Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-06-20
Some Facts About the Mary
land P1grims-Did Span
iards Explore the Potomac
Nearly a Century Before
Settlement of the English
at Jamestown, Plymouth
or St. Mary's?

was on the Sd of March, 1884.
that the Maryland Pilgrims ar
i rived at the mouth of the Poto-
mac river. They sailed up that
river to an island called Herne Cor
Heron) Island, which they renamed
st. Clements Island, went ashore, and.
In this place on our blessed Ladies
day in Lent. we first offered. erected
a crosse and with devotion tooke
solemne possession of the country"
This was before the Pilgrims settled
at the site on which they erected the
City of st. Mary.
as to the identity of the island on
which the Pilgrims landed and Of
fered up the first mass in the land
Of Mary. Maryland historians have
differed. Some have set forth that it
was the little sandbar which we still
call Heron Island on which they land
ed. Others maintain that it was the
land. The Rambler has no doubt
that the historic event took place on
Blackstone Island. The evidence
seems to be strongly that way. The
Pilgrims called their place of land
ing 'St. Clements" The manor grant
cluded that island and it was called
in the ancient records st. Clements
Island until, passing into possession
Of the Blackstone or Blackiston fam
lily through the marriage of Col. Nehe-
miah Blackiston and Elizabeth, daugh-
Of st. Clements Manor, it came to be
called Blackistone's Island and some
times Blackiston's Island. For a long
time after becoming Blackstone prop
erty the island appears in old records
both as st. Clements and as Black
ject came to the Rambler when. in
the course of last Sundays narrative,
he mentioned Blackistone's Island in
connection with the story of the
steamboats, Armenia and Jane Nose
ley and the summer resort venture of
Ed Abner. Count Mitkiewic and Capt.
+ 4
And, reviving memories of the land
ing of the first Calvert party in 1884,
brings to the Rambler's memory the
claim which seems to be substan-
tiated and which has been presented
by excellent authority that Spaniards
explored the Potomac river nearly
century before the settlement of the
st. Marys, and that a settlement was
made on the Potomac by Jesuit mis-
sionaries many years before the time
of jamestown G607). Plymouth
(1620) and st. Marys Q63D. AS the
story runs. these missionaries were
slain by Indians. 1t ought to be in
teresting to Westinghouse to learn.
and the Rambler believes that not
all the readers of these narratives are
familiar with the story. that the place
at which the Spanish are believed to
have settled in the sixteenth century
Is within a few miles Of Washington.
1t is believed with evident reason
that the site Of that early settlement
was on OccoQuan creek. and that the
name 'Occoquan" is derived from the
name Of that Spanish settlement which
was "Axacan." The sound Of that
name would be something like "Ahc-
shows the word "Achacain" at about
the place where Occoquan creek en-
tiers the Potomac river. So, il you are
interested in such matters, the Ram
bier will. to the extent of his ability
and to the extent Of space allotted to
about St. Clements Island. the land
ing place Of the Catholic pilgrims in
1884. and Axatan, the place Of Spanish
settlement. about the year 1866.
In last weeks "ramble" it was said
that the north end of Blackstone
Island is half mile from the main
land, the nearest bit of the mainland
Of St Marys county being the tip
Of an irregular and indented PENN
sula lying between st. Clements bay,
on the east, and the Wicomico river,
on the west Some of the indenta-
lions of that neck Of land are Cap
tico bay, Manahowic creek. Bran
leigh creek and Mill creek, which
enter the Wicomico river: White
Neck creek and st. Clements sound,
which mix their waters with the Po-
tomac, and Tomakokin creek. Miley
creek, Deep creek, Canoe Neck creek
and St. Patrick's creek. which pour
some Of the geographic or topo-
graphic features Of the neck are the
village of Chaptico, at the entrance
Of Chaptico creek. to Chaptico bay.
Mill Point, Bushwood, Powders