Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1879-12-23
The Birthplace OF Washington.

| Inc HiFkhplHcS OF Washington.
Fifty fJur miles southeast Of Washington IS
the crow flies, ffty'one northeast of Richmond,
is Popo's creek in the county of Westmorelsnd,
where Washington was bora. Two hundred
| srd tcrty.so7ce ycars ego The traveller from
| Europe, IS his ship, worn by months Of sorrdr,
sailed up the broad Potomac. which is here
tour and ono halt miles wide, might have soen
a low, oae story. gsmbrcl-roofed house on tho
| shore Of creek on his right. The house wss q
| large and magnificent one for those days, aud
| was surrounded by Offices and negro oabins.
WI bile the traveller was watching the scene ou
| the shore the ship was sailing up the creek,
| aud. anchoriDg in front OF ihe house, sent it's
owner tie much re:ded clothing and articles of
war, and the last news from London. The sight
that struck tho travellers eyes was novel snd
pleasing. Tie house Was only half milo from
the river, ard across the river the shores of
maryland were to be s3en and clear sweep of
the river down to where it loured into tho
Chesapeake Bay. Down to the mouth of the
crock the soil was rich and mouldy, and the
RIGA and lDdian corn hourished near at hand
the Foil was sandy aad covered With huokl.
berrics, cranbsnies and ohincs2in busiest
Behind, on the lowauds. c;ump of live oakss,
cedars and Expresses gave a partial air of
gloomy quiet to the place. Higher up in The
background, on tho ridges between tho creeks,
grew ttc forests prlmev3l OF ash, oak, beech
apd hickory. lo summer tho clearing arouad
the house was brillisot with tho colors of the
May apple, lho yellow jasmine. the acacia and
rcd.H"Werlng Chestnut. At the left of tho heuse
were the haZai bushes, where g;cY tie peas,
heacs and velches fer fiddler aud food. In the
kitchen garden we're the mayc1ck, marc !ok,
= fb ba lu a n;.
Among the few flowers c;raiulIy leuded under
me windows tho cndira; aud mcclssin f,WeIs
were for the first liMe cultivated. Over the
sides cfth house he wax myrtle cTspt, from
whoso berries tue green tln:cd. pleasant scented
candies fer winter use Ware .uaic. Ito Wild
turkey, quail sn4 partridge cttU5 around tho
| outskirts ot tie wood, aud The muaoionaua
cro0ni0g It tho tcsrocs at work was varied by
the aopg OF the cutie dove. tho rcd bird. nocs-
ing b!ri and Baltimore orioIo a5 :hey flashed
through the branches OF iha t:coS, sud down
tba river tie shr:ll criag Gf thu cur!ow, crane
aud herou were heard. 80 day thero arc 70
negroes, DO forest, 90 house., sEd its site IL
obiy marked by rude stone laid there by
George Washington Paske Gusts.
At tho tino of Washins.ol's birth Woss-
m.relsnd county, considered il lis natural sud
topographic, II aspec;. and is aptitude for conn.,
mcroe ac3 cultivation. was ona OF tho f1est 10
the W:rd. 1T that Tins Boston, the largest
place 10 New EosIaud, wacro the population
was most compact, had but 10000 Inhabitants,
| Richmond was not laid cut and Norfolk wis
| cot nearpprsted. Hills ran through the coua.
try northeast and su!hRcst, with spurs towards
| the rv'r. The suta9e Ct the lsrd Was divided
itt, hitly, fln aud l,w. rho font on ,ho PS-
tonac was Indebted with many rlets aid
creeks OF these tho nero important werc
| the Eocemico. N3m!ny, Popv's Bridge, Mat
tex, Motroc snd Knisi's. All these uero
| navigab,e for !cE roihs, aud on tScir banks
wero tho chief settlements Of tho carly plant
crs. Tne earliest mention OF Wcstmorelaud
couoty wa5 in July, 1858, WHEN It was s.id to
contain tho !and feou the N1aohoactoke river,
| where Dir. Gel; lived, aad up the great river
iPsw;omakt, sbvvo the Nese2S:iu's towa, and
| was to be tsken out OF Northumberland county,
Hhca 10 lClS Comprised the whole neck of
land kaoWa as North Neck" lyipg between
! the Potomac a1d RaopaEaunock rivers. Since
then the cGuaty has bocn shorn Of It's fair pro
portions, aud now Comprises tract Of laGd only
thirty miles long By eight or ten wide, lying
ahcty on the Potomac in the extreme north
eastern part of the State. There were ED arc
90 townships ln the county or State. as was the
case ia New Eogfaul, when the people fockcd
together. This was oRing TO the fact that the
carly Inhabitants settled on the backs Of the
creeks in families, and tho traGiog vess,ls
brought them everything needed outside Of
their own resources. The politic,l divisions
we're oonnties end psrisbes and Vico vsrsa. Iu
| WasbiDgtOn's timo there wsIc oblg two par
shes 10 Wcs!norelald county. and one of
those epread evar part CT aoo,her. To this
tcoucty, in 1857, o9me John Washington, the
sgrta: graudfslher of George, aud settled on
| Biidge's creek, which Was short distance from
Popo's. L3rg after tbs pari1l settlement Of
Virginia 10 The jamestown district, West
mcreland c1uDty WAS bowling wilderness.
The Presbyterian "QaoAe5" fought tho
fight Of carnast faith ard nope 10 tba
wesf, while tie arigtocratic ''Tuekshoss'
iu the cast eGn,crtad themselves over thtir
s;rcrg waters end cticc,pins. With fighting
again their battles With The WiceoccoDomiooa,
the Roundheads and the French 81 Oudecarda
ard MaIplsaue:. Dawn 10 vary la.e date,
enveu in 1911. Sir Wil:i.m Berkeley tha4kad
God thai there wtr1 20 free schools or rriItiue
presses iu Virginia. Nevertheless the tide ci
population flowed northRatds from tho Cava-
Iier settlements uBti The banks of the Potomac
f were reached. In 1892 the whole population o
the North Neck" did not amount to ttr;t
Thousand sius exclusive CT absu; one thousaoC
| nliltaIy WIZ HCEc tCtEc IoI bIJAIC.loJ dSdi3s
Indians sud pirates. The nearest neighbor o
I tho Washington family was the Rev. L,wtcuu'
? dc Butts, rector Of Washington parish. 81
called because the g;ebe land CD which be lives
w1s given By one of tic Wsshogtols. thougl
tie Parish itsslt was thirty ml!es long and ivt
mics vide. and contained 200 families aad nt
indians. Near at hand were the MoJroee, an
ces.ors of the President. They lived ct tht
q heed of Monroe creek, aod feg mllea sbSv;
them Hss the family seat of the Ices, th
= mes. DISTINGUISHED members CT Which, Richart
: Henry and Francis Lishdooi wsio born ncar
!; o.. the same time With Wss5iu4ton. Iu th
\ previous yesr Patrick Spence aEa - Moaro
bad buils warehouses at Nom;a7, s5uu. tc
mics from Pop,s; John Fizhu.a aud leors
!, TurterVi!le had lived withia liz miles for uasr!
, tan years; John Taiis!erro, geotlemao, IA
l. hoass on neighboros creek, sud J oshu
hiy and Peter Jefferson lived close OF hand
n All these ere veil kooTn Viraioia rsmes. 40