The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-05-28
The aa1ieita Daily Eagle Tuesday orrg au e. 1895.

sloeratiaa. lie Is, however, disposed
TO consider Col Wilson's plan with
favor Aftoer paying for the constrdc-
ton g the " hart there was left, out ot
the original appropriate of $4,000,
only s24,712 which could be expended
on the memorial proper. This sum is
deemed insufficient to construct the
granite vault, and Mr. Evarts' plan
will, therefore, not be adopted. Col.
Wilson's plan is TO erect over the spot
where the old house stood a simple
rugged shaft bearing an appropriate
inscription. The shaft is to be gran
tie column, and of sufficient height to
be visible from the excursion boats on
the river. The work is now fairly un-
der way. Surveyors are at work 20 as
certain how high the shaft viii need to
be in order to be easily seen from all
points on the river, which is nine miles
wide; so it is reasonable to presume
that within a short time there will be
handsome monument erected at
Wakefield to suita bly, mark the birth
place of the Father Of His Country. =
It viii probably be interesting
to give right here a brief history
of this old estate and the manner in
which the Washingtons were identi-
fed with it. The only object which in
any way now discloses to visitors the
identity OF Wakefield is q memorial
stone on the site of the dwelling, which
states that there, on the 18th DAY of
February, 1872, George Washington
was born" 1t was beautiful June
day in 1916 when Mr.. Gusts. with three
other gentlemen, sailed from AleXan-
dria in his own little vessel, with this
memorial stone wrapped in an Ameri-
can flag: ard, landing at convenient
place, bore it to the destined spot.
They gathered few bricks from the
ruins of one OF the chiInneys and con-
structed rude pedestal, on which they
laid the stone and commended it to the
care Of the American people.
The first Of the Washington family
in America was John Washington, who
settled in Westmoreland county in 1861.
He was prosperous, and acquired a
large landed estate. His eldest son,
Lawrence, succeeded him, marrying
2 Miss Warner, OF Gloucester county.
Among his children was Augustine,
who, at the age OF twenty-one, married
Miss Jane Butler, neighbor's daugh-
ter, who bore him two sons, Augustine,
Jr., and Lawrence, who became the
half brothers of George. In 1928 their
mother died. Two years later their
father married Mary Ball, and the first
born of this union was George, the
afterwards great patriot, soldier and
statesman.
Washington, when president in 1892,
wrote genealogical table of the Wash
ington family. In it is the following:
Jane, wife Of Augustine, died Novem-
Der "A, 1928, and was buried in the fam
lily vault at Bridges Creek. Augustine
then married Mary Ball, March 8,
1880" The Washingtors for three
generations were buried in that
vault at Bridges Creek. Mary Balls
father was a I7ell-to-do planter on the
Rappahannock. Her mother died in
1T2S. Mary's older brother, Joseph
Ball. was lawyer, settled in London,
and after the death OF their mother she
Joined this brother and his family in
London. About ssle same time Angus
tine Washington also went over to
Enoland. He married N.rv Ball in