Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-07-06
THE FACTORS WALK.
HISTORY OF THE ANCIENT
THOROUGHFARE.

The closing up OF 'sFactors' Walk"
anticipated in a petition to the City
Council last week, revives an interest in
the history of that ancient thoroughfare.
/ Its origin is not distinct. Its name indi-
Gates that it was used by the factors in
some way. In order TO obtain as much as
possible Of its early history a MORNING
NEWS reporter called upon Isaac Beckett.
Esq, whose knowledge Of the city's
records would be likely to bring to light
I some reliable information concerning the
I locality.
Mr.. Beckett was found in his Office,
/ seated at a desk, surrounded by dozen
/ vOluminous books Of record and a map of
the city spread out before him. 'EFactOrs'
/ Walk" he said, after listening to the
reporters inquiry and consulting his
/ memoranda, lis tlIat narrow street below
the edge Of the bluff, IN the rear Of the
/ wharf lots. IL derived It name from the
/ fact that in former years many of the
! leading factors and commission mer-
/ chants had their principle business offices
I opening upon it. In regard to its owner
/ ship, / understand that the ques-
4 ton viii probably come before
/ the courts for adjudication at
an early date, and l question the pro-
/ priety either of expressing any opinion in
advance Of its settlement by the court, or
of furnishing either party with ammuni-
/ ton for the battle. OF course, all that i
know concerning the wharf property has
been CLEANED from the public records,
which are accessible to all parties who
will spend the time necessary for their
examination"
Mr.. Beckett desired an opportunity to
obtain further facts in regard to the
/ thOroughfare and its history in connec-
ton with the property along the river
front, and yesterday prepared an inter-
esting narrative Of that part OF the city's
domain.
WHARF LOTS UNDER THE BLUFF.
''The southern boundaries Of the
wharf lots he says, ''are not
always accurately described in the
records. In the ancient deeds they
are in nearly all cases described as
( wharf lots under the bluff having a
| definite width, and extending from low
/ water mark sometimes to the blutf-in
/ other cases to the Bay or
/ strand and frequently 'tO the line
I Of the other wharf LOTS The deeds
\ in few instances give the depth, but the
[ many changes produced by the action of
I the river upon the shore before the cree
/ ton of the wharves render these descrip-
I tiOns in point of eXactness of uncertain
value. Williamson's wharf, which was
carved from n piece of land originally
granted to Henry Ellis, is the most exact,
rs the southern line was definitely
marked.
"a brief outline of the wharf property
may not prove uninteresting. Before the
! commercial importance Of the city re-
quired an extensive wharf front we had
the wharf lots east of Bull street and
west of Bull street. Those west of Bull
commenced at a prOlongatiOn of the west
line of town lot No. 4, in Digby
fffhinrr DaaI-a. ord N Ift4la Of Taf
fersOn street, No. I starting at that point
and extending in numerical order to No.
at the Exchange wharf. On the east of
Bull street, No. l started the series at the
west line of Lincoln street and continued
in like order to No. 8 at the Exchange
wharf.
"On the west, as the city increased in
size, the lot at the foot of West Broad was
/ designated as No. 10, west of Bull, and
/ those following it eastward as Nos. IL to
| is, which latter joined No. 1.
'As the needs of wharf room increased
a new series was named wharf lots east
/ of Lincoln street. No. l starting at the
/ east line of that street, and extending
/ eastward to East Broad street, which
/ bounded No. 10. The Yamacraw wharf
/ lots. nine in number, were always known
| by that name.
THE TRUSTEES GARDEN.
| - Trustees Garden composed of
/ square of ten acres Immediately east of
/ East Broad street, bounded on the north
4 by the Savannah river, was divided into
/ lots at a VerV early period, the four 'front.'
/ ing the river becoming known in later
years as the wharf lots 8, Trustees Gar
den. Again, in 1889, new series, six in
/ number, known as the Eastern
| Wharves,' were carved from the LANCE
/ plantation, or farm, by the then owners.
"Still another piece of land, between
/ no. loo n
has always doomed up solitary and alone
for many years as 'Willinkss', and for
| many subsequent years, up to the present
| date. as 'Lamar's wharf, without any dis
| tinguishing number, standing entirely
| upon its own merits.
/ THE WHARF LOTS AT NEW DEPTFoRD.
about the year 179S Nicholas Bayard
| established line of wharf lots near the
/ present Fort jackson, three miles below
the city. For several years this property
was on what is in modern days called a
boom, selling frequently at prices rang
ing from $500 to $1,000 for 100 feet front
on the river and 800 in depth.
AS the years rolled on these lots
became a drug in the market, and
at last disappeared entirely from the list
of wharf lots. The last transfer of any OF
this property was in 1850 or thereabOuts.
Who knows what the future may have in
store for this placer L forgot to mention
that these were generally known as the
New DeptfOrd,' or Five Fathom Hole
wharf lots, obtaining the latter name
from the very deep water Immediately in
front of the spot.
"A lease to one of the wharf lots near
Lincoln street, executed early in this
century, provides that the lessee shall
erect a good crane on the wharf for the
unloading of goods, and another crane TO
answer the three stories of the building
4 lois -aI
him ito construct stairway from the
ground to the top of the bluff
ROMANCE IN THE RECORDS.
SIN connection with another wharf lot
appears what might be used as the foun-
datiOn for a novel. / will give the story
in my own language, emitting names, Of
course, although necessity for this pre-
caution may not be apparent, as there is
nothing in it to wound the feelings of any
of the descendants Of the parties, if such
exist.
"a lady prominent in the highest circles
of Savannah, in the year 119S formed a
matrimonial alliance with gentleman of
corresponding social rank, who was also
a resident of the city. The marriage con-
tract executed between them trans
ferred to trustees, among other real estate
IN the city and county, the wharf lot to
which L allude, one half for the lady in
question, and the other half, undivided,
for such child or children as might result
from their union.
-Four years later the lady again appears
upon the scene, this time as the widow
of the male party to the former agreement,
executing another ante-nuptial contract
with gentleman of eminence in the po-
litical and social history of the city of
Charleston, in the adjoining State of
South Carolina. The new contract vested
in another set of trustees the undivided
One-half interest of Mrs. - in the prop
erty, the other half remaining in the trus-
tees first appointed for the use and bene-
fit of the children of the previous mar
riage-twO in number.
WHY THEY SEPARATED.
SONY a short interval of time interyenes
about eight months-before the parties
to the latter marriage contract once more
present themselves upon the records,
now in the execution of articles of sepa-
ration. superinduced { so the record is
compelled to say) by the settled aversion
of the lady to a residence in South Caro-