The Republican., 1925-11-12
Where American History Was
Made
Chesapeake Bay County the Birthplace of Seven Presidents
An interesting Account of Interesting Section the
& Country. by W. c. Poole in the Dearborn independent

portatlon companies going out OF
Baltimore gave way to modern eff
cheney and commercialism, the Chesa-
peake Bay country in Maryland and
Virginia will become a summer gar
den for American tourists. Baltimore
will become the starting point from
which thousands of Americans yet
unborn will visit thousand points
of historic interest, from the birth
place of our National Anthem on the
Patapsco to the first English settle
ment at jamestown.
Scarcely does one Of the many
steamboats, which leave Baltimore
daily get under way before it passes
over the spot where our National An
them-the "Star Spangled Banner
was born. Yet l have never seen on
a single steamer anything by which
the traveller might know when he
reaches this sacred spot.
Thousands go to Colchester Beach
on the crowded steamers on summer
D DuJ IIOJ OllC VI lllCill oGClilS ~
know that only three miles away is
the only battlefield monument on the
eastern shore of Maryland, at
Chaulk's Field, where Sir Peter Par
ker was killed in action by the en-
ragged Kent County militia in the war
of 1812-15. Nor do they seem to
know that old st. Paul's Church, now
more than 200 years old, beautifully
located among ancient oaks much
older, and graves almost as old, is
close by. Thousands pass through
the beautiful and quaint old town at
the head of the Sassafras River, over
the state road, without noting the old
brick house on the south side of the
river and knowing the story of Kitty
Knight who lived there in 1812-15
and met the British with her gun
ready to fire on the one who came
near. The house still stands as
monument to her courage.
Even in Chestertown-the seat of
Washington College-one Of the old
est in the country, | found many who
did not know that Charles Wilson
Peale, one of Americas most famous
artists, was born there. These points
are all reached by various steamboats,
running out Of Baltimore. Over these
Kent County roads travelled Colonel
Tench Tilgham carrying the news of
the Surrender OF CORVALLIS from
Yorktown to the Continental Con-
gress in Philadelphia. Over them
Travelled Lafayette in his visit to
America. At Massey Station he is
said to have lifted his hat in humble
reverence to the Creator for the sight
of the most beautiful and fertil land
his eyes had ever beheld.
If one takes the b2as connecting
with the N. D. & Y. r r. to Re
hoboth, the end CT the ferry Is beau
tiful Kent Island where traders from
Virginia settled several years before
the officially recorded settlement at
St. Mary's, in 1884. Here a fort was
built. Here Claibourne ruled in his
own way. Here is largely the scene
Of Church;lPs novel, Richard Carvel
and William H. Rabcoca's story, The
Tower of Wye. Here was located the
first house Of worship in Maryland,
according to reliable historians Of the
Episcopal church. The congregation
still remains, though in a different
building.
At Easton, as the B. c. & A. R. R.
train pulls into the station, still
stands on the right in clump of
ancient oaks what is probably the
oldest frame meeting house in
America. 1t was built by the Quak-
ers in 1852 or 1854 and still stands
as built. l saw seven Of the old hand
made benches which were made at
the time of the building of the church.
1t is still owned by the Friends. In
it William Penn and George Fox
preached hundred years before
CORVALLIS surrendered at Yorktown.
Not far away from Easton is old
Whitemarsh parish church-yard
where lie inferred the bones of Rob-
ert Morris, father of him who walked
the streets of Philadelphia and Sc
cured enough money to keep the
troops of Washington from starving
and freezing during the winter at
Valley Forge. Near Oxford on the
Choptank is the Plimhimmon estate,
the home of the Tilghams. Up the
Wye River is Wye Town, the home
of the Lloyds-seven generations of
whom had a son named Edward so
that they were distinguished by Ed
ward Lloyd the governor, ct cetera
Across the Wye River is historical
Benefits Point where / saw the
grave Of Governor Bennett, buried in
1914.
By the Pocomoke River line of !
steamers, after touching at historic
points on the eastern shore of Vir-
ginia, one sails up the river past
RehOboth where stands the first