Evening journal., 1896-11-25
new QUEEN ANNE ROAD.
ITS APPROACHING COMPLETION
CAUSES REJOICING.
SOMETHING ABOUT HISTORIC
QUEENSTOWN WHICH WAS A
SCENE OF MANY BRAVE DEEDS
IN COLONIAL TIMES.

SCENE OF MANY BRAVE DEEDS
IN COLONIAL TIMES.
CENTREVILLE, Md. Nov. 25.-The
recent amicable adjustment Of diff
culties between the Queen Anne rail
road and the Pennsylvania and re-
sumed work on theformer has causedre-
joicing to the residents of Queenstown
and its vicinity over the renewed pros
pect of making that town a central
shipping point between Baltimore and
the section of country eastward to the
Delaware bay. This project has been
considered and reconsidered for many
years. It's feasibility has time and
again been discussed.
Previous to 1900 competing packet
lines Of schoOners ran from Queens
town to Baltimore, among them being
the Experiment, Captain Griffin, ad-
vertised ito have ten berths and net
ting around her quarters to prevent
children from falling overheard" A
momber of her crew was John Stra-
han, who subsequently was one of the
three men taken from the Chesapeake
by She British in 1907
The transition from travel by sail
ing vessels to the modern method OF
locOmotion by steam began in 1917
with the appearance of the steamboat
Surprise i'm the Chester river. Cap
tain Jonathan Spencer was her COM
mander, and she ran from Centreville.
In August, 1918, she was damaged by
fire, but in September resumed her
trips in charge of Captain Needs Two
years later she was succeeded in these
waters by the famous Maryland, which
! for a quarter of a century was a ia
miliar object in Chester river, extend
| ing her trips to ChestertOwn and stop
! ping at Queenstown.
! In 1893 the Governor Wolcott and
in 1886 the Norfolk gave additional ac-
commodations. Among the other
steamers that successfully piled on
| Chester river were the Champion,
! Hugh Jenkins, Arrow and OsceOla.
As the size of the steamers increased
the difficulty of navigating Corsica
creek interfered with direct communi-
cation with Centreville, and hacks
were run from that place to connect
| with steamers at Queenstown. The
dredging Of the channel has obviated
| this inconvenience In 1861 it was
announced that the Chester had been
built expressly for the Chester river
traffic, and she subsequently was the
favOrite steamer, under the command
of Captain 3. S. L. Young.
In 1866 Captain Budd s. Ford, who
had been master of the Arrow, formed
a company and purchased the Chester
for S22, 500 and the Arrow for $4,000
and established the Chester Rivel
Steamboat Company. Since then this
line has supplied its patrons with al
| unsurpassed service, and its later his
| tory is well known, until now, wheI
its four well-equipped steamers anC
numerous wharves indicate its pro
/ gressive management.
In 1862 a stage line was started, run
ming from Denton to Queenstown, al
evidence that Baltimore was naturall.
the market desired by the people o
this section of country. The proprieto
of this stage route was J. w. w
Woodford. who for so many years con
veyed the mail and passengers fror
Centreyille to Queenstown.
) The proposal to build a truly Mary
land railroad through this countr
was made in 1886. Appropriation
were granted and surveys made, bu
subsequently Philadelphia capital step
ped in, and a large share of Easter
Shore trade was taken from Balti
more. 1t is believed that the Quee
Anne railroad win restore much q
this to the city.
The Queen Anne and Kent railrOa
had its inception in an act of Legisla
ture passed in 1856. The intention wa
to have this road connect with a cross
road from Queenstown to the Della
ware bay, with the idea that not onl
would the trade of Baltimore be re
tanned, but much from the upper POI
tions of Kent, Queen Anne. Carolin
r. and Talbot. which now goes to Phila
t delphia, would then also be drawn {
+ Baltimore" In 1887 the route of tn
I road was surveyed, but it was neve
d completed, although construction wa
e begun on the Delaware end, and th
S failure to make Queenstown the west
r ern terminus of a ship-canal across tn
e Peninsula was another disappOint
{ ment.
d Queenstown was the first count
seat of Queen Anne county, and wa
the centre from which the spread {
). population and culture radiated owe
= two centuries ago. In 1776 it was th
i only post office in the county, tl
e amount of postage being about S.
II III AtVt lut CDuntn VI the CUlOug
r Maryland carried by majority
L votes that a towne be erected at M
}. Hawkins plantation, in Coursey
Creek, and the Court House to I
built and fixed there" This, appa
emily. is the order for the beginning
e Queenstown.
d During colonial times it hourishe
g but the revolution gave it the fnisl
O ing stroke as county seat, and the grow
l. ing Importance and more conveniel
e location of Centreville led to its s.
l. lection as the shire town, but Queen
town continued to be a place of col
siderable trade, and the influence
such men as the Pacas, Hemsley
]. Tilghmans. De Courseys, ,Wrights, Ca
! michaels and others who resided in /
vicinity made it the scene of many hi
torical deeds. Many of these nam
are closely connected with state az
+ national progress and their descen'
!, ants are yet among the leading res
IL dents of the country.
h In the revolution Queenstown Wa
! the centre of the organization
"a troops. and in the war of 1912 it Wa
~ the only spot in the county where an