The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1902-03-01
SITE FOR THE CAPITAL CITY.


described as 'that point in the United
States to which large vessels could be
navigated into the interior, = at the
period when the selection was made
of the ten miles square on the "Poto-
mac or, as the Indians had it Pata-
womek, or Patawaugh (river of por-
poises.) There is very doubt, says
the Washington .Sta,, that Washing
ton and others recognized the naviga-
BILE feature as supplied by the Poto-
mac as one of the most important con-
sideratious to be taken into account.
When it is recalled that there were
others as fully conversant as was
Washington of this important advan-
tage, both in commercial and mill
targe sense, it is not strange that the
capital was located here.
1t is matter of history that there
was opposition to the Potomac site
that each house of Congress had voted
to locate the capital and federal build
ings at Germantown, Pa, but ere the
amendments to the bill had been act
ed on an adjournment defeated the
measure, and Congress having deci-
ded to leave Philadelphia, compro-
mise, in which Robert Morris and Mr..
Madison 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 General AS
sembly of Maryland directed the rep
resentatives 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 a measure making a similar
offer.
The preamble of this act recites
the advantages of a site ION the banks
Of the Potomac, above tide-water, in
a country rich and fertile in soil,
healthy and salubrious in climate and
abounding in all the necessaries and
conveniences of life, where location
of ten miles square, if the wisdom of
Congress shall SO direct, the States
of Pennsylvania, Maryland and Vir-
ginia may participate in such loca-
ton. /"
In 1890 Congress acquiesced in the
act accepting district or territory on
the Potomac, lat some space between
the mouths of the eastern branch and
the Canococheague." This act was
doubtless framed to make it possible
to locate the capital at Williamsport,
Md, which had been named, and the
location there would bave 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 Johnson,
Daniel Jenifer of Thomas, Samuel
Chase, Uriah Forrest and other Mary
landers forced site on navigable
water, and were cognizant of the fact
that here was "that point in the
United States to which large vessels
could be navigated into the interior. :"
They also knew that the geographi-
cal center of the country was in this
vicinity. Mr.. Madison favored To-
cation which would take in Alexan-
dria, and suggested Shutters Hill,
west of the town, as location for the
capital. Mr.. Jefferson spoke of Shu-
ter's Hill as affording a fine prospect,
and fine roadway from that place to
Mount Vernon was in the minds Of
some.
1t is said that Washington and his
friends saw, upon reflection, that if
Mr. Madison's suggestion should be
adopted, it would lead to a suspicion
of personal motives in the selection.
The act last mentioned was amended
by one authorizing the President to
make any part of the territory below
said limit and above the month Of
Hunting Creek part of said dis
trict," so as to include convenient
part of the Eastern branch; and in
compliance with this act the present
site was selected.
With the lower (Alexandria) site
was few miles nearer the Potomac,
as high up as Georgetown, and the
Eastern branch possessed such gen.
erous depth of water that early in the
century naval officer wrote that it
evinced "the wisdom and foresight of
him whose advice thus located the
capital of the empire he founded. .
In addition to the promising COM
mercial outlook there were advan-
tages in geographical 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 fertil-
ity of the soil, with the rivers teeming
with fish and waterfowl and woods
full of game, as added attractions.
In the American Geography, the
standard work of Rev. Jedediah
Morse, which our grandfathers swore
by, the territory is described in the
1900 edition as exceeded lin point of
convenience, salubrity and beauty
bv none in America. The situation
of the metropolis is upon the great
post road equal distant from the north
ern and southern extremities of the
Union and nearly SO from the Allan
tic to Pittsburg, upon the best vavi-
CATION and in the midst of a CONNER
cial territory probably the richest and
commanding the most extensive in
ternal resources of any in America. "
Before the Revolution Jacob Funk
had made settlement near the old
observatory site, which afterward, in
177I, became Hamburger, and on the
point at the junction of James Greek
and the Eastern branch was CAROLS