area: 527 sq. mi. County seat: Salisbury, with an elevation of 764 ft. Townships are Atwell, China Grove, Cleveland, Franklin, Gold Hill, Litaker, Locke, Morgan, Mount Ulla, Providence, Salisbury, Scotch Irish, Steele, and Unity. Produces corn, wheat, hay, nursery products, tomatoes, oats, cotton, poultry, dairy products, livestock, hogs, refrigeration equipment, bakery products, textiles, rubber products, chemicals, furniture, apparel, industrial machinery, millstones, trucking, taxidermy supplies, concrete products, and crushed stone.
Rowan Creek

rises in SE Bladen County and flows SE into Black River.
Rowan Mills

community on the SW outskirts of city of Salisbury, E central Rowan County.
Rowell

community in N Davidson County served by post office, 1895-96.
Rowland

town in W Robeson County. Alt. 150. Inc. 1889. Named for Col. Alfred Rowland II, a Confederate officer. Ashpole Presbyterian Church there organized 1796. See also Plainview.
Rowland Branch

rises in W Macon County and flows NW into Nantahala River.
Rowland Township

SW Robeson County.
Rowlin Creek

rises in NW Macon County and flows NE into Nantahala River.
Rowsypock

area W of present town of Kill Devil Hills, E of Little Colington Island in E Dare County.