Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1878-05-18
The Annals of ofAIexandria-1thS Series

vertlsors
The Annals ofAIexandria-1th Series
BY wM. F. cARNE.
Chapter 1.-The Upper Potomac Plantation,
Grow to be Fairfax county.
Others chapters have traced the progress OF
settlements upon the river side, and have nar.
rated the establishment of public tobacco
warehouse ''at the first branch above Hunting
Greek. These which succeed will describe
the development Of the community which gath
cred around it,
1t has been mentioned that tho progress Of
settlements up the river side may be traced;
first, by patents which prccede settlements;
ment became safe from Indian incursions third,
by outlaying plantations worked by squads OF
laborers under an overseor during the tobacco
planting season until the gathering of the crop.
when tho oycrseer aud bis men abandoned the
cleared lands above and spent the winter in tie
settlements below, end fourth, by public tobacco
warehouses Tor storing the crops All these
methods had in 1879 succeeded each other 10
the region where Alexandria now stands
There was, however, another mark Of the pro-
gress of population which fingered far in the
rear of all the others, and which may be held
as an indication that the settlements had be-
came permanent, and that the mere planting
being over the time had oome Of culture and
growth. This was the extension Of parish Inn
| it's. A colonial parish had its religious side.
but its civil functions Wero also considerable.
The church in Virginia was part Of the State.
Indeed it would have been hard to lind thu
| limit whoro the State ended and the churol
beguu.
This evidence OF progress was shown 10 li'i1
when by an aot Of the General Assembly the
parish Of Hamilton was cut oft from OVerwar
ton and made to ioclude the Potomac side aboye
Chapawauso Creek. Another step 10 the same
direction was made when in 1882 Truro parish
was cut of from Hamilton and established
above OoOCquan river and Bull Run with &
church Of pohick. OI this parish the Howscp.
| land formed portion. Another evidence that
| the neighborhood had in l740 lost all the char.
actcr Of frontier is the establishment Of a to-
bacco warehouse twenty miles above at the falls
of the Potomac
Around the Hunting Greek tobacco ware.
house on the hill above Point West (Fisbtownl
thcro had gathered az carly as l735 sparse
population, but the movement ci men up the
river side was now constantly increasing tide.
1t had already pushed through the Blue Ridge
mountains and had begun to possess the lands
of the great Valley, on which the knights oil
the Golden Horseshoe under Spotswood had
| the quarter Of century before cast longing
| but transient glance. Every extension into tho
Indian country above accelerated the movement
below, and all this built up the Hunting Creek
| neighborhood. Then, too the warehouse was on
the road from Philadelphia south via Aunapo
| lis, which crossed tho ferry from Frazler's
(Shephcrd' 81 to the warehouse, and the Colo.
nial mail passed over that route as often as oGce
| mouth. The rivershore from Pearson's Is
land (DaiogerfcId's s. to Pipcrs Island, 81 ones
Pont,) was wei! cultivated, and clear OF forest
| fer half mile back.
| The three families on whom tho future cf
| this portion of Potomac side rested lad already
| large possessions in this ncigbborhood. Lord
| Fairfax was patcntec, i'll virtue OF bis kinshp
| to Lord Cupepcr of all the unpatented land
between the Potomac and Rappabannock. The
Alexaudc1's still owned the Howson patent
land, ard Augustine Washng!ou'S estate
of 1900 acres. Oh Little Hunting Greek,
lay waiting the occupancy Of tho comts
King of Meo These lands had all grown va
liable, and their owners were prepaIloe to
make the best use of them. Lord Fairfax.
his cousin, VIM. Fairfax and was DOW (l739)
at the pIaolation in Westmoreand, consulilcg
with his knsman as to tho survey ot bis vast
estate. The Alexanders were busy in legal
proceedings designed to make partition among
| them Of their HoW5en land, and surveys OF the
| Washington tract, after wards to be called Dat.
! Vernon, had already been made. The interests
/ of the proprietors already named, and OF the
| Broadwaters, ElIzsys, Dades, Brents, Paynes,
| Pearsous and other families, secured the es.
abishment Of the county of Fairfax, which
wes cut off above Prince William. The act
which organized the new county was passed in
the summer of l742, and is as follows:
"For the creator ease and conyonence OF tho
| inhabitants Of the county Of Prince William, III
attending eoprs and otDeT puoGG asr
The first day of December now next ensuing;
| the said county Of Prince William be divided
in two counties: That is to say, that all part
thereof lying on the south side of Occoqusn,
Thoroug gh.fare Of the Blue Ridge Of mountains,
known by the nsme Of Ashby's Gap, or Bent,
shall be one distinct county, and retain the name
of Prince William county: And be one dlstnc!
parish, and retain the name of Hamilton parlsn.
And all that other part thereof consisting ot the
parish of Truro, shall be ono di tinct county.
and called and known by tho name Of Fairfax
county And that, for the due administration
of Justice, after the said first dsy of December.
court for the asid county Of Prince William,
be constantly held, by the justices thereof, upon
the fourth Monday: And court Tor the ssld
county Of Fairfax, be constantly held, by the
Justices of that county, upon the third Thurs-
day in every month, IN such manner, ss BY the
laws of this colony is provided, and shall be by
their commissions directed.
Thus the site of Alexandria, having been,, III
turn, q portion Of all tho riverside COUNTIES De-
low came to be portion of Fairfax, from which
it should never have been divided. Possessing
a common origin, the work of The same hands,
with half century of glorious memories, the
town vas reft away from the county and State
10 1901, and shen it camo rejoicing back IN
1916, it should have gone as we'll to Fairfax
, county as to the State Of Virginia.
I paRis GREEN, FOR POTATO BUGS