The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1909-02-13
PATAPsCO NECK HISTORY

Philip Jones acquired tract. l733
TODD home burned by the British ...1S9
1t is said that prophet is not with
out honor save in his own country.
The same lack of appreciation of local
genius is, perhaps, responsible for the
absence of interest in local history.
How many of the thousands of Bal
timoreans who yearly make the trip
down the bay give moment thought
to the wealth of tradition and romance
clustering about the various places
passed? The story of Fort McHenry
and of North Point is perhaps familiar
to nearly all, but how many know
anything of the intensely interesting
events enacted on Kent Island, or of
Claiborne's trading post, which was
established on its northern end, nearly
opposite the present city of Annapolis,
before the Ark and the Dove had en-
tered the Capes?
A little more than 200 years ago the
shores of the bay on either side were
infested by hordes of red men. The
redoubtable Capt. John Smith, of
Jamestown, was the first white man
to enter the Patapsco. He visited it
for the first time in the spring of 1908,
making the voyage up the bay in an
open boat. Until his advent, only
the bark canoe of the aboriginee had
disturbed its placid waters.
THE FIRST sETTLERS.
After Smith had made known his
discovery of the river to the James
town settlers, and with the coming of
Lord Baltimore colony, trading was,
no doubt, begun with the Indians.
But we have no record of any set
Elements being made along the Patap-
SEQ, nor of any grants of land thereon,
until III 1862. On the 10Th day of
November, Of that year, the Sur
veyor- General of the colony entered
the river and landed on the south
side.
That same day he surveyed 1850
acres, which were distributed between
four persons, all in accordance with
the proprietary's promise to give so
acres of land for each able bodied man
introduced into the colony.
Many of those who came over were
brought by the most prosperous set
tiers as indentured servants. When
the period of their indenture expired
they took up land themselves and in
time many of them became prosperous
and useful members of the community.
Of the 1850 acres surveyed on that
day, there were two tracts of 200 acres
each for Thomas Sparrow, 200 acres
for Samuel Withers, $50 acres for
Richard Ewing and 600 acres for
William Blay.
The next day, November goth, the
Surveyor General crossed the river
and laid out two more tracts. One
of 600 acres was for Thomas Spar.
row. This is now the site of the busy
little town of Sparrow's Point. On
the same day 1850 acres were sur
veyed for Thomas Thomas and Will.
liam Battin, jointly.
Todd's Inheritance, or Todd's In.
dustry, as it is sometimes called, the
present home of Mr.. Thomas B. Todd,
president of the School Board of Bal.
timore county, is part of that tract.
At the time the survey was made the
tract was named "Old Road"
THE OLD TODD TRACT.
1t afterward gave its name to Old
Road Bay.
On November 22d, 425 acres fol
Richard Owens was surveyed, and
another tract of 900 acres for Angus
tine Gillett.
Thus it appears that the first grants
on the Patapsco were to eight per-
sons and that all were surveyed within
the short period of four days. The
eight grantees were:
THOMAS SPARROW,
RICHARD EWING,
SAMUEL WITHERS,
THOMAS THOMAS,
RICHARD OWEN,
WILLIAM BATTIN,
AUGUSTUS GILLETr,
WILLIAM BLAY.
Thomas Sparrow, at the time oi
this grant, was living in Anne Arun,
del county, having previously secur'
ed grant of 500 acres on the west
side of Rhodes river. This place he
called "Sparrow's Rest" even as the
| first Sparrow homestead on the north
side of the Patapsco was called "Spar-
rows Nest"
Thomas Sparrow is the only one oi
the eight pioneers whose name is al
the present time identified in any way
with these early grants. Just when
the "Nest," on the site of the present
town of Sparrow's Point was built ]
do not know, but I don't think il
could have been before 1915, the date
of the will of Thomas Sparrow.
We have no record of any Of the
other seven ever building on or other
wise developing their tracts. All o
them were prominent members of the
colony, living on the western side O
the bay farther south, and were proba
bly, content to stay there.
ANcIENTs OF THE NECK.
When one thinks of the Oldest in
habitants or settlers of Patapsco Necl
distinguishing between grantees ant
settlers), one involuntarily thinks o
the Todds, Gorsuches, Jones, Stan