The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1890-01-31
DIR. Archer's Discovery offanother oId Couh-
ty Seat-NecrologicalR Record Tor lsS9-his-
tory of the Underwater Canal.


-
The regular quarterly meeting of the Hartford
Historical Society was held 'at the Court House
last Saturday. DIR. W Stump FSSrwood, resident dent
DIR. George w. Archer, J. p Silver, A. p. Silver,
W. Realty Harlan; n n Mock A F. Gal6reafh'
DR. BENZ. Smith and f. w. Baker. Donations were
received as follows
From Miss Annie M. Walters, the Philadelphia
S turdav Courier, Feb. 10 1871; the Southern gis,
From Mr.. I. B. Coleman Stump, of the Maryland
State Oyster Navy. fossil shells and petrifcations
DIR adged from the Chesapeake Bay.
Through DIR. George W. Archer:
From Mr.. John 5. Dallam-A Letter in Cipher,
from Daniel Humphreys, of Philadelphia, TO Miss
From Capt. A. l.. Jarrctt-The Narvtand Journal,
From Dr. Vim. S. Richardson Hartford Repudli-
can Nov 10, 1881. s..f = - .
From Mr. Jas. Farnandis apamphlet- The Civil
and Military Arrangements for the reception OF
Mai Gen. La Fayette in the city OF Baltimore, Oct.
q iS24; Federal Republican, Baltimore, July 18th;
1890; Baltimore american. Oct. II. 1874; Federal
Gazette, Baltimore, Oct Il, 1924; The AdTytondeT,
From Rev VIM. +. Brand-A specimen of the
By DR.. G. w. Archer-Plat showing the exact
locality OF the Old Lebanon Forge, on Deer Creek,
From Samuel H. Gibsen-an English Grammar.
by James Buchanan 1Is0. This book is inscribed,
on the fly leaf. Joshua Husband, the 10th day OF
Mr.. Thomas n Smith was elected an active men,
Mr.. w. Beatty Harlan read q Neurological Record
of Hartford county, for 1882 prepared at the request
of the society by Rev. Z. A. Colburn. Rev. Mr.
Colburn was requested to continue his record.
Assembly To present to the society the 9th and 9TH
volumes of 1.-The Archives of Maryland" now be-
ing published by the State Historical Society at the
expense of the State.
rHE EARLY SETTLEMENTS ON GUNPowDER.
DIR. George w. Archer read paper entitled, "A
Sketch of the Early settlements on Gunpowder
River
The first grants for lands on the Gunpowder were
made in 1861, in which year John Taylor took up
.Taylor's Choice tract of 300 acres at the very
head of the river on which JOppa afterwards rose
The settlements were harrassed by Seneca Indians
who killed Robert Gorsueh's vile anu John Fors-
ter. and plundered their houses.
In 1868 a port of entry was erected on Pos
Island and in 1869 similar port was established IN
Bush river. near Old Baltimore In 1856 port of
entry was erected in Gunpowder River, at West
bury's Point.
the Peace 10 the counties to be laid out into
parishes. The freeholders were to choose six
VeStrymen, who were to build the parish church.
The parish of Gunpowder Hundred embraced the
whole of Gunpowder Neck, a large portion of
Baltimore: county, with st. Pauls parish ON the
west and St. Georges parish on the east. The
vestry of Gunpowder Hundred parish concluded
to build the church at Elk Neck. on Gunpowder
river. These veStrymen were Thomas Haley,
Thomas Hodges, Richard Adams, Moses Groom,
Thomas Preston and Lawrence Richardson.
Elk Neck not being found on any OF the maps of
the present day, DR.. Archer gives detailed reel
tai of a successful search therefor among old re-
cords and the proof of its Identification The find
ing of the name in deed in the Hartford county
court records gave him clue by which he has
located the mysterious Neck in Hartford county,
although he has not yet ascertaned the site OF the
He also found references to ELK Neck, in Gun
powder river. in the Baltimore county. records,
sey. loaned to him by Mr.. John. B. Rumsey, still
further confirmed his identification OF the locality.
In 1915 an act was passed for erecting In each
county court house and prison. The Commission
ers of Baltimore county, being doubtful where the
court house and prison should be erected 1.-The upper
House selected the head of Gunpowder river, on
the north side as the site. 1t supposed that the
lower House failed to concur in this order and the
county buildings were erected at Old Baltimore,
both being completed by 1877.
