Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1914-07-10

while this committee, composed of tn
ablest and most distinguished patriots i
Maryland, were busily laboring at the
arduous duty. the convention was direct
ing the whole energies of the State to
vigorous prosecution of the war, and a
the same time conducting the general leg
islative and executive branches of tn,
government. On the 9Th of Septembe
they divided Frederick county and erected
out of parts of it two new counties, Wash
ington and Montgomery, the former named
in compliment of the great commander-in-
chief and the latter in honor of the gal.
liant Irishman who eight months before
under the walls of Quebec, had lam down
his life battling for American Liberty"
For the purpose of effectin. he organi-
cation of Montgomery county Z 9 follow
ing named men were appointed as COM
missioners: Nathan Magruder, John Muir
dock. Henry Griffith. Thomas Cramphin. Jr..
Zadock Magruder. Allen Bowie and John
Wilson. They were vested with authority
to purchase in fee simple piece of land.
not exceeding four acres, at such place
as a majority of the voters should select
for the purpose of building court house
and jail for the county.
The organization of the county govern
ment went forward and April q, l777. the
following were commissioned as justices
of the Montgomery county court Charles
Jones, Thomas Sprigg Wootton. David Lynn.
Edward Burgess. Enos Campbell, William
Deakins, Henry Griffith. Elisha Williams,
Joseph Wilson, Samuel Wade Maeruder,
Robert Owens. Francis Deakins, James
Offutt. Thomas Cramphin. Richard Beall,
Gerard Briscoe, Allen Bowie, Charles Green
bury Griffith. Elias Harding and Richard
Thompson.
A month later there assembled at the
house of Leonard Davis the following JUS
tees of the court: Charles Jones, Edward
Burgess. William Deakins. Elisha Williams,
Samuel Wade Magruder. James Offutt and
Richard Thompson. They qualified for their
office and elected Brooke Beall clerk of the
county. They bought land for the court
house and jail close by the meeting
place. A court house was constructed at
that point, no doubt in l777-78, and the
first court was held early in 1873 The
place was then called merely Montgomery
County Courthouse.
A large acreage of land around the court
building and the court square was bought
August 3. 1884. by William Prather Will
liams. and town called williamsburg"
was surveyed and plated there by Col.
Archibald Orme. Being the county seat
a number Of lots were sold and houses and
stores built. There was difficulty about
the survey and titles to the lots. Col Orme s
survey either not having been recorded or
the record having been lost.
The Maryland Legislature in 1901 passed
an act directing resurvey of the place.
appointed commissioners to supervise the
survey and created the subdivision" into
town to be called Rockville, because of
its proximity to Rock Creek There was
discussion as to whether the new town
should not be called Wattsville, after Watts
Branch. a stream more closely associated
with it than Rock Creek. There was other
legislation relating to the new town and
the final resurvey was made in 1903 by
the county surveyor. William Smith.
The new county town began TO prosper.
There was no school and children were
sent to instructors in Bladensbure, George
town and Frederick. The need for school
resulted in the creation Of one, out of which
the Rockville Academy grew. The Mary
land legislature passed an act in 1905, and
again in 1906, under the provisions OF
which commissioners were appointed to
raise $4,000 by lottery for the purchase
of lot. erection of school house and
purchase OF fire engine for the town.
These commissioners were Upton Beall.
Honore Martin. Lewis Beall. ThOs Linsted.
Thomas p. Wilson. Richard Anderson and
that the building erected under the author
ity Of the commissioners named stood until
some time in the late eighties.
One of the fatures in Rockville is the Con-
federate monument. 1t is becoming diff
cult to find a county town in the South
without its Confederate monument. The
bronze figure of a soldier stands on a
granite pedestal upon which is inscribed
To Our Heroes Of Montgomery County. Md.
That we through life may not forget to love
the Thin Gray Line.
Erected A. d. 1913.
Near the base of the pedestal are the
letters C. S. A. and the dates 186l-l865.