Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-12-25
Significance Of the Early Name Of the
Potomac.
KNOWN as TIE RIVER OF PORPOISES
Considerations Which Influenced
the Choice of Permanent Location.
COM MERCIAL ADVANTAGES

| The site for the permanent seat Of gov
| eminent Of the United States was described
| as that point in the United States to
| which large vessels could be navigated into
the Interior at the period when the selec-
| ton was made of the ten miles square on
| the "Potomack'-or. as the Indians had 1t,
| Patawomek, or Patawaugh (river Of por-
poises). There is very little doubt that,
| Washington and others recogized the navi-
| gable feature as supplied by the Potomac
as one of the most important considera-
! lions to be taken into account. When IT is
| recalled that there We're others as fully
| conversant as was Washington of this i'm
| portant advantage, both in commercial
| and military sense, 1t Is not strange that
| the capital was located here.
| 1t is a matter of history that there was
| opposition to the Potomac site; that each
house Of Congress had voted to locate the
| capital and federal buildings at German
| town, Pa, but ere the amendments to the
bill had been acted on an adjournment de-
feated the measure. and Congress having
| decided TO leave Philadelphia compro-
| mise. in which Robt. Morris and Mr.. Madi-
son figured, was agreed upon by which the
| government was to remain at Philadelphia
| ten years, and to be permanently located on
| the Potomac. In December, 1888, the gen
eral assembly Of Maryland directed the
| representatives of that state to cede any
| district in the state not exceeding ten miles
| square that might be fixed upon as the
| seat Of government. In the following year
| the Virginia assembly passed q measure
making similar offer.
Advantages Recited.
| The preamble of this act recites the adj
| vantages of site ION the banks OF the
| Potomac above tide-water, IN q country
| rich and fertile in SOIL healthy and salu-
| brious in climate and Astounding in all the
| necessaries and convenienoes of life. where
| a location OF ten miles square, If the wisdom
Of Congress shall SO direct, the states OF
Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia may
| participate in such location"
| In 1900 Congress acquiesced IN the act ac-
| cepting a district or territory on the Poto- :.
| mac lat some space between the mouths or
the eastern branch and the Canococheague."
| This act was doubtless framed to make It
| possible to locate the capital at Williams
port Md, which had been named, and the
Local ton there would have permitted the
three states to participate in the cession OF
| territory. The sentiment of Washington.
Jefferson, Henry, Lee and other Virginians:
Charles and Daniel Carroll, Governor John
| son. Daniel Jenifer of Thomas, SamuG
| Chase, Uriah Forrest ana other Maryianders
| favored a site on navigable water. and more
| cognizant Of the fact that here was that
| point in the United States to which large
vessels GOULD be navigated into the interior"
| They also knew that the geographical CEN
| ter Of the country was in this vicinity. Mr..
| Madison favored a location which would
| take in Alexandria, and suggested Shutters
Hill, west Of the town, as a location for the
capital. Mr.. Jefferson spoke Of Shuter's
Hill as affording fine prospect, and fine
roadway from that place to Mt. Vernon was
| in the minds of some.
1t is said that Washington and his friends
| saw, upon reflection, that IL Mr. Madisons
| suggestion should be adopted. 1t would lead
to a suspicion of personal motives In the
selection. The act last mentioned was
amended by one authorizing the President
ito make any part of the territory below
| said limit and above the mouth of Hunting
| creek part of said District" SO as to in
clude a convenient part of the Eastern
branch and IN compliance with this act
| the present site was selected
| While the lower (Alexandria) site was a
| few miles nearer the ocean, the Potomac,
as high up as Georgetown, and the Eastern
| branch possessed such generous depth
| of water that early in the century a naval
| officer wrote that 1t evinced the wisdom
| and foresight of him whose advice thus To-
Gated the capital of the empire he founded"
Geographical Considerations.
In addition to the promising commercial
outlook there were advantages in a geo.
graphical point of view-it being near the
center Of the infant republic from north to
south and about midway between the ocean
and the Ohio river, then the far west, and
the healthfulness and beauty OF the site
and surroundings; the futility of the soil.
with the rivers teeming with fish and water
fowl and woods full Of game, added at
fractions. In the American Geography. the
standard work Of Rev. Judediah Morse.
which our grandfathers swore by, the ter
ritory Is described in the 1900 edition as
exceeded sin point Of convenience, salubrity
and beauty by none in America The sttu-
alton of the metropolis Is upon the great
post road equal distant from the northern
and southern extremities OF the Union and
nearly so from the Atlantic to Pittsburg,
upon the best navigation and In the midst
of a commercial territory probably the
richest and commanding the most extensive
internal resources Of any in America"
Before the revolution Jacob Funk had
made a settlement near the old observatory
site which afterward, in III, became Ham
burgh. and on the point at the junction of
James creek and the Eastern branch, was
Carrollsburg, started in ITO. In each some
of the leading men Of the country were in
terested, and, anticipating commerce,
Wharves were built at both places.
Commercial Point of View.
The recognition Of the commercial ad-
vantages Is to be seen in the number OF
wharves laid down in the maps Of L'Enfant
and Ellicott. which reach from the mouth
of Rock creek TO East Capitol street. The
depth Of the water at the latter point was
eighteen feet-the same as at Georgetown
and for the purposes Of navigation the
Eastern branch was equal to the main
river, and doubtless the government or
Commissioners in laying off the city and
setting apart the present site for the navy
yard regarded its advantages superior.
This was. in the language of Mr.. Stoddert,
the first Secretary Of the Navy, designed to
be IAN extensive building and dock yard"
That 1t fully met with the requirements.
and that there was sufficiency Of water
there. has been demonstrated In the fact
that some of our largest vessels OF war
were built and launched there-the Column
bus, of seventy-four guns In 1919: Poto-
mac. fortyfour guns. in 1921; Brandywine.
forty-four guns. in 1893. At times there
have been as many as half dozen Of our
largest vessels at anchor or the yard.
AS late as the fifties one Of our largest
ships was launched at the yard. Thus has
been justified by the experience in the first
half Of the nineteenth century Of our navy
the wisdom Of locating the seat Of govern
ment at that point in the United States
to which the largest vessels can be navi-
gated into the interior" The time was
when. in the language of an old inhabitant,
1.-The fish In the river were plentiful that
1t looked to him as II he could walk across
on their backs. and in many Of the streams
1t was not difficult to catch a mess where
now Is the heart Of the city,"