Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-08-12
FACTS ABOUT KENT ISLAND

R7 ENT ISLAND. Maryland. occupies
In prominent place in the news
SS of the day because Of the desire
of the War Department to acquire it
as an ordnance proving ground and also
because of the opposition of the In
habitants of the island. or of GER
tain part OF the inhabitants. to the
plan Col. c. L. H. Ruggles. COM
mandant of the Sandy Hook proving
ground, has officially reported that
there is no other place in the United
States so suitable for the purpose Of
an ordnance proving ground for the
army as Kent Island" In a recent let
ter to Brig. Gen. William Croker. chief
of ordnance. he wrote:
1t appears that the holders Of about 1000
acres ON Kent Island. approximately one-fourth
being dispossessed and are appealing to the
authorities in Washington TO stop all proceed
Island for proving ground for the army. 1
note particularly that only the owners Of one
fourth Of the are a as , their prJ
not TO be dlspossrssed Of their property. On
the other hand. here IL the imperative need.
most urgent at this time on account OF the war.
Of the early acquis: ton Of proving ground
adequate to our present requirements and there
the purpose In every way as Kent Island. Kent
Island selected as offering the greatest ad-
MOST survey q al
east of the Mississippi river. The frst consid-
Grafton wss TO discover strip Of land not less
reasonably free from inhabitants. This condi-
tion alone at once eliminated most Of the terri
tory examined.
Kent Island lies in Chesapeake bay
and is part of Queen Anne county.
NJ axf .f ha
county, and line drawn from An
napolis eight miles east would strike
the island in its northern half 1t is
between four and five miles across the
bay from the town of Arundel-on- the
BAY. Anne Arundel county. to Kent
Island. The island is deeply indented
with creeks and bays. The principal
settlements are Stevensville. Love Point
and Chester. Love Point is the north
ern tip Of the island, and a railroad
runs from there. southerly and then
eastward. crossing Kent Narrows on
trestle to the mainland and thus con-
Meeting the island by rail with the out
side world.
sion between Kent Island and Kent
county. Kent county lies north of
Queen Anne county, of which Kent
Island Is n part.
Before the grant of a charter to Lord
Baltimore for the province which he
cluded within the limits of Virginia.
and Capt. William Claiborne had OBJ
tanned from the royal governor and
council of Virginia a license to trade
with the Indians of the Chesapeake
country. His first act was to estab-
lish trading post which he located
on Kent Island. and later he established
another at the mouth of the Susque-
hanna river at the head of Chesapeake
bay.
The trading post on Kent Island grew
into town. Claiborne had built up a
profitable traffic with the Indians when
the Maryland charter was granted to
Lord Baltimore in 1882. and this charter
he foresaw might and probably would
nvalidate his license obtained from vir-
yinia and destroy his trade. That was
The basis of his and his followers long
resistance to the claims and authority
IF the Maryland government established
1t the city of st. Marys. This strife re-,
suited in considerable bloodshed. much
and long litigation. and ts
written down in the annals Of Maryland
Is "Claiborne's rebellion" and some
lines as "Claibornes insurrection."
Certain of the Inhabitants Of Kent
Island accepted willingly the govern
nent Of Lord Baltimore. and in 1887
he province OF Maryland established
'ourt on the island for the trial of civil