Mexico Missouri message., 1912-08-15

. w
n passed his boyhood, where he
~ cut down the cherry tree,
broke the neck Of the untamod
| colt and throw a silver dollar across
| the rivcr--so run the oldon stories
perpetuatod by the venerable Parson
Weems. This farm is on the Kappa
/ hammock river. opposite the colonial
! town of fredericksburg, Va. The farm
/ Ia in Stafford county. the town Is
Spottsylvania. The farm is much re
| duced in size, but that which is still
called the Washington farm contains
100 acres. surrounding the site of the
old Washington dwelling house, on the
foundation OF which has been built the
house shown in the picture. People
who live roundabout will point out
where the historic cherry tree stood
and assure one that the present cher
~ trees are descended from the trees
that grew there when Washington was
n child. They will point out the pas
ture where the unruly colt was killed
and the spot where young Washington
hurled the coin across the river
Though these feats are apochryphal,
yet each was easily possible. Many
a child has hacked cherished tree or
shrub. Many colt has been manned
or killed In breaking. A good base.
ball thrower could send the sphere
across the Rappahannock at that
point, though the river is somewhat
narrower now than II was then.
Record Incomplete.
Because Of the incompleteness OF
the land records Of Stafford county,
there is no continuity of title of this
land from the time the Washingtons
bought It. There is a proposition that
this farm be taken over by one of the
ancestral patriotic societies. 1t was
not long after Washington's birth, on
the Pope's Creek farm on the Pc
tomac river in Westmoreland county,
Virginia, that Washington's parents,
his elder halfbrother Lawrence, and
perhaps his eldest half-brother Angus
tine. also removed to the farm across
from Fredericksburg, a city named for
Prince Frederick, the father of George
III. The date of the removal of the
Washingtons from the Potomac to the
Rappahannock farm is uncertain, but
was between 1875 and 1740. The Rap
pahannock farm had for several years
been owned by Augustine Washington
(the father and being close to n city,
while his other holdings we're distant
from one, It is judged that the Wash.
ingtons wished a tas Of urban life.
This farm has been called variously
Pine Grove" and the Ferry Farm"
the latter name being due to the farm
being opposite the lower Fredericks-
burg ferry. Whether George Washing
ton knew this place as Pine Grove il
questionable. In this connection it is
. worth recalling that George Washing.
ton never knew his birthplace IS
Wakefield, yet all the books set 1t
down that he was born at Wakefield.
George Washington's father died
, April IL, 1743, leaving large landed
, possessions. The old homo farm on
, the lower oPtomac he bequeathed to
his eldest son Augustine. To his son
, Lawrence he left the farm on the Pc
, tomac between Dogue creek and Hunt
ing creek, which Lawrence subse
quently called Mount Vernon. Tt
George, when he should become OF
age, he bequeathed the Rappahannocl
n farm. OF this fredericksburg farm
, Washington Irving. who visited all tn,
g Washington places in Virginia, says:
y Meadow His Playground.
v Not long after the birth of Georg,
S his father removed to an estate II
@ Stafford county. The house was sim
l. liar in style to the one on Bridge
l. creek Cor Pope'G creek, and stood OF
a rising ground overlooking a meadow
which was his playground and tn,
scenes of his early athletic sports. Blu
this home, like that in which he wal
). born, has disappeared; the site Is onl,
o TO be traced by fragments Of bricks
. china and earthenware."
). This house was occupied by Mar,
h Washington until 1t was destroyed b,
4 fire at time after George haC
? change his place Of living to hi
a half-brother's home, Mount Vernon
y. After the fire Mrs. Washington moved
:, into a small frame cottage in Fred
:, ericksburg, in which she died or
August rs, 1889. THIS cottage is stand
ing, and Is owned and utilized as
museum by the Society for the Preser
walton Of Virginia Antiquities.
' The Ferry farm originally con
, tanned 1000 acres, and on this lanc
, Burnside conducted most of his oper
l ations against the Confederates In
. Fredericksburg and the low range Of
. hills behind the town. After more than
l q century Of transfers and subdivision
1 the home seat came into possession OF
+. II. CorsOu, who erected a house on
the foundation Of the old Washington
house The site OF the older house
4 was cleared, the cellar re-eXcavated
! and the stone cellar walls used az a