The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1879-10-04

| W titiCll'i NOulh 10 tbiDi were III the
habit of going there in boats. Few settle
ments had been made at the time we speak
of, except those along the navigable streams
| Now tie whole county was settled, and
public opinion demanded 4 more central
| location for the seat of justice, ono that
could be reached without crossing ferries
| which expensive to maintain and
| which it seemed impossible to discontinue
| while they were needed in order to afford
the people the proper facilities for attending
| court.
Probably owing to the difficulty of oh
| tanning the means, on account of the scar
Getty Of money caused by the depression of
business during the Revolutionary War,
and probably because there were many
| persons favorable to the removal of the Seat
of Justice 10 the Head of Elk, no public
buildings except the Jail, had been erected
at Charlestown. The Head OF Elk at this
time was II place of some Importance, and
as we have stated in another chapter, had
considerable trade, in flour with Philadcl
phia. In 1875, line OF "stase boats as
they were then called, had been established
bstwesn that city and Chr.tiana Bridge,
and it is believed that Il similar line was
established from Elk Landing to Baltimore.
Levi Hollingsworth, the sen of Zrbuion
| fIollinssworth h, and brother of Henry and
Jacob liollingsworth, both of whom took
All active interest in the affairs Of the town,
was largely interested in this enterprise.
He had been engaged in the flour trade from
Christiana to Philadelphia, when he was
only eighteen years of age, and had served
his cosntry with much distinction in the
Revolutionary War rs captain of "Thc
First City Troop" of Philadelphia, in the
battles of Trenton and Princeton. The
l1ollingtworth brothers were very infuen-
tial, and there is no doubt that it was mainly
through their fundamentally that the
removal Of tho Seat of Justice was effected.
The removal of tine Seat OF Justice from
Charle,town was violently opposed by its
citizens who did all in their power to prevent
it. We learn from the Records of the
proceedings of tho Commissioners a few of
which are yet estant, that BSrach William.
and Joseph Baxter were sent 10 Annapolis
(thc town hiring Il sta.a coach for the pur-
pose of taking them there) in order that
they might employ counsel and protest
against the removal of the Seat OF Justice,
and, if possible, prevent it. The finances
of the town must have been in low state,
for the hire of the stage, and the counsel
fees, which were only sc in all, were not
paid till 1871. But the effort. of the citizens
of Charestown were unavailing y large
majority Of ths people, having expressed
their desire for tina removal of the county
seat to the Head of Elk, the Legislature at
the November session, 1856, passed an act
Gilpin, Tobias Rudulph, ST., Iebulon Hol
linssworth, Joseph Baxter and Edward
Oldham to act as Commissioners to erect Il
court house and Jail at that place, on the lot
mentioned in previous chapter us having
been purchased by certain persons for the
Use and benefit OF the inhabitants Of En-
torn and Cccii cOHty. The act also required
the Justice TO levy atax not exceeding 1920
for the erection Of :. court house and Jail,
md al th.lt fam II ,,f+ la .,f,r
said sum should be levied annually for the
four years next ensuing.
The reader will probably recollect that
one OF the conditions upon which the public
lot was purchased, required the inhabitants
of the town to erect Il public market house
on it. This condition had been complied
with and the market house had been erected.
This caused trouble, the lot being two small
for the proper accommodation, of both
buildings. But the difficulty was removed
by Jacob Hollingsworth, who donated an
other lot in May, 1877, for the use of the
town and the erection of another market
house. This lot was the one at tn. south
west corner Of, Main and Bridge streets,
directly orposit to the Episcopal Church.
There seems to have been some doubt
about the right of the Commissioners to re-
move the market house, and ut the April
session, 1871, the Legislature passed an act
incorporating the town under the name of
ELKToN, and making provision for the re-
moval of the market house to its new Local
ton. We learn from this act hat Henry
Hollingsworth, in 1877, donated an acre of
land to the Com nlSsionerS Of the town for
the erection thereon of Il school house or
house Of worship, for the promotion Of liter
allure and tho Christian religion. This was
the origin Of Elkton Academy, and part of
this land is included in the lot on which the
academy now stands. The good people OF
tho town seemed to have been much per-
picked about the market, and the act of
incorporation contains many provisions
upon that subject that seem to have beon
both curious and stringent. Tuesdays and
Saturdays were designed as market days,
and the sale of all vicruals and provisions
before ten of the clock on those days within
ono mile of the market house was prohibited
under Il penalty of fifteen shillings. The
Strengthening of all animals on the public
lot, and the hitchins of horses or other
beasts of burden inside the market house
were prohibited, under penalty of ten
shillinss. The Clerk of the town, whose
salary was not to exceed thirty pounds,
current money, was to have supervision
over the market and was to inspect the
weights and measures used by the market
people and when found defective to sell
them for the Use of the owner
The town election was to be held on
Easter Monday, and each of the ssvcn
Town Commissioners, who were also to be
trustees OF the Town School, were to own
real estate to the value of at least 600. The
people of that time seem to have had I'M
bounded faith in the efficiency of fairs to
promote the prosperity Of towns, and not
withstanding they had failed to benefit
CharleStovn to any very great extent, pro-
vision was made in the act of Incorporation
for holding four of them annually in Elkton,
a. L. I,,,,
October and December. At the tins of the
passage OF this act the Constitution of the
United States had not hssn adopted and the
sale of all foreign goods, wares and mer-
chandiSe was prohibited.
The commissioners were engaged for
several years in building the court house
and Jail but they caused the work to be well
done, as the good state of preservation in
which the court house now is abundantly
attssts. The workmen employed upon the
public buildings were hired by the day and
in many instances their board was paid by
the Cor missioGerS and several gallons OF
rum, which was purchased for their use, is
included in their accoUrts. Much of the
stone used was purchased by the ton. The
nails were also made from nail rods pur-
chased for that purpose, by persons en-
plo-ett by the commissioners. Solle of the
hardware and paint was purchased ut New
Castle, which WAS then u place of much
more Importance that it is ut present. The
Commissioners were allowed 4 comlnissi OF
Of four per cent upon the money expended,
az com penStaion for their services. The
E12O0 authorized to be levied for the con-
struction of the public buildings was mad
equate for the purpose and in 1889 an adj
ditonal levy, not exceeding $780, was
ordered to be made for the purpose of com
pleting them.
The court met for the first time at Elkton,
on the 1lth of June, 1897, at the house Of
John Barnaby, which was no doubt II public
house. 1t is the brick building now stand
ing on tho bluff west of Bridge street and
near the bridge. The growth of the town
seems to have been slow for many years
after its incorporation, which was probably
owing to the fact that most of its influential
citizens were engaged in ths practice of the
then us it is at present, consequently few of
them were able to aniass sufficient wealth to
erect ltrge residences. Most of the old
substantial brick buildings had been erected
before the Revolution, and it is probable
they were the only buildings of any i'm Dor
tance in the place till long after it became
the Seat of Justice. Isaac Weld, an English
traveller, passed through the town, in 1873,
ard after his return home published a jour
nal in which we find this description of the
place.
"Twenty one miles from Wilmington is
dirty, str e in. place called ElNtol, con-
si>ting of ninety indifferent habitations,
erected without any regard to uniformity.