The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1907-01-18
What Of jamestown on the
Jannes2
Rv WILT Hale


As indicating an interst in the ex.
position to comes off next year IN the
neighborhood OF jamestown, Va, |
have received some letters asking If
the old town ever reached much i'm
portance-if it was Of "aDy size"-
and what part Is yet standing.
The questions are an Inspiration. /
have never seen anything like con-
nected narrative OF the place. IMPORT
ant as it has been iD American his
tory, and a brief sketch may be time
ly, as we'll as instructive.
When the first settlers landed, May
13, 1907, it was about eighty years
after Spanish colony Of 500 persons
abandoned the peninsula because of
the unhealthy situation, the death OF
of their leader and the attacks OF the
Indians. should have said when
the remnant of the fine hundred
left," for all perished there but about
15O, these making their way Ia 1926
to San Domingo.
The Englishman named the place
Fort James. This gave way to James
town, which name stuck, though In
old documents it is sometimes re-
ferred to as james City" and
flames Cittie." in the hit-or- miss
way of spelling Of those days.
For some years the dwellings OF
the rudest kind, for the settlers were
not married, and care very little for
arpearapces, since there were no
women to inspire pride. Besides this
it was struggle te keep body and
soul together, without giving any
thought to aesthetics, In the fall or
1908 couple OF women (mayb' more)
arrived. This may have "spurred up
the bachelors, for on the arrival OF
Lord Delaware two years later. there
was pretty respectable chntch,
sixty feet long and twenty four broad
1t is presumed that the dwellings
were better than at first at this per-
| iod
In 1916, when Sir Thomas Dale left
in the ship which carried Poeahontas
and her husband, John Rolfe, tC
England, jamestown had fifty in
habitants, under Capt. Francis West
The ojher Virgluians were living on
p.antations-about three hundred AND
fifty inhabitants 10 all, as claimed by
some writer's, and by otheES three
hundred and fifty families.
Between 1928 and l63e the place
was described by Cooke largely I'M
aginatlYe) in the words: The capital
is group of wooden houses, defended
by palisade and cannon, above which
rises the church with It's two bells. Ii
we land and enter James Clttie, as
they call IL now, we shall have an
opportunity of seeing the worshipful
bnrgesses in session; a miniature par
liment Of about twenty me % bers.
Bluff planters in silk coats have come
OF James Cittie in their sailboats or
horseback, and they mean to do their
duty as promptly as possible and go
back to their plantations.
The little wooden town, with the
burgesses and visiting countrymen on
these days, with few ships lying at
anchor, must have been pleasing
and busting sight. But jamestown,
as yet the only town, was not made
the permanent seat Of government by
law until 1889.
The act OF the Virginia assembly for
1862 ordered that Uhiity-two brick
houses De built at Jamestown. aud
forbade The bull ing Uf frame cues;
SOFT OF, custUmhouse was erected, aud
all The tooaccO Of James City, Charles
City and Surrey counties was 10 be
stored at Jamestown for shipping.
The state house was now Of brick aud
had Two stories. Sir William Berkeley
the governor. built at least Three
brick houses 10 town, aud one OF SIX
roums in the suburbs" where he hao
1000 acrts of land, 2 1000 foe lruit
trees, two great beasts-stalliOns-
seventy mares aud horses and three
hundred sheep.
After the brick houses were built
may be failing far short in number of
thirty -two-the place is thus describ
ed in Bulk's history of Virginia, pub
lished in 1905. jamestown began
rapidly TO assume the appearance OF
handsome village; whilst the meet.
ings of the council and assembly and
the attendance of suitors from all
parts OF the colony to the general and
appellate courts and the hurry OF
sa llors lading and unladlng gave 1t
bustle and tumult beVOnd what was