Evening star., 1920-07-11
The Rambler Writes of Old Ferryboats
and Routes Across the Potomac and Greeks
Facts From the Earliest Rec
ords-The. Special Value
of Machodoc Creek to
Washingtonians - Laws
Establishing, Public Fer
ries.,

II 4 mac PUBIC Terry AlCu lHS
Rambler has come upon is
that which he mentioned in
his narrative last Sunday. Among
the acts Of the general assembly of
Virginia for 1920 9th George y is
AN act for settling new ferries on
the Pamonkey, Mattapony and Pa
towmack rivers" In that act provi-
sion is made for one ferry over the
Potomac from Col. Hoes to Cedar
Point in Maryland" The authorized
rate of fare was two shillings for a
man, two shillings for horse and
two shillings for a hogshead Of to-
bacco.
BY comparison of the ferry fares,
which were at first regulated by the
general assembly and later by the
county courts, one may get an estl-
mate of the width of the river cross
ed by the ferry. The two-shllllng
fare indicates that the river was two
miles wide. 1t is not clear what part
Of the river was crossed by the hrst
Potomac public ferry, mentioned IN
Hening's Statutes of Virginia. The
Rambler does not know where Col
Hoes place was in 1920. That was
Point in Maryland is indefinite. be-
cause there is an Upper Cedar Point
and a Lower Cedar Point. eight miles
apart II you follow the channel OF
the river. The Potomac Is two miles
wide at Upper Cedar Point and Is
also two miles wide at Lower Cedar
Point. Both Cedar Points are IN
Charles county, Nd.
Upper Cedar Point is the southeast
tip of Cedar Point Neck. which is
fiat and "creeky" stretch of land four
miles long from north to south. about
three miles wide at its north end and
one mile wide at its south end, the
east point Of the neck being Lower
Cedar Point and the west point OF the
neck being Blossom Point. The whole
neck lies between Nanjemoy creek On
the west and the Port Tobacco river
on the east. The nearest land on the
Virginia side is Matthias Point wharf.
about three-quarters Of mile west OF
Matthias Point, which is the north
tip Of Matthias Point Neck.
Lower Cedar Point is the west tip
Of a very irregularly formed penisu-
lar called Cobb's Neck, which is ten
or twelve miles long and lies between
the Potomac and the Wicomico rivers.
The shortest line which may be
drawn from Lower Cedar Point to the
virginia SnOTc WOulu StTlhc tuht oIloA z
at little point which If it has a
name is not known by the Rambler.
That little point is two and half
miles south of Persimmon point.
which is the easternmost point of
Matthias Point neck and two miles
north Of the mouth of Machodoc creek.
a creek that is nearly a mile wide for
a distance of two miles from the Po-
tomac and which then diminishes In
width up to the head of navigation,
which is about six miles from the Po-
tomac. Machodoc has been an indus
trious little creek for much longer
than a century, and cordwood from
Washingtonians and its oysters have
been food for thousands. Machodoc
creek, though 1t has served mankind
with faith and diligence, has never
been given much publicity by news
papers.
The creek has had few scandals and
no press agents. But the Rambler
principal place names in Machodoc.
They are: Donothan point, Boabors
point. Hoge wharf. Howland point,
Beny's Wharf, Edmonds' Wharf, Brick
House Wharf, Franks landing, Little
Ferry Wharf, Wood Island, Ashton's
Wharf. Belle Isle Wharf. Rolling
landing, Lang point and Milford land
ing.
II the 1920 public ferry from Col.
Hoes to Cedar Point" crossed to Up
per Cedar Point. Col Hoes place was
on the west side of Matthias Point
neck, and If it crossed to Lower Cedar
Point that prominent man lived on
the east side of Matthias Point neck
between Persimmon point and Macho-
doc creek. The Rambler would prob
ably have very little trouble in To-
eating the situation of this ferry If
he should go down into that part of
King George county.
A little more than a mile above
Lower Cedar Point is a ferry place Of
unknown age, but which to the oldest
people in that region is called Lud-
lows Ferry. It was busy place dur
ing the civil war, contraband goods
for the confederacy, dispatches from
Washington and newspapers from tn q