Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-07-18

Hening's statutes 81, George II. 1t
was entitled "An Act for Erecting
Town on Occoquan River in the Coun-
ty of Fairfax 1t provides that the
town shall be- called Colchester. and
recites that twenty-five acres of land
belonging to Peter Wagner. begin
ming on the upper side of the ferry
landing over the OccoQuan river in
the county of Fairfax and extending
down said river to the land of Waugh"
shall be laid off into streets. squares
and lots. Each lot purchaser should
within two years erect house OF
stone, brick or wood not less than
twenty feet square land nine-foot pitch
at least. The streets and public
wharves must be kept in repair. etc"
The trustees named for establishing
the town were Peter Wagener. Daniel
McCarty. John Barry. William Ely
and Edward Washington, gentlemen"
The first bridge over Occoquan
creek was built al the Mason ferry.
few yards below the present railroad
bridge. On January 2, 1898. there was
approved an. act of the Virginia leg
islature THAT it shall be lawful for
Thomas Mason, his heirs and assigns.
to demand and receive the following
tolls and rates of passage for any
person or thing over his bridge across
OccoQuan- river opposite the town of
ColcheSter-that is to say:
~-"Fpr man 6 cents and for horse
the same. and for the following things
the collector of said tolls may de-
mand and take the following rates
that is to say: For every coach. char
lot or wagon and the driver thereof
the same as for six horses; for every
phaeton. four-wheeled chaise or cart
and the driver thereof. the same as
for four horses; for every two
wheeled chair. as for two horses; for
every hogshead of tobacco as for one
horse: for every head of neat cattle
as for one horse; for every sheep,
goat, lamb or hog. one-fourth part of
the toll for one horse. and no more"
The lawmakers were particular
about that mo more" provision. They
set forth at length that if the toll
collector should take more the
aggrieved party might sue. and on
proving that the toll regulation had
been violated the plaintiff could re-
matter of public ferries and toll
bridges there was earnest aHd par
ticular regulation of traffic and rates
Of fare a century and more ago. The
seems to have felt the need for an M
crease Of rates. a feeling which has
come upon many public service cor
porations today. In 1904 the Virginia
legislature after a close investigation
Of the earnings of that bridge, its
passed an act permitting the toll to
be increased from cents for a man
and 6 cents for a horse" to as cents
for man and the same for horse"
The village of Occoquan, the old
mill town to which the Mary Wash
ington used to run on excursions and
through which thousands of Washing
ton people pass in automobiles today.
was established as town by act of
the Virginia legislature. January S.
1904. though it was quite a milling
and manufacturing seat before the
town was created. The legislature
enacted that thirty-one acres of land.
James Campbell and Luke Wheeler at
the Occoquan Mills. in the county of
Prince William, as soon as it shall be
laid OFF into lots and convenient
streets, shall be established as a town
by the name of Occoquan."
The trustees of the town. appointed
by the legislature were James Keith,
George Gilpin. Thomas ]. Page, Ed
ward Washington and John Coffer