The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-02-10

l.
| connecting Virginia with the city OF
Washington at Thirty-fourth street
was originally designed as a memo
| rial to Francis Scott Key, author
of THE Star Spangled Banner" and
| once resident of old Georgetown
The general assembly of Maryland
, made Georgetown a town in 1851
25 years before that province ceas-
ed to be loyal to the British crown
The old town, now part of Wash
ington, evidently was built on the
ashes Of the Indian village of To-
hoge.
How surprised the old residents
would have been to have awakened
| some fine morning to find this glis-
tening white structure in place OF
their little river ferry. Their only
bridge was at Little Falls, three
miles above the present bridge site,
and was made of timbers swung on
! chains. In the charter of the George
town corporation it was written
that the city should keep the chain
bridge and the road leading to the
bridge free and in repair forever
The Georgetown ferry at one time
was in dispute, for Virginia claim
ed-the river as hers. The ferryman
was persuaded to row the sheriff to
the Virginia shore. He was arrest
ed when he stepped on Virginia soil
to collect his fee and taken for
trial to Fairfax Courthouse.
Many years ago, in the shadow of
this new structure, there came and
went the ships of the Dutch East
Indies bringing silks and jewels,
and returning down to the sea with
their cargoes of tobacco. There
also locked the Shenandoah, which
went regularly to Europe with her
hold full of the Virginia weed. to
return laden with salt. Sailing
packets put out for New York with
-four; and once on a Saturday
night the schooner Pearl slipped 81
lently down the river with most of
the slaves of the town on board,
causing scarcity of Sunday morn
ing breakfasts and putting great
CONSERVATION in the hearts of the
housewives
Old Port of Georgetown.
Many tales were told of the boats
which put into port, and it was said
that when Spilman sailed from
jamestown in the pinnace Tiger"
many years before to trade with
the Indians for corn, that Captain
Henry Fleete, who was among
those to land, was captured and
held. He learned the Indian lam
guage and almost forgot his own.
Later he was ransomed and taken
to England. There he told many
wonderful stories, and in writing
of the upper Potomac said, 1T
aboundeth with all manner of fish.
The Indians in one night will catch
30 surgeons in a place of the river
not above II fathoms broad And
as for deer, buffaloes, bears, tfr-
keys the woods do swarm with
them, and the soil is exceedingly
fertile"
The spot where the sturgeon were
caught has since been identified as
the stone house and mill built
about the end of the 18th century
by Amos Cloud; the mill is now
known as Eads mill. George Wash
ington was said to be exceedingly
fond of fish, and fishing was one of
his pastimes; in a letter he said he
went a-dragging for sturgeon fire.
quently"
Had one stood where the north
abutment of the new bridge now
towers in those early days he would
have looked over the old business
section on Browns bakehouse"
on Water street, John Lawrence's
Skin Dressing" on Fayette street,
"Dawson'S Soap and Grease Fac
tory On Water street near Freder-
lex. on the tobacco warehouses,
the inspection House" and the
wharves. 1t was busy little town
and the shops of miscellaneous
character f1ourished and grew An
from an old letter written
by Major Andrew Ellicott to his
wife Sally, when in the city to
make a survey, reads: Il bought
for you in a little shop in George
town a pair of black mitts and a
small smelling bottle
In olden days two fairs were held
by the town. Each fair
lasted three days. The first was
set for the first Thursday in Octo-
Der. and the second began on the
second Thursday in April, and on
these days persons were free from
arrests save only for felony and
breach of peace. The gentry came
from far and near in satins and
homespun and the fair was cere-
opened by the bailiff,
who read a proclamation which be-
gan 30 yesl and that's e'e time, o
yesi and that's twa times, o yes!