Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1894-03-15
RAISE AND FALL OF A CRY.
BY JAMES W. THOMAS.


land. he seld the story of the raise
and fall Of the ancient city of st.
Mary's, where the first capitol of
Maryland was erected. Mr.. Thomas
isa native Of St. Mary's county
and . graadsoa. II Gov. James
Thense. II - asxdlzs ipaeh
time to the study ofs theearIy colon
ial history Of Maryland, especially
OF st. Mary's county. In his ad-
dress ne spoke in part as follows:
"St. Mary's City, the first c p;-
tai of Maryland, was situated on
the east side of the st. Mary's river,
tributary of the Potomac, about
five miles from its mouth aud six
teen miles from Point Lookout, the
southern extremity of the western
shore of Maryland.
"a gentle slope from the eastern
hills. thea spacious plateau of
singular, beauty. elevated about
fifty feet above the water, anu ter
minatiug in bold bluff between
two broad expanses of the river,
formed the site of the city.
GA crcscent-shaped indentation,
made by this bluff and long head
land about mile lower down the
river, gave the city capacious har-
Dor.
"The river skirted two sides of
the town, afforded depth and se-
curity of navigation, and adding
beauty and, grandeur to its other
attractions, made the situation If
st. Mary's one of surprising love
illness.
Their Indian Esighbors.
"The colony, to avoid overy APP
pearance of injustice and afford no
opportunity for hostility on the part
of the Indians, waived all questions
OF right or superior power in the
premises, and bought their town
and territory. giving in exchange
commodities, useful in their kind
and satisfactory to the natives.
"Much historical encomium has
been lavished upon William Penn
for his famous treaty with the
Shackamaxon Indians for the land
on which the city of Philadelphia
stands, but it should here be said
that neither the annals of Pennsyl-
vania nor of any other American
colony present a more conspicuous
example OF humanity and Justice
toward the aborigines than is por-
trayed in the spirit which animated
Maryland on that occasion, and in
deed, throughout in that regard,
and it should, with equal justice,
adorn the pages of its history.
"The landing having been made
with as much formality as circum-
stances would permit Governor Cal
vet, on the 27th of March, 1884,
with appropriate ceremonies, pro-
claimed formal possession of Mary
land, and named it's first town st.
Mary's.
Progressive Settlers.
"Undisturbed for several years
either by domestic factions or ex-
ternal dissensions, st. Mary's, for
a colonial town, grew with consid-
erable rapidity. Brick and other
builders supplies were imported,
which, with the home products a
valuable for the purpose, afforded
from an early period abundant build
ing material.
"While Virginia, as late as 1888,
was making it's laws in an alehouse,
and indeed, in l7l6, it's capital con-
tanned only church, court house
and four other buildings, st. Mary's
in comparatively short time after
its settlement, had. besides the
home of Lord Baltimore, q church.
a pretentious State House, a Jail
and other public Offices and about
thirty houses. Soon thereafter it
had sixty houses, protected by two
forts, st. Mary's and st. Inigoes,
each well mounted with the ord
nance Of that day.
GAS the place for holding the
General Assemblies, the seat of the
Provincial Court and the port where
all ships trading with the Province
had first to resort, st. Mary's soon
became a place Of importance. and
in less, II was by letters-patent in
corporated and erected into a CITY,
Continued on 4th page.)