Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1898-08-11
EARLY VIRGINIA HISTORY.
COLCHESTER ON THE oCCoQUAN.
No 81
(Continu l.)

nto the Occoquan leg.on from Sot.
land and their descendenis are now
known by the familiar names Of Nc
c rty, McGreegor now Magruder, Max
sell, Henderson, Campbell, Jameson.
Adams, Randall, Douglas, Carlyle, Nc
Pnerson, McCrea, Grayson, Lawson,
R binson, Kennedy, Kinchelo, Fergur.
son, Grant, Powell, Neville, Hooe, q l.
munson, Graham, Murray. Thornton.
Drummond and mar others Tobacco
was the great and all absorbing staple
product Of the new and fertile planra-
tons along the Occcquan, and public
warehouses were established by law
for its sto' age and official irsp ,tion.
The location of these houses was on the
5 ream at the Ferry for the King's High
,ay running down to Williamsburg
t e provincial C p tai, one hundred and
iry miles distant The inspectors
Nere appoin' d by the governor and
'ourci! on the rec Jmmenda ion of the
r1ults and they were epjoined under
we're penalties from allowing the
storage OF any but the best qualities Of
the croi 6. The "ferrl, )" The ware hou e,
,jure and tavern became in time tht
q, cl-us Of quite a numerous settle
tnent and was the social as well ss the
trading center of the country for many
niles around. Previous to 1742 the
terry neighborho ID waa included With
"a The bounds of Truro parish OF
Prince lillian county but in that year
it became part of the new county
ii Fsiriax. Prince William had beef
set IF from the count IS of Stafford and
King Geo. se in 1880 with the county
seat at Dunn s,then q flou ~ishing strip
iugport on the QuantiC).
liz 1853. eleven yea after the orgsni
lion OF Fairfax, through the Influence
of Lawrence Washington, ha f brother
of George, who represented the new
county in the House Of Burgesses, an
order was secured for the laying of OF
lots for town at the Occoquan ferry,
the provisions of which We cite from
| Heuning's Statutes OF Virginia:
"It having been reDresented TO the
G4neral Assembly OF Virginia that a
town or O Occoquan river, on lands Of
Peter Wsgener, would be very convent
ent TO navigation and trade and con-
ribute to the advantage and convent
ence of frontier Inhabitants, twenty
tive acres of land are hereby ordered TO
ne set apart, laid out and surveyed into
lots with convenient streets, place for
landing OF boats on the river and
market square--the lots TO be disposed
of at auction to the highest bidder with
| hof aoDb buS h1
required to erect on each lot within
wo years, one house OF brick or stone,
or well framed wood, at least twenty
eet square, with nine feet pi'3 3h, with
brick or stone chimueys, and in default
! these conditions the lot or 10 s
are 10 revert back to tie per
son or persons from whom pUr-
chased, and Peter Wsgener, Dante
McCarty John Barry, William E'z Y
and Edward Washington are hereby
appointed commissioners to carry out
the provisions of this charter" This Or
der was dated 1853 One year al,er this
the survey was made by George West.
Forty-two lots were staked of, the
most of them with 142 feet fronts by 165
feet in depth on stree 60 feet WIDE :
is shown on the accompanying map
made at the time by the county SUI vey-
or. Col. Geo. Mason, of Gupston, II
after years so distinguished as g saga
cious statesman ana tluStt public
servant in many important positions OF
his State, and Daniel McCar'y,
of Cedar Grove, were the first
directors of the new town. The
former of the two being the owner
of several thousand acres near adjolu-
ing, the greater portion OF which teicg
under cultivation in tobacco aud grain,
was particularly interested in the es-
tablishment of shipping port SO con-
venieut for his products, and this solcl-
tude for the success of the place like
that of McCarty also an extensive
planter, cont nued through all his years
The Town lots laid of were soon pur-
chased bv enthu>iasts who b. / eyed they
foresaw great success for their ventures.
| There were no mines of the precious
metals from which 10 make fortunes IN
y day. but natures other resources for
all of life's comforts and luXuries lay in
rofusion all about them waiting only
for the appointed hands OF develop
ment. Houses rose apace, most OF them
wood and stone, and stores and ordina-
ries were opened and multiplied as ad-
venturers gathered and eventually thA
streets were extended beyond tn IT
original limits aud many additional lt Is
were laid of. Essex was the principal
street and Potomac and Fairfax the
nrincipal cross streets. Through Essex
coursed the Kings Highway. Commo
dious landings and piers Teie construc-
ted where large vessels could lie safe at
moorings, r there was no stint OF oaks
and pines ia the near woods aud OF quar-
ries. All the conditions and posslolll-
ties seemed favorable and encourage
ing for the growth of large town; l
have seen letter in Philadelphia
paper of a few Y ars later written ny a
tourist through Virgins vic thus a :
lunes 10 the .wiy established port, Il
was ferried over the Occoquan, deep
and capscious stream with romantic