Evening journal., 1912-12-20

great honor of having been the first
road to use steam engines. The road
extended from Frenchtown. on Elk
+ar, three miles below ElktOn, to
--sN Castle. Delaware, but before we
talk about this railroad let us 20 back
some few years TIN we learn of the
line Of packets between Baltimore and
Philadelphia. This line was estab-
lshed in 1906 by Andrew Henderson
Gather Of the late William Ward
Henderson. of Elkton) and General
William Mcdonald The line had four
sloops which piled between Baltimore
and Frenchtown, from which place
freight was taken by wagon to New
Castle, and from there to Philadelphia
by way of the Delaware river. Soon
after this line was in operation. a
rival line was started. via Court
House Point on Elk river. TO a place
on the Delaware near Port Penn.
These two lines soon became one, and
were called the Union Line" The
Court House Point route was discon-
tinued There was a vast amount of
business done by the line and the
owners seeing the great benefit to be
derived from a good road across the
peninsula were instrumental in the
organization of the Frenchtown and
New Castle Turnpike Company, which
was chartered in 1909. The charter
specified that the work must be COM
pleted within three years, but as this
was not done, the Legislature of 1918
extended the time The act of incor-
poration was in itself a great curl
osity Among the numerous provi-
sions was one for an artificial road
a.. .t..- - s.t1r
This middle portion of the road was
10 be twenty feet wide and built OF and
bedded with wood stone. gravel or
clay. The schedule of tolls was pecu-
liar as any of the other features of
the act The tires of the wheels must
be more than inches wide and not
exceeding 10 inches. cents each for
horses drawing this wagon Car
riages must have a breadth of wheel
more than twelve inches. One cent
each for horses drawing this vehicle.
Frenchtown was defended by a fort
constructed of logs and mounted with
three four pound cannons In April,
1913. Admiral Cockburn, in command
Of British forces, came up Elk river,
arriving at Frenchtown on April 20.
The militia of the FrenchtOwn Fort
thought their numbers too small to
make successful resistance left the
fort and went TO Elkton These brave
90 soldiers seemed to think dis
tance lends enchantment," but the
sturdy stage drivers and other patri-
otic men manned the' guns and made
a heroic fight until their ammunition
was exhausted Then and not until
then, was the fort taken. The town
was also captured and burned This
village was composed of two ware
houses. a tavern, two or three dwell
ings. some stables and other small
buildings Not only was the town
completely consumed. but two yes-
sells that were moored I'm the river
we're also burned, involving a loss OF
twenty or thirty thousand dollars
Frenchtown being left in ashes, the
British tried to go up the river to Elk
ton. but they were met by n warm
reception from Fort Defiance, and
were driven back to White Hail. own
ed and occupied by Frishy Hender
son. whom they tried to induce t'
show them the road 10 Elkton. This
gentleman was of different caiibrf
and their efforts were frutiess They
then tried to- bribe a female slave ol
Mr.. Henderson 10 act as their guide
one ulu Eulhf lAfils Uul itA W iNiHf'ti
but to Cedar Point Fort Hollings
worth across the river gave then
such a volley they made a rapid re-
treat Jacob Ash Gather of the late
Jacob p Ash. of Elktonl kept the
old tavern al FTenchtown before tho
fire. and lived AT FrenchtOwn In 1915
as ne had a daughter who died Their
that year The present brick house
must have been built prior to tha
date, because Mr. Ash kept the hote
and this brick building was the onl!
house near which could be used fol
"A hotel purposes. In 1871 he lost an
~ other child. after that he went TO his
farm IN Cat swamp where he live'
), for a few years He again returne,
to Frenchtown. this time he lost two
more children The steam or railroad
company must have owned the hotel
because they made terms and ar
rangements with Mr.. Ash urging hin
to contnne the management, but HI
refused, owing to the very unhealthy
location.
The residents of Elkton were 81
alarmed at the burning Of French
town that many Of them moved thei
furniture and other belongings oIt u
Cedar Vale three miles east Of Elk
ton This place was the home o
James and Betsy Casho Scott The
offered their fiiends the use Of
stone granery, which oifor was ac
cepted they storing their furnitur
there until the scare was over Thi
granery is yet in a good state 0
, preservation and in daily use.
Improved methods of locomotio
did not attract much attention in Oh
United States until after the frs
: decade of the nineteenth century, bu
to Maryland belongs the credit of pro
ducing the inventor of the first stear
f. boat. He was James Rumsey. Of Ce
Gil county. who in 1884 secured froI
the Maryland Legislature the passag
of an act granting him, "The eXclu
\ sive privilege and benefit of maxim
- and selling new invented boats on th
model by himself invented Wash
ington, who saw the trial Of the boa
i'm which it was successfully move
= against the current of the Potomac
gave Rumsey a certificate of its eff
cheney At this time the boat seem
- propelled by paddles and settin
poles. the motion being communicai
Cd by hand But during the followin
i winter the inventor directed his e
Il forts to the utilization of steam an
built a boat on the Potomac, in th
vicinity of Shepherdtown, which
/ December, 1885. he brought down tn
Shenandoah to Harpers Ferry. TheI
II on March IA. 1885, he made trial