Evening star., 1922-01-29

folds itself slowly. The, RAM
bier would like to write
SLOWLY and surely but the
phrase, though commonplace. would
be vcnturesome. At public meet
ing, when the chairman of a COM
mittee has nothing to report and
nothing to tell of in the line Of ac-
tivity or achievement, he reports
progress" In the matter of Bla-
densburg the Rambler reports prog
ress. but he uses that word in Its
proper sense. for he has actually reg
istered some progress. The begin
nings of Bladensburg have been
found in the records. and the name
of a long forgotten place which oeS
cupied the site, or u part of the site,
of Bladensburg. or was situate close
to 1t, also has been found. III you
are a follower of these narratives
you remember that last Sunday the
Rambler wrote: i
1.-The town of BladensburS was laid
out some time about 1742. That is
guess. I have not found the act of
the Maryland legislature creating
this town and naming the commits
sioners who had authority to lay Out
streets, sell lots and do many other
things. But, Bladensburg was named
after Thomas Bladen, and the prob
abilities are strong that ii was SO
named when Bladen cane to the no.
tice of the people of Maryland as one
of the line of royal governors. hne
which extended from 1892 to lVi. or
1916. if you are going to debate about
the conflict between the claims of
Robert Eden, the provincial conVen-
fion and the Maryland council Oh
safety. Thomas Bladen was governor
from 1742 to 1747. and l am mah'ns
the guess that the town of Bladens-
burg was authorized by the legisla-
,ure about the beginning of his term
of office. Few royal governors were
so popular toward the close OF their
terms of Office as to have Towns
named after them.
"It Is a strong probability that
there were mills. inns and stores at
I
| that it was a place for transatlantic
shipment of tobacco before a town
was laid out and named Bladensourg.
Perhaps we may find that before the
! town OF Bladensburg was regularly
provided for by the legislature there
! were a cluster of mills. stores ana
| homes at that site and that the place
| was known at Jones' Mill. Smiths
Store, Two Creeks, Calvert's Mead
ows, or something of that sort.
AS the Rambler guessed" the legis-
lature Of Maryland did authorize the
establishment OF Bladensburg In l742.
Also. as the Rambler guessed. there
was a settlement at that place be-
fore Bladensburg was created. The
name OF the settlement was not Jones
Mill, Smiths Store. Two Creeks or
Calyert's Meadow. 1t was Garrison's
Landing.
THE title of the act establishing
L Bladensburg. passed in 1742. was
IAN act for laying out and erecting
a town on the south side of the East
ern branch of Patomack river in
Prince Georges county by their
called Garrison's Landing" Let us
read the following extracts from that
old act:
whereas. several inhabitants of
Prince Georges county by their by
petition to this general assem-
bly, have set forth that there is con-
yenient place for a town at the head
of the Eastern branch Of Patomack
river on the south side of said branch
near the forks thereof. and at or near
place called Garrison's Landing.
and prayed that sixty acres of land
may be there laid out and erected
into town.
BE it therefore enacted by the
Right Honorable the Lord Proprie-