Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1850-09-25
MARYLAND TOWNS.

MARYLAND TOWNS.
The building Of towns and cities was a
favorle project in early Maryland. A mum
Der were made by acts of Assembly, though
few Of them ever grew to any Importance
In 1929, Baltimore, The grea, emporium "l
the State, was laid ou. on the lands OF Charles
Carroll, in sixty lots, by commissioners ap-
pointed by the legislature; and in 1872, 1t
was increased by an addition Of ten acres,
east of the falls, on the lands of Edward
Fell, whence the name Of FelI's Point, still
retained by that portion Of the city. The
advantages which il possessed in CONNER
cIal point of view, soon began to draw po-
pula,lon and fix enterprise: aud while the
countless other towns erected by the legis
lature, covering almost the entire bay and
rivers shores, either remained unsettled or
soon died away, it grew and hourlshed.-
For time, the town at Eikridge landing
commended with it for the commerce Of the
northern part Of the colony, and was great
tobacco mart: but the superior advantages
Of Baltimore soon enabled it to surpass It's
rival. In the meanwhile, Annapolis had
continued 10 increase, aud being the seat Of
a rich and arisIocratic government, drew a.
round i. the wealth and fashion of the pro-
vince. There, the elegant arts found pat
ronage, and literature began to spring up
AS testimony of its advancement, it could
boast in 1745 Of the earliest, and long the
only newspaper printed in the colony. The
first number Of the maryland Gazelle,' for
that was its name, was issued on the 9Th
Of January, l742, by Jonas Green, who had
been appointed printer TO the province in
l74O. This ancient paper continued to be
published by The descendants of It's founder
until 1880, in which year i. was at length
discontinued. A printing press, however,
had been established in the colony as early
as l726, for the purpose of printing the laws
and public documents, which, prior to that
date, had been done at Philadelphia, by
William Bradford. The wealth Of Annapo-
lis is still evidenced by many Of It's vener-
able dwellings, bearing the mark of age up
on them, yet displaying in their elaborate
decorations the taste and resources of their
original owners. She was in truth, "the
Athens of America"
After Baltimore, Of the new towns, the
most important for its subsequent growth,
was Frederick the county town Of Fredc-
rick coun,y-siluated in the rich and fertile
valley, watered by the Monocacy river. II
was laid ou.si,, G,,.4s,..Lsr, lz15, by Patrick
Duany-its streets were IiiteTfucu
due north and east, but from the clumsiness
of the wooden instrument used in the sur
vey, The object was not accomplished. In
174S, on the formation of the new county
Of Frederick, il was made the county town,
and from lha, time continued to increase in
wealth, population and influence. II is now
the second city in Maryland. Another i'm
portant town was given to the State by Frede-
rick county, though i! has again been lost
to her. Whether it will seek 10 return to
the protection Of the mother that gave il
birth aud fostered it, remains yet to be seen.
Georgetown, now in the District of Colum-
bia, ceded to the United States by Maryland,
was laid out under an act Of assembly, pass
ed in 1851, in eighty lots, comprising sixty
acres of land. An inspection house for to-
bacco already existed there, and the new
town a, the head of navigation on the Po-
lomac, possessed advantages which soon
gave it strength and i(e.-.Mc Sherry's His
tory Of maryland.