In 1886 Thomas Thurston, an eminent Quaker,
living in the Hartford portion OF Baltimore county,
asked the Council to remove the county seat to the
of his reasons therefor being that will be nearer
the middle OF the county, and near the path that
goes from the POtOmack to the SuSquehanna. and
will encourage strangers and enlarge our county,"
The county seat was not removed at the time and
when the removal was effected Winters Run was
ignored.
ANOTHER OLD COUNTY SEAT DISCOVERED.
DIR. Archer goes on to announce a court house
erected and used such for several years. and yet
unknown to any. certainly of the present, and very
probably of the last generation
buildings were removed. in 100. from Old Balti-
more to Forster's Neck or Creek. DIR. Archer last
summer visited the supposed steat Forster's creek,
identifying the creek by Herman's map made 200
years ago. but failed to find any evidences or local
traditions that town, court house or prison had
ever stood there. The original grant of this Neck
was to Matthew Goldsmith and Edward Forster. 1t
is now owned by Col John Carroll Walsh.
The act of 1907 which is frequently quoted as
Forster's Neck to Joppa, DR.. Archer finds, makes
no mention of court house at all. Certain towns
several, so that all of them could not have been
county seats. This act was disallowed by the
Queen, and seven months after its passage. before
court house and prison could have been erected at
FOrster's Neck, certain town sites were ordered to
be deserted, FOrsters Neck being one of them. Her
Majesty disallowed this act also. ssHtrg -rgr.
An act of 1712 recites that an act of 1707 having
ordered the desertiOn of Forsters Neck and the.
the building of the court house on so acres OF
Taylor'S Choice, and the commissioners having
proceeded towards the building of the said Court
House before the royal dissent was known, and
having nearly finished the same, it was enacted
"that the Baltimore County Court be held there
after at said House now built at Joppa, and not
elsewhere.
Dr. Archer concluded that although few houses
may have been built at FersterS Neck, neither
church, chapel nor market house were erected,
DIR. Archer says he found, last November
among the Baltimore county records, proof posi-
of the GunpOwder before Joppa became the county
seat t ~
He found deed of 1851 whereby Charles and
Elizabeth Rumsey conveyed to Michael Judd ship
wright a tract called Syms' Choice, 100 acres, in
the forks of the Gunpowder, by the side OF SAID
river describing the tract by courses and distances
Mary Judd convey TO John Hall and others part OF
parcel of land 'whereon the Court House now
standeth,' called Simms' Choice.
DR. Archer concludes: 1T appears certain that
at least from April 1, 1903, until May II. 1905.
the court house was in the Fork of the Gun
POWDER near or at the junction of the two
branches, and that it the immediate success
sor of Old Baltimore. m
THE sUsQUEHANNA AND TIDEwATER CANAL.
A History of the Susquehanna and Tidewater
Canal. written by Mr.. d.. f. Shure, was read.
Mr.. Shure has been General superintendent OF
this work since 1912.
This Canal was chartered by the States of Penn
sylvana and Maryland in 1885, with paid up capt.
tai OF 81 800 900. The first survey and location were
1886 an act was passed authorizing the company TO
change the location TO the west side of the river.
The cost OF construction was far beyond the estl-
mate OF the Chief Engineer, E. +. Gay, on account
of unforeseen difficulties, but the latter were sur
mounted and late in the fall of 1889 water was adj
mitted into the Canal in order to test the retentve
qualities of the bed and banks. The occasion was
grand celebration. an excursion being made over
the canal. distinguished citizens of Maryland and
Pennsylvania being present. Hon. Nicholas Bid
die, of Philadelphia, made his famous speech on
internal improvements from the wing wall Of the
outlet lock at Havre de Grace The eXcursonists
had scarcely reached their homes when disastrous
breaks occurred all along the line. These damages
being repaired the canal was opened 10 pubic use
in the spring of 1S4O Its cost about "a COO COO
The level from Bells Ferry and the granite outlet
lock at Hayre de Grace cost 100000.
The canal begins at Columbia and ends at Havre
de Grace. 1t is 45 miles in length of which 30 miles
are in York county and 10 miles in Hartford county.
In 1872 the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad Com
pany leased the canal and have since operated it.
The greatest amount OF revenue received was S225
Co., in 1865.
Damaging freshets occurred in 1885, 1916, 1857,
1865, 1868, 1875 and 1889.
A resolution of thanks to Mr.. shure for his valua
Al.