Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1921-01-27
The Old River Road to Shepherdstovn
BY ]. q. Knott.

wishful eye" the vision came Of a
wide expanse of water from one shore
Of which a beautiful land could be
indis;inctly seen on the other side,
while oaSnng waves rolled high at my
feet. Imagine a stream about the size
of the Opequon. and about as dis
tinguished looking, and you have the
| Jordan. "Rome, on the Tiber," sounds
like the very witchery OF words. ! am
sure, however, that thousands of
tourists have crossed the Tiber in go
| ing over to visit ST. Paul's Church and
did not know that they had crossed
stream. or il they did know, thought
! il was a canal. "The far and winding
Rhine" is interesting, of course, but
chiefly for the old castles which stand
on its bluffs. The river itself is swift,
muddy, andS anything but beautiful.
The Thames is small, and Of the mill
pond variety. The Ohio is muddy.
mOnotonous and uninteresting. The
lordly Mississippi runs through a fiat
country and reminds one of an over
| flowed bottom land. The only river
that have ever seen 10 compare with
the Potomac is the Hudson, and it is
very much like our own wonderful
river
Take your stand upon the front porch
of the Mt. Vernon mansion, or upon
! the bluffs Of the river at Potomac
! Heights, Washington, ID. c., and you
will see one of the most majestic rivers
of earth. Great Falls, near Washing
ton City, is a more picturesque sight
than the Falls of the Rhine. But for
| quiet and romantic beauty, see the Po-
tomac from the high hills of the Moler
and Engle section of Jefferson county
where the Blue Ridge forms a near
background, and the hills of two States
are mirrored in the glaSs-like water
as you look down upon it from several
hundred feet elevation. Or see the
river from the Samuel Knott home
stead, looking north towards Mountain
Lock; then from the Cement Mill site.
looking towards Shepherdstown, and
finally from the bluffs of Shepherds
town. What marvel that such
Beauty has in the main, been unsung
and is practically unknown to the
great world at large. Will not some
youthful heart be inspired to write
romance in which the story of Rum
Sey can be weaved; or some legend
| OF the Rip Van Wrinkle order, or like
that of the Headless Horseman taking
the Potomac river scenery as a ground
work, and forever immortalizing it?
The Old River Road, leading from
knott's Island to Shepherdstown, was
one of the most delightful drives of
forty years ago. The floods of recent
years have damaged that road and so
| turned the river bed in places as 10
make this road now a little used one
The automobile, too, with its elimina-
tion OF distance and love for ma
cadamed highways, has. stressed the
longer way around for the sake Of con
venience. The sequestercd drive over
sand and by cool streams, is not now
so popular as in the days of the ia hers.
But those fathers loved that river road.
When in other days young man wan,-
ed to know his standing with the girl
OF his heart, he usually induced her 10
accept drive over this romantic way
where amidst environment of river and
mountain scenery, ripping water, and
the Cement Mill dam roaring in the
distance, he unburdened his heart
while the horse he was driving walked
slowly under overhanging trees from
whose houghs the oriole sang and the
KING fisher cackled as he dived for
his dinner.
A. one rOin: in this road, the Island
long Known as Knott'Slsland, separated
was locally known as the little river" |
on the Virginia side. For about one
mile, from Hoffman's Mill to the .
southern end of the Island, this small
or stream OF the Potomac formed an
almost c0mo!ete vista. Whites armed
sycamore trees reached across AM
touched each other from either side o.
the stream. The road itself was lined
with pawpaw bushes, and the air was
nurdened with the fragrance of violctS
and wild mint. The rabbit, in this
sequcstered lane, would timidly venture
out and hop along the road as though
sure no one riding along this wav
would harm it. Turtles would crawl
up on the old logs in the midst of tine
stream and take their baths, where
the sun could shine in spots through
the dense foliage As evening came on
the river frogs would tune up for their |
nocturnal concert, and soon from high |
treble TO baSSo profunio they would |
burden the air Of night with their mo- |
notonous music. To some persons this !
&c" concert was interesting and ever
'-aluIui; 10 other it was most dismal |
- nc Knots islani region the bass
/. l.hg IN ether days was the very best
=. the southern end of me sla1d |
Where wonderful spring of unfalinp
wafer came out from the hillside, FISH !
ing Parties would camp for DAYS.
Captain Lee H. Moler ami his brother
in-law, Will Reinhart, were ascustomc,
10 lead parties here each season and
TO come themselves at every opportuni !
": Col: William A. Morgan and hi,
friends loved this spot and came fire. |
quGhtiy, the tail form Of the ex-confed /
craze towering above all Of his friends |
WI George Llcklider, then quite ar
o,a man would come here ana inquire |
oi Us RIVER boys the best fishing |
places. | recall that we resented tm
some degree the beautiful fishing |