Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1898-02-02
EARLY VIRGINIA HISTORY.
OLD KINGS HIGHwAY-CoNCLUpED.
No. 10.

OLD KINGS HIGHWAY-CONCLUD
No. 10.
As the wave of civilization advanced
upward from the tide waters toward
the mountains and the territory now
embraced within the boundaries OF
Prince William, Fairfax and Loudoun,
sas brought under cultivation and dot
ted over with farm houses and hamlets
the immense products of the fertile
lands found their way over this high
way and its branches to the shipping
ports OF Alexandria and Colchester.
Most of the tobacco was rolled down in
hogsheads, independent Of wagon trans.
portation. Wagons then were few in
umher and the most OF them were en-
pioyed in the carrying of supplies to
settlers beyond the mountains. BY an
act of assembly passed in 1772 levies
ware authorized upon the tithesbles OF
Fairfax, Loudouu, Bsrkley and Fred
er;ci for keeping this highway and
its branches in repair, and IN llS5 com
panies were empowered to turnpik'
them and erect gates for TIE collecting
Of tolls from travellers. The valley
ands beyond the Blue r dge had been
ettlcd by colony of ha.dy and indus
.riou7 Germans and the nest of them
were devoted TO the growing of corn
and wheat. Flouriug mills were erect
ed ON ali the available streams aad
henceforth for many years their va'u-
abe produces were to bring to the Com.
mon@ealth tide Of employment ard
prosperity unequslled in her hist ry
| The advent OF the railway, with its fl, =
ing trains to annihilate space and move
with celebrity the burdens of caravan
was yet but dim dream Of the future,
and the wagon had its days of success
md glory. l. was an era of thrift, not
only for the farmer and the miller, but
the wagon maker and every other class
of mechanics had full share of its bless.
iugs. The cross roads stores, tavern s
and smithles aud the wagon stands at
intervals of three or four miles ali
along the way fourished and nc
body croaked about hard times and
scarcity of money. There was an equi-
table interchange of labor which made
all classes inter- dependent, and gave 10
all due due proportion Of the capital
employed in the existing industries.
There were no milliopaires then to cen
tralize the peoples wealth and absorb
the local industries which were the life
blood of the rural communities.
There are persons still living among
-
the busy scenes of those days of wagon
ing generation or more before the be
ginning of the war. They can tell Of
the capacious conestogas or land
schooners with white Canvas tops OF
high bows raking fore and af6 which
they saw through all seasons of the year
coming down over the highways into
the town often times twenty or thirty
in a train, some OF them drawn by four
and some by six horses, all well freight
ed with -four, meal, beef, pork, hides,
butter eggs, aud other country produce,
each one carrying from five to seven
thousand pounds to load. 1t was not
unusual to see 8 hundred and some.
times several hundred of these quaint
vehicles in the different streets of the
town either unloading or loading. They
carried back salt, plaster, fish, oysters,
molasses, sugar, iron, hardware, tools,
farming implements, furniture and all
other articles needed by the remote SET
Elements They were periodic as the
days, weeks and months, keeping up
constant trade beneficial to all classes
and all localities. The stores, hotels,
taverus and wagon yards prospered;
everybody indeed was pro6tably en-
ployed. Ships, bsrks, briggs and schoon-
ers busy in the foreign and coastlns
trade made at the same time goody
array of masts and sails at the ware
houses along the wharves. All the in
dicstions in those days were for rapid:
continuous and widely expanding
growth for Alexandria. No city seem
ed 10 be more a6vantageously situated.
A majestic river flowed by it with deep
and steady water to the sea. Its inland
traffic fro vast scope of country to the
west was increasing, and its contlDu-
ance for all tine seemed assured. This
was the impression of all travellers who
visited the town in that era OF thrift
and progress. The eminent Thomas
Twining, one of the energetic English
men who lad the foundations of the
British East India empire among them,
has left this record of his visit just be-
fore 1900:
Arrived at Alexandria, we landed
at a handsome quay recently built
nearly in the center of the water line,
and walked up the town to the inn,
passing on our way through a large,
open space, apparently intended ior
market place. The town being ouil1
upon a slope from the interior to the
waters edge, appeared to much aovan'
tage as we rowed toward it from the
middle of the river. But the circum'
stance which most struck me was the
vast number of houses which l saw
building as we passed throug b the
streets and the number of people en-
ployed as carpenters aud mssons. Ihe
hammer and trowel were at work
eyerywhere-a cheering sight and re-
markable contrast with the dilapida'
tion of cities which 1 had seen 10 n y
former travels. Although the latter
were calculated to afford 3 deeper IN.
terest in come respects. the scene Oh