The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1871-11-25
Cooperative Emigration--The Woodlawn Set
tement of Fairfax County, Va.
7b he Editor Qf De STATE Journal

sent needs of Virginia. AS practical ex-
ample Of the value of colonized emigration,
our own neighborhood furnishes an excel
lent lesson. You know what difficulties
we have encountered here, and how much
we lost and suffered by the war ; yet we
have kept together goodly number of en-
terprising and intelligent families, and hare
community quite as contented and pros
porous as any in the North. In spite Of
the dull times generally, we are receiving
| constant accessons to our neighborhood.
furnish herewith brief history of our
experiences.
About the year 1S45, myself and others
residing in New Jersey, having knowledge
| of the fact, that large tracts of land on and
near the Potomac, in Virginia, Of excellent
natural quality, well watered and timbered,
laying waste for want of population to cul-
tiyate it, opened correspondence with
some individuals in the State, to ascertain
if a sufficient amount Of land could be had
in one body to form settlement of indi-
yiduals alike in habits and sentiments. The
first communication was to the then editor
of the Richmond Wing, whose name was
Peasants. This letter was published in
his paper, which resulted in answers by the
ttOLCli, ldili III CNCiJ pdlt VI bilS
State, and volunteering aid and inducements
to cmigrate thither, (some Of the late poll
ttciaas seem to learn slowly, and to grow
wise backward since that day.. We also
wrote to Doctor Archer, with regard to
the health of the country, and to others upon
matters of interest, to all of which we re-
ceived satisfactory answers. In the latter
part of the winter Of 1876 we dispatched
two persons as explorers, with letters of in
PRODUCTION TO several OF our correspondents,
who examined pretty minutely the country
below Alexandra as far south as Fredericks-
burg, but decided upon and reported the
JEoodldaca Estate, a part of the original
Mount Vernon, and then owned by Lorenzo
Lewis, grand nephew of George Washing
ton. There were 1900 acres in the tract,
and not one white mhabitant living upon it,
onlya few slaves, who were chiefly MAIN
tained, it was said, from an estate in Clarke
county. A white overseer would OCCASION
ally visit them from neighboring farm,
with his gun, and to see what was going on.
In the latter part of March, same year,
1916, made my first visit to this place,
accompanied by one person; we We're so
much pleased with the property, its loca-
ton, timber, water-power, and other capa-
bilities for a permanent settlement, and
only about seven miles from Alexandra
to its nearest point, that we entered into
immediate negotiations for the purchase of
the estate, but did not succeed at that
time. Lewis then informed us that the
property would be offered at public sale in
the city Of Alexandria about the middle Of
May ensuing, (Which sale we attended, and
not one bid was made for it, although it
had been extensively advertised North and
South, it was then offered to us at
sl2 80 per acre, but declined. In the Mo-
vember following we again visited the pro-
perty, and made the purchase at $3.50
per acre, amounting to $4,000.
The next summer (of 1S47), which was
only few months afterward, we also pur-
chased the mill properly at the mouth Of
Accotink run at an additional cost of So
900. We built new saw mill there at an
expense of $4,000 more, fitted up the old
-four mill which we found there at cost of
$4,000, which, together with teams for haul
ing logs, farm teams and implements. build
ing houses for worlxmen, store-houses,
smith-shop, ,wheclwright shop, &C., amount
ed in the aggregate to 100000 by the time
we were fully in operation. AT that time,
and within sight of the capitol at Washing
ton, deer and wild turkeys inhabited the
premises. | have seen them feeding in the
day time upon our winter grain. | have
already said that at the time of the pur-
chase of this property not one white person
lived upon it. Now there are between
thirty and forty families of white people,
besides the colored ones, which exceed what
were there when we bought it.
But the most important thing to the
State Of Fagiaid, in connection with this
matter, beside the scattering of this sixty
thousand dollars in it, and the annual ex-
expenditure of from seven to ten thousand
dollars beside, is the increased amount paid
IN tdges. Our first tao bill for the whole
property, including the Accotink mills,
was M1fy-sir dollars; it has been gradu-
ally increasing every year since, and the
present year it has arrived to the handsome
sum of between ttceice and Thirteen HUN
DRIED dollars. In addition to our two
first purchases of Woodlawn and Acco-
tinck, there has been added, in solid body,
by others, at least ten thousand acres
more, all of whom pay additional tax n
proportion to the above. All this is ex-
elusive of the thousands of acres and hum
dreds of houses built and in possession of
the same class of people around Falls
Church, Vienna, Clifton, Herndon, and
other places in the same county-all tax
payers, too. And most, if not all of these,
have mmigrated here since the purchase Of
Woodlawn and Accotink in 1867.
Some of the Woodlawn property has
since been sold for 800 per acre, without
any buildings OF other improvements, ex-
cept fences and good cultivation. The same
price per acre has been ofaed and refused,
/ for other portions in considerable quantity
also without improvements, (and not as
town lots). Around Accotink, land has
sold at much higher rate for building pur-
poses. Such grand results as above de-
scribed can only be achieved by industry
economy and enterprise. And | appeal tc
the good sense of the rational, thinking, in
tellgent citizens of Virginia, who have
the welfare and best interest of the STATE
at heart, if such immigration is not emf
nently desirable at this time and to b.
encouraged by all possible means.
Our experience shows what emigran
colonies will accomplish for Virginia, i
composed of Northern men with capita
and enterprise. BY mutual support ant
neighborly cooperation, we were enabled
to maintain our footing, increase in mum
bers and substance. Thousands of set.
tiers who came in with equal advantages il
all other respects, but who settled promis
cuously over the State, have become dis