The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-02-10
Frederick Haskin's Letter
q xAa Ars1aI
The Georgetown Bridge
tspec4al Corrsspondnas e

and mats the theird and last TIM.
i come all manner OF parsc--15
Whereupon he stated what must -.
be done by the people on tbs Az ~
under penalty of punishment Wy Wy
it ended with "and I'll baam - - ~
banner. In 1863 the race lrae;.
was opened in conjunction with 40 10
fairs, with gentlemanly betting I,
is said OF George Washington tbas
he attended the races, bet mo5a s'
ately, and generally subscribed ;,
the purses. The old fairs wara ~,
and festive occasions, stafaereayy
and private citizen gathering ~
gether for pleasant recrea1ioS
Key House New Store.
On the spot where now Is hsi,-
built the north approach of the nan,
bridge stands a little shop Eon
kins' hardware store. It Is all M,
/ is left of the Francis Scott r..
mansion. From this house W..
forth his two sons who were kiIla5
one in duel.
one bright morning, the Fourth
of July in 1928, to the accomnani-
ment of the Marine band. a Inn.
party set out from the Union hos
on Bridge street and proceeded n
the spot where John Quincy Adams
then president of the United State
turned the first spadeful of eartb
for the new waterway TO the west
the Chesapeake & Ohio canal
which was completed in October
1850. A few days after the cana
was opened the Freeman Rawdona
came down from Cumberland
where she had started with the
elizabeth" Southampton" Della
ware" and ohio" all bearing coal
and was the first to round a bend
half mile above the spot where
the new bridge now stands. As the
boat passed the old Columbian
foundry at the bend, a salute was
fired. Near the end of the canal a
bridge was built long ago over Rock
creek, but one stormy night. while
bearing the weight of a stage, it
gave way, and driver and horses
were drowned. This gave rise TO
the tradition still talked Of in
Georgetown Of The Headless Man
of K Street Bridge"
There also is told the story Of
1.-THE Drummer Boy of Little Falls
who tried to cross the river at that
point SO that he might muster into
the army in Virginia during the
Revolutionary war. He was drown
ed, and there are those who say
that they have heard the brave lit
tie roll of his drum when night and
morning meet.
The new structure is OF reinforc-
ed concrete, having seven graceful
spans. The work is being carried
on under the supervision Of the
United States army engineers. It
was begun in 1917 and it is expect
ed that the late fall Of 1922 will see
it's completion. The deck Of the
bridge is to be of ample width to
carry foot passengers, vehicles and
trolleys, and in the center it rises
81 feet above the water at low
tide.
What would Major L'Eufant have
said when he stood on the heights
and looked down at the "PotomacE
had he seen this majestic structure
bridging the river? Would he have
written his survey. as he did, that
from those heights the view was
?"
Mrs. SOuthW0rth's Home.
It was from those same heights
that Mrs. E. D. E. n Southworth
viewed the winding Potomac and
watched the Virginia Palisades
change from young and shiTering
green. through russell gold, to Sill
yer white as the seasons passed.
There, in Prospect cottage, which
still stands, she watched the growth
of Georgetown and Washington
writing her many vivid stories
around their historic personalities /
and points of interest.
During the early days in George
town it was necessary TO take the
ferry if one was of a mind to cross
to the neighboring state, or else
ride on the chain bridge at Llllle
Falls and there cross three miles
above. Later the Aqueduct 6rlage
was built on the old foundation
which was constructed to carry
canal across to Virginia.
Those times are passed now ana
the old residents Of Georgetown
are but memories; homes have gone
to ruin and gardens struggled Oh
to weeds; still as always the 70
tomac must be bridged. and now
in place of the old and patient Ter,
ry, the swinging chain bridge ana
the now condemned aqueduct Is
being erected this stately Ehs
structure. The grand ana
solemn procession which carry our
hero dead to their last resting p.+g ~
at Arlington will pass over Il.'
new Georgetown bridge, the "es'-
ern gateway to the south.