Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1907-03-22
THE JAMESTOWN EXPOSITION
60 -

The object of the jamestown expo
sition Is, primarily, to celebrate the
three hundredth anniversary of the
first English settlement on American
soil, which, as history records, occurred
on the thirteenth day of May, 1907, on
a peninsula that juts into the James
River about thirty-five miles from Its
mouth. The little band of hardy pio-
neers named the place Fort James,
later James City and finally James
town. That it may be understood why
the jamestown exposition will be held
at Sewells Point on Hampton Roads in
stead of at or on the original site of
jamestown some forty miles away, and
why the exposition will be opened on
the Goth of April instead of on the
18th day of May, paragraph In ex-
PLANTATION may not be out of order.
1t was early in December, 1906, that
Raleigh's exposition left England In
three small frigates, for the New
World. 1t was not until April 26 of
the succeeding year that they passed in
between the two Virginia capes, NAM
ing the southern Henry, after the
Prince of Wales, and the northern
Charles after his brother. In all prob
ability it was the mountaln-like sand
dunes that then stood guard back Of
Cape Henry as they do to-day, that at
tracted the attention of the voyagers
and prompted them TO land at Cape
Henry, but they were at once attacked
by savages and driven off to their ves-
sells. The next morning they proceeded
to Hampton Roads and anchored just
Inside that world-renowned harbOr at
place they called Point Comfort and
which to this day bears the name Of
the date of the opening Of the James
town exposition being April 26 instead
of May 13.
At Old Point Comfort the colonists
remained in peace for several days
and then proceeded up the river that
empties into Hampton Roads, first
called Powhattan River, but afterward
James River, after the then ruling mon
arch of England. On landing at what
eventually became known as James
town, the crews disembarked and their
eventual success that resulted in this
great nation, are all too we'll known
to require special mention. But, the
point at which they landed has long
since ceased to be a peninsula. The
waters of the James River have wash
ed away the neck of land connecting
the mainland and it Is now and has
for many years been known as James
town Island and is a body of low
marshy land, uninhabited. Two fires
devastated the town, the one during
Bacon's rebellion In 1916. the other
twenty years later After the second
fire. jamestown was not rebuilt and In
1893 the seat of government was re.
moved to Williamsburg. AS the orig.
inal jamestown Is no more and as the
first settlers first landed to remain for
any length of time, at Old Point Com.
fort, the exposition is held at Sewell's
Point, just across Hampton Roads from
Old Point Comfort
AS Hampton Roads and the imme
diate vicinity was the scene of the
trials and triumphs Of the first set
tiers, so 1t has been the scene of the
trials, triumphs and defeats of many
generations since that sturdy band OF
Engishmen first landed at Old Point
Comfort At Intervals too frequent
during the past 300 years, the booming
Of cannon and the kissing Of shot anG