Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1907-07-28

little better than wasted, and soon
started for the first and foremost his
torie spot, Jamestown. This is not
as many may think, the Jamestown
Exposition. Jamestown island is thir-
ty miles away from the exposition up
the James river. 1t is reached by
steamboat, and the trip makes a side.
excursion which well repays the time
and expense given to it. Interest in
this trip UP the river is not alone in
what is seen and observed; the inn
agination must be allowed its way UP
the broad river. the mind of the.
traveller is certain to revert to the
many noted events that have trans
PRED near here from the time of
John Smith to those of the Revolu-
ton and the Civil War. Besides
Jamestown island, Of which we shall
speak more in detail later, there is
williamsburg, seven miles from the
island, which became the seat of
the colonial government Whensit was
removed from Jamestown in 1899.
The most interesting thing here is
Old Bruton church, which became the
court church when williamsburg be-
came the capital. Here the royal
governors came to worship. and two
of them now lie buried in the aisle
of the church. When the United
States severed their connection with
the mother country, here also attend
ed four of our presidents, Washing
| ton, Jefferson, Monroe and Tyler
Yorktown, which witnessed the close
of the struggle which gave us our
independence, is twelve miles east
of Williamsburg
But the Mecca of all visitors is
jamestown island and no spot on
American soil is more interesting to
the student of American history. 1t
is a somewhat low island, formerly a
peninsula, two and a half miles long
and about one half mile wide. 1t
contains approximately 1000 acres,
but was formerly larger as the upper
end has been much eaten away by the
currents of the river. This has, how
ever, been stopped by substantial
sea wall, erected by the government,
land no more of the historic soil will
be lost. Few monuments of the ear
lily settlers remain; prominent among
these is the old church tower, d like.
mess of which you have all seen in
the first text on United States history
you ever studied. The tower Is eigh.
teen feet square and is well preserv-
ed for structure of its age and hav.
ing been neglected for so many years.
| The church building proper was sc
by 2S feet. The church with the tow.
er was erected in 1919. put the walls
i were removed some time ago and the
/ bricks used in building a wall to en-
close the old cemetery. A new struc
ture, which is supposed to be an ex
act copy OF the original, rests upon
q + y So = T.g .a
i the old foundation. In the old church
yard are many old tombs, among
i them that Of Rev. James Blair, thu
i founder and first president of vii
q liam and Mary's college. His gray'
/ is surrounded and covered by bricl
Il walls and roof and over this a gigan
I tic sycamore has spread its roots
4 proving that this grave at, least i
J, in no sense modern. Near this. rev
! erend gentleman's remains are thos
lof Lady Frances Berkley, wife OF 81
j William Berkeley, once governor 9
! the Virginia colony. The epitaphs q
) some of the old tombs seemed to u
4 rather unique. On one we read: