The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1877-11-16
Origin of the Names of Towns.
HAvRE DE GRACE, NOV. sth, 1877


To the Editor Of The Agis:
SIR: One ofyour correspondents inquiries
as to the origin of the names possessed by
this and neighboring towns. The inquiry
| is all interesting one, and have weekly
| opened your paper in the hope and expec-
tation of finding an answer to it. Dsap-
| pointed thus far, venture to give YOU
what little information possess upon the
subject.
Hare de Grace.-Previous to the Revo.
luton, and up to 1775 at least, this town
was known as Susquehanna Lower Ferry"
| Before 1880 it mad become Havre de Grace,
| but 10y whom or why so christened, are
questions that seem to be incapable of sat
| isfactory solution. One tradition is that
| Gen. Lafayette so named it, when he stop
ped here in 1777. Another, and think
| the correct theory, is that it was named
| by an old Frenchman who lived here in
| those days, and who fancied he traced
some resemblance between its location and
| that of his native home, Havre de Grace in
| France. This old Frenchman lived here
| many years before the Revolution, and was
on intimate terms with the Indians, by
| whom this section was largely populated.
The chief of the powerful "Susquehan-
nocks" lived in the lower part of the town,
and here was gathered that formidable force
| of Indians composed of "braves' of the
| "Susquehannocks,, and many tributary
tribes of the "Leni Lenapes, (which stated
hence tosdrive the white people from South
en Maryland. They were badly whipped
near providence" now Annapolis) and
rapidly dwindled away. The old French
man above spoken of according to tradi-
ton, met Lafayette here, and that officer
confirmed the name given to the settle
ment, by dating dispatches from "Havre de
Grace" and took his aged countryman
away with him, as member of his suite
The name of the town, it win be seen, is
almost as old as the name of Hartford as
territorial division of our State, the county
not having been organized until 1773.-
There are still two or three houses stand
ing here that were built when the territory
was part of Baltimore county Of course
Washington stopped here, as he seems to
have done in every well-regulated village
in the then United Colonies. ANY one so
disposed can now take drink of "lager"
in the very room in which he sat during
the days that "tried mems souls" The
building is in the extreme upper end
of the town.
| Bel Ar.-The name of this famous town,
where lawyers "most do congregate," may
be traced etymologically. 1t probably
simply means "FaiT Air" from the French
word "Belle''-,tair or beautifM Why it
was so called is very apparent, but by
whom or when first named | do not know.
Lapidum.-Here again etymology helps
us, and tells us that Lapidum means the
| g ,to tl,o IL, Ia,
a stone. 1t was so named, | believe, by
Mr.. Heath, now ofthis town, when in bus
mess there some years ago. Previous to
that it was known as BELLS Ferry" and
back of that as "Smith's Ferry" and Ceres
wells Ferry" though the latter name, per-
haps, more properly belongs to Port De-
post. The local and very appropriate
name of Lapidum is Rock Town"
Aberdeen was first so called by Mr.. Wins
low, who built the first house, now occupied
by Mr.. John James, in the village. Mr.
Winslow was native of Aberdeen, Scot
land.
Port Deposit doubtless takes its name
from its location. The Susquehanna may
be called the most singular river of the
world. 1t is nearly 500 miles long, and
drains an immense region of land in three
| states, anu yet is naVlRdDle, LOT eVel sllall
sailing vessels, to a distance of only five
miles from its mouth. AS is well known,
it passes through the great lumber section
of Pennsylvania, and the immense quaint
ty of lumber now sawed in the great mills
at Williamsport, and at other mills along
Clearfeld and Lycoming creeks, sufficient
ly attests the Importance of this industry.
Before railroads and canals were construct
ed, very little lumber was sawed in the re-
gion where it grew. Instead, RATS were
made of the rough logs, and these were
floated down the Susquehanna until deposit.
ed at the head of tide, then called Creswel's
Ferry. There these small RATS were made
into larger ones and towed away. This
head of tide water was also the Port of De
posit for vast quantities of goods intended
, for distribution through Pennsylvania, and
hence its name. During the war of 1915
} fort was erected at the Ferry, (now Por
Deposit,) and when Cockburn's forces, af.
} ter burning Havre de Grace in 1914, passed
up the river to the Stafford Touring mills
: they studiously avoided the Cecil side
: doubtless on account of the aforesaid fort