The L'Anse sentinel., 1924-01-04
Few Places Can Challenge Vir-
ginia's Claim to Heroes
and Great Minds.

Washington.-That Benjamin Frank
Inns grandfather, who was a black
smith, may have piled his trade on
horses owned by the ancestors oil
George Washington and of John Adj
ANS and John Quincy Adams, before
ever dreamed of trying their fortunes
In America, is an interesting possibility
developed by the discovery and recent
purchase and dedication of the Adams
ancestral home at Floore, Northhamp-
tonshire, less than ten miles from the
Washington home at Sulgrave and the
Franklin home ut Ecton.
Not content with being the source
of the Washington, Adams and Frank
lin families, Northamptonshire, Il small
inland county only trille larger than
Cook county, Illinois, over which Chi
cago spreads, also (claims that within
ten-mile radius or Sulgrave manor
lived the ancestors of Henry w. Long
fellow, the late Warren G.. Harding,
and William Penn says bulletin of
the National Geographic society
Notable Virginia Region.
"F'rom Northamptonshire and the
counties to the north, Lincoln, York
und Nottingham, came the main stream
of pioneer English stock to settle and
make America, but few places can
challenge Northamptonshlre' claim as
an outstanding garden Of heroes and
great minds
"One counterpart to Northampton
shire in the United States Is to be
found in Virginia. On clear day one
can stand on the watershed of the Blue
Ridge mountains at the intersection Of
Rockingham, Greene and Madison
counties and see over a countryside
containing the lifelong home of Madi-
son, in Orange county: the birthplace
of John Marshall at Midland, the
birthplace of Thomas jefferson at
Shadwell, the birthplace of Woodrow
Wilson at Staunton, the birthplace of
Abraham Lincoln's father at Broad
way, the birthplace of John Sewer,
first governor of Tennessee near Lacey
Springs, and the birthplace Of Zachary
Taylor near Orange.
Within radius of 75 miles from a
point 43 miles northwest of Richmond
Va, were born % men whose names
loom large in American history:
George Washington, James Monroe.
Thomas Llgitfoot Lee, Richard Henry
Lee and Robert Il. Lee in Westmore.
land county; Zachary Taylor and
James Madison in Orange county, Lin
coins father and John Sewer in Rock
lngham county, Thomas Jefferson in
Albemarle county, Henry Clay and Pat
rick Henry in Hanover county, John
Randolph in Chesterfield county, Wood.
row Wilson in Augusta county, George
Mason In Stafford county. John Tyler
and benjamin Harrison in Charles CITY
county, Gen. Winfield Scott in Dinwid.
die county, John Marshall in Farouier
county, Sam Houston in Rockbridpe
county and three signers of the Decla-
ration of Independence, Carter Bray
son, King and Queen county: John
Penn, Caroline county, and George
Walton, Frederick county.
Seven Presidents From Ohio.
ohio has produced seven presidents
,ut she generously distributed the
aonors to all parts of the state.
"Genealogists delving into strata Of
'ociety like biologists exploring gen.
srations Of rocks, are discovering in
Northamptonshire, and other districts
VI England, Scotland and Wales. what
manner of men were these whose sons
Jared to cross 1900 miles of ocean in
nny vessels to build a new nation
they have found that not only was
Benjamin Franklln's grandfather q
blacksmith, but that the noted phiIoso.
cher. printer, postmaster general
mientist, statesman came from lona
dne of blacksmiths.
The washingtons were wool mer.
,hants. William and Thomas Ran.
iolph, also Of Northamptonshire. came
: q America to repair their fortune,
xhich Asd been ruined by the Crom
ge'i revolution. William Penn's moth