The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1877-12-29

MADE thirteen more, ana enacted that four
of those that were then in existence should
cease to be towns or be unt0ooned, as they
express it. Those places that were I'M
towned were no doubt badly located and
probably were unsuitable for the purpose
for which they were designed, and proba-
bly, the legislators of that day thought if
they thinned them out, those that were
left would flourish with more vigor.
There were many other attempts made
by the early settlers to establish towns
where the wants of the public and the de-
mands of commerce did not require them,
and as natural consequence they, like
most other misdirected enterprises, resulted
in failure and disappointment. The found
ers of our State, like some persons in the
Western States, who have failed to profit
by the experience of those who have pre-
coded them, seemed to think they could
have town just where they pleased, and
that the magic charm of legislative enact
ments, like the wonderful Lamp of Aladdin,
could call them into existence. Our ances-
tors were long time learning that it re-
quired something more than this to make
towns. Many years afterwards, when most
of these towns that only existed on paper
were forgotten, we find that similar efforts
were made with similar results.
1t appears to have been a favorite project
of the early settlers OF Cecil county to
trr 70 no
man refers to the project in his journal
from which we have quoted) many years
before, in such a manner as to lead us to
believe that it was first started by the first
Lord Baltimore. Vincent, in his admira-
BILE history of Delaware, states that Her.
man tried to found a town at Town Point,
which is at the junction of the Elk and
Bohemia rivers; but with all Difference to
him and respect for his Judgment, we think
the town that Herman speaks of as the one
he was trying to induce the settlers upon
his manor to build, was on or near the head
of Bohemia river and not at its mouth.
There was probably few warehouses at
one time at Town Point, which were digni-
fed by the name of town, but it is proba-
BILE that the place was never of much i'm
portance, for we find that an attempt was
made to revive the projected town in 1880,
by an act of Assembly of that year.
While rumnging among the dilapidated
old books, containing the county records,
We found the original record of the pro-
ceedngs of the commissioners who laid out
this town that was never built, and were
forcibly reminded of the couplet of Whit
tier:
"Of all sad words, of tongue or pen,
The saddest are THESE it might have been"
But we will refrain from moraliZing upon
the subject; suffice it to say that the town
never was built, probably because there
was no need for it. The record in the old
book is written in good hand and begins
as follows: cat session of Assembly
began and held at Annapolis, on Thursday,
the 2lst day of May, in the 10th year of
the dominion of the right Honorable
Charles, Lord Baron of Baltimore, absolute
Lord and Proprietary of the provinces of
Maryland and Avelon, A. D., 1870, among
other laws, was enacted, viz: An act for
the laying out of land and erecting town
at place called Broxen's Point, in Cecil
county.
August 9th, 1870. At meeting of the
commissioners empowered by the said act
for laying out a town on Broxen's Point,
in Cecil county, and on the south side of
Bohemia liver, were present, Col. Eph.
Aug. Herman, Col. Benjamin Pearce, Mr..
Thos. Colvill, Mr.. Stephen Knight, Mr..
Nichls. Rdgely, Mr.. Joshua George, Mr..
Alphonso Cosden, Commissioners.
And the Commissioners do order that the
Clerk of the said county set up notes at
the said Brokers Point, John Segars, at
the Church of this Parish and at Col. Ben
jamin Pearce's Mill, siguifying to all per-
sons whom it may relate to, that the said
Commissioners will proceed according to
the direction of an act of assembly for lay
ing out the said town. Notes set up &C
cording to said direction. Then the
said Commissioners adjourn until the It'll
of September, 1880, at which time they
met again and the Sheriff of said county
being present makes return of warrant
directed to him to summon jury
The warrant recites the fact that the
commissioners were unable to agree upon
the price of the land and that agreeable to
Of ha in hat
was to be summoned for the purpose of
valuing the land. A majority of the COM
missioners were of the number of those
who afterwards took up lots in the town,
their inability to agree upon the price of
the land we do not know: at this age of the
world it would probably have much to do
with the matter.
The Sheriff"s name was John Baldwin,
and the warrant for the summoning of the
jury is dated the Gath of August. From
this it would seem that they had a meeting
upon that day, but there is no record made
of it. The following were the names of
the jurors: Nathan Hynson, John Copper,
John Neasey, John Price, Philip Barrel,
Isaac Caulk, John Pennington, George
Childs, Daniel Benson, John Roberts and
John Bateman. who were said in the war
rant "to be of the most substantial free
holders of the county" This jury assess
ed the value of the twenty acres of land at
e47 los. current money of Maryland, which
was So IS. Cd. per acre.
The commissioners met again on the 10th
and 18th days of September and they and
William Rumsey, the Deputy Surveyor of
the county, completed the laying out of
the town. Then follows the Surveyors
certificate, from which we learn that the
streets were sixty feet wide and that the
principal one of them was called Baltimore
street. A stream of water called Omealy
Creek is mentioned in the Surveyors GER
tificate, but where it as, or by what name
it is called now, we have been unable to
learn. There is reason, however, to believe
that the creek then called Omealy Creek is