Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1889-11-29
r. SHELTERED WASHINGTON.
A House ut Bye Where the Presidens
Slept One Hundred Years Ago.

Slept Ono Hundred Years Ago.
There is q house standing on the post road,
| in tho village Of Rye, that is an object Of
special interest. Il sheltered President
Washington 100 years ago. On Oct. Is. 17S0.
Washington left New York in his coach,
drawn by four fine horses, accompanied BY
his private and official secretaries. It was
the beginning of that journey to New Eng
land which the President desired should be
transformations, but which the people OF all
ranks made an occasion for the expression Of
the love and reverence they deeply felt He
arrived in the village Of Rye, distance OF
twenty-six miles from New York, in the latter
part Of the day, and found rest for the night
at the inn kept at that time by Mrs. Havi-
land, a name not uncommon in the neighbor-
hood to-day This is the note in Washing
toms journal, written at the evening hour:
Thursday, Oct. Is, 17S9.-After dinner,
through frequent light showers, we proceeded
to the tavern of Mrs. Haviand, at Rye,
who keeps q very neat and decent inn"
This is his entry concerning the road and
the impression made upon him BY the coun-
try:
1.-THE road for the greater part-indeed, the
whole way-was very rough and stony, but
the land strong, well covered with grass and
q luxuriant crop Of Indian corn. The farms
are very close together, and separated, as
one inclosure also is from another, by fences
of stone, which are indeed easily made, as
the country is immensely stony. After pass
ing Horseneck, six miles distant east) from
Rye, the road is billy and immensely stony.
and trying to wheels and carriages"
On his return, while spending the night
again at Mrs. Haviland's, Washington writes
In his journal:
1.-THE badness of these roads having been de-
scribed as went, shall say nothing of them
now"
How different would be his comments
could be ride over the same road today,
which has been macadamized so beautifully.
A few words about this quiet village may
be of interest to more than local readers. AS
one is carried by on the swift trains of the y.
Y. and n II. R. r. he is not even aware that
he is passing through a vilage; much less
that it is a village whose history is OF more
than ordinary interest. 1t lies only about
two miles from the boundary separating the
states of New Y erik and Connecticut. The
shore OF the Sound. lying not more than a
mile from the center Of the village, was ia
vorite resort of the Indians, who made an
annual encampment or visit long after the
settlement Of the village.
Evidences that the locality Of Rye Beach
was once inhabited by many Indians abound.
Warlike and domestic implements have fire.
quently been unearthed; skeletons of In
dams have been found in various excava-
tons; while tradition affords many accounts
of their presence and habits But the prox-
unity of Rye to the state boundary line and
to the shore of the Sound rendered the section
debatable ground, armies and ships being the
arguments employed in turn by the Dutch,
the British and the Americans. During the
revolution 1T lay between the outposts of the
opposing forces. Hasty and cruel incursions
were frequent, SO that at the close of the war
the desolated homes and the poverty Of the
people presented pitiable sight. Need we
wonder, then, that the journey Of the Great
Deliverer was made the occasion for even the
most extravagant expressions of gratitude
and reverencei
While neighboring villages and towns have
been transformed beyond the recognition of
returning inhabitants of former years, Rye
has remained u conservative village. 1t has
been improved by the erection of beautiful
residences, by the laying out Of attractive
grounds, and by the building of excellent
roads. But no manufacturing interests have
invaded the restful quiet SO inviting TO the
men who retire TO their homes from the fever
ish excitement of daily business in the city
The diversity and beauty of the country in
the vicinity, and the evident thriftiness of the
farmers, add delightful and unending zest
to the many drives.
Much more might be added Of historic in
tetest and Of present attractions, but, our
purpose being simply present one of the
many places rendered sacred to Americans by
the visits Of Washington, we have more than
fulfilled our intention. Let not one of these
old landmarks be forgotten. 1t would be
well If every schoolboy might trace at the
distance Of hundred years the footprints Of
Washington 10 the end of his hfe.-Cor New
York Mail an1 F'-vrc~s