Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1925-02-19

the English people. Mrs VlctOrla
Woodruff Martin of Norton Park, Worcestershire,
England has given an ancient English manor
house to be used a hotel for American VISITORS
to Sulgrave Manor; she is the Mrs. Victoria Wood
hull who ran for President in the GrantGreeley
campaign of 1872 and is the wealthy widow, now
eightyseven of John Bidulph Martin, an English
banker The American Bar association visited
Sulgrave Manor last summer as the guest OF the
Sulgrave Institution Of Great Britain and deposit
ed in the museum number of historical relics or
Importance. President Coolidge recalled to the
recollection of his countrymen an almost forgot
ten spot which should be Washington shrine by
paying unadvertised visit last summer to the
birthplace of the Father of His Country
George Washington was born February II, 1892
on Popes Creek Farm, Westmoreland county, Vir-
ginia The place is the west bank Of the Po-
tomac river, 81 miles from Washington by auto
mobile and about 70 by boat. Alongside the road
Is small tablet with the inscription, This Is
Wakefield George Washington, however never
knew the place as Wakefield That name was
given the farm by William Augustine Washington,
his nephew.
The visitor turns In wellkept road con.
Structed by the federal government. After mile
or two he comes out into little clearing on
knoll among the pines. At the center of the KNOLL
inside high iron fence rises granite shaft
bearing the inscription George Washington's
Birthplace" There is no date. This monument
is 80 feet high, of the same pattern as the Wash
ington monument at the capital and was erected
by the federal government In 1895. At the same
time the federal government constructed an iron
boat landing Bridges creek, mile away, and
80 restricted it's use that boats refused to land;
ut is now in ruins.
Popes creek winds about the edge of the clear
sng and gives It's name to the approximately
thousand acres comprising what always has been
known as the Washington farm Popes creek took
its name from Col. Nathaniel Pope, from whom
John Washington, the immigrant, bought this farm
about 1862 and whose daughter, Anne Pope, he
married 1t is now a. prosperous farm in the pos
session of the Latane brothers pronounced Lat-a-
ney) who apparently have come to 1t through In
heritance
The house in which Washington born was
burned so long ago that the date has been forgot
ten In 1913 George Washington Parke Custis
marked the spot with big boulder of Potomac
bluestone Visitors clipped much Of the stone
away and during the Civil the last fragment
of it was carried off. This stone was inscribed
with the date of Washingtons birth and the names
cf his parents.
John Washington of Northamptonshire, Eng
land came to the northern neck" of Virginia
this region is known, in 1857 and bought his farm
of Colonel Pope He left 1t to his son Lawrence
Captain" Lawrence Washington-and he to his
SON. Augustine, the father of George Washington.
Augustine was born on the old home place In
1894 and in 1715 took his wife Jane Butler, a
daughter of Caleb Butler a neghbor From this
slnion sprang four children but only two, Angus
sine and Lawrence outlived childhood On the
s5aath of Jane Butler Washington In 1929 the
yiS0wer married Mary Ball of Lancaster county.
The Ball homestead, called Eppng Forest, is still
standing The children resulting from this mar
rage were: George, Samuel John Augustine
Charles, Elizabeth and Mildred. The last named
died in infancy. When Augustine, the father Of
George died in 1743, he left the home place on
Pope's creek to his Augustine. To his Sec
ond son Lawrence he bequeathed Mount Vernon
He bequeathed to George when he should come
of age the farm on the Rappahannock opposite
Fredericksburg
The farm on which George Washington was
born passed on the death of Georges brother
Augustine, to the latters son, William Augustine
Washington and next to his son, George Corbin