Larry Morgan, who has lived in Rowan County all his life, says he was 12 years old when the county celebrated its bicentennial in 1953. He remembers his dad’s growing a beard. He also kept one bicentennial wooden nickel these past 60 years. ‘I suppose they (his parents) gave it to me,” says Morgan, who brought his wooden nickel to the Post recently. ‘I don’t really recall how I got it, but I kept it all these years.’ Above, in the two different photographs, you can see the front and back of the 1953 wooden nickel, which could be redeemed by any merchant in Rowan County, if you didn’t want to keep it as a souvenir. Morgan says he plans to give his wooden nickel to his 14-year-old grandson in hopes he will be around for Rowan County’s 300th birthday in 2053. ‘I thought it was right interesting,’ said Morgan, a retired employee of Isenhour Brick.