One of Rockingham County’s first economic development engines wasn’t a highway or a rail line—it was the Dan River. Long before modern transportation, the Dan served as a vital route for moving local goods through the county’s batteau landing system—helping early industries grow and connecting Rockingham County to broader markets. You can still see that history today at the Planters Road Dan River Access, where remnants of one of the county’s oldest batteaus remain. That same spirit of connectiv