Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-07-13
WHOLE NATION WILL JOIN
In BICENTENNIAL PROGRAM
Nearly Forgotten Historical Lore of
Many Towns and Families
to Be Broug Int Out.

the past.
The aggregate Of a celebration thus
conceived can be such a reviving of
American tradition as never was before,
such a termination OF our various
legends throughout the country as no
nation ever before achieved.
There are in America forgotten
mines Of tradition and of historical as
ISOLATION The little communities TO
which they have long been familiar are
not aware of how appealing these local
traditions are to persons in other parts
OF the country. Dwight Morrow, talk
ing with an acquaintance about his re-
cent campaign for United States Sen
ator from New Jersey, recited with
especial delight his coming upon little
village on the Delaware River called
Washington Crossing. The citizens of
that village have a heritage, familiar
to them, with which they can interest
| the world. Other communities, large or
small, from Maine to California, have
like traditions, not all associated with
George Washington but all related to
other stirring phases Of Americas past
Such widespread stirring of imag-
nation and such a universal turning
back toward Americas past as the BIZ
centenary Commission is soliciting
may unearth associations with George
Washington or with Revolutionary or
Colonial America, closer than We knew
We had.
Human Link Sought.
AS one detail of this bicentennial
there Is possibility that invites pur-
suit. 1t is conceivable there may be liv-
ing somewhere in America a person
POSSIBLY more than one) who has
talked with person who talked with
Washington--a person who has contact
with Washington through chain as
short as only one link.
To explain what is meant start at
the more distant end of the tie. I'M
agine man born in the year 1870.
Such man at any time up to his nine
tenth year could readily have talked
with George Washington or could at
least have seen Washington. This man
If he should live to the not at all I'M
reasonable age Of IS would not have
died until 1865. Any time during, let us
say, the last is years of that mans life,
at any time between 1850 and 1865, this
intermediary could have talked with a
man who may still be living, for there
are hundreds Of thousands of people in
America who were born between 1850
and 1865, and are now, therefore, any,
where from IS to 80 years of age.
II there is living anybody who has
this contact with Washington he should
certainly be found, and one incident of
the present early preparation for the
1882 event should be search for the
venerable man or woman, if such exists,
VINO talked with person who talked
with Washington or saw Washington.
II that close tie cannot be found
and 1t is largely accident If it. happenS
not to exist-then what other tie or
relation can be found that constitutes
the nearest to direct contact between
the America Of today and the living
George Washington?
A London newspaper few years ago
, | interest q E,,o
|, searching out and identifying families
who In three generations spanned 200
: years. For example to take a sum
posititious American illustrationEa
man still living, John D. Rockefeller,
ST., Is 81 years old and, therefore, was
: porn IN 1899. Suppose Mr.. Rookie
I feller's father was so years old when
the son was born. That would carry
5 the Rockefeller family in two genera
{ tons, father and son, back to l779.
suppose in turn that Mr.. Rockefeller's
grandfather was go when his son was
born. That would carry the Rookie
( Teller family in three generations-so
father and grandfather-back to 1919
' and 17l9 was IS years before George
! washington was born
ANY lie insurance actuary will say
there must be in America hundreds.
perhaps thousands, of such family rec
ords as that; that Is, persons alive to-
Nuy WAlOoc IdIIleTS OF nOLneTS were alive
when George Washington was and
whose grandfathers or grandmothers
' were living when George Washington
t was born.
Details May Prove Fascinating.
, Within the broad principle of causing
the Nation to look back upon its own
history and having each local COM
! munity and even each family review It's
separate contacts with the past-within
that formula details can be innumerable
and all fascinating.
The aspects of any community that
may constitute its own links with the
past are almost innumerable. The old
est house, the Oldest barn in continuous
ownership Of one family, the oldest
business in continuous proprietorship of
one family, passing from generation to
generation-there are in all America
less than hundred businesses which
have remained in the same family as
much as hundred years.
The recalling and in some cases per-
haps the reviving of old place names.
on the farm in Western Maryland
where President Hoover's ancestors
lived during the colonial days, is a
creek. On the old deeds and in the
court house records at Frederick, Nd,
the stream is called "Wolf-pit Creek"
That name is on geological survey maps
made as late as 1920. But no one now
living in the neighborhood knows the
creek by that name, or by any name 1t
has passed completely out of the neigh
borhood nomenclature.
One of the booklets printed by the
present washington commission saws
that Washington's Mount Vernon. be-
fore 1t was given that name, was called
"Epsewassen." Was that an Indian
name?
"Cart-Saddle Greek" Forgotten.
At spot in Southeastern Pennsvl-
Vania with which the writer of this
article Is familiar, is a stream now
called Little Elk Creek"-which is a
| good olo-faShioned name. The writer a
Few years ago procured from London 4
map Of this neighborhood which had
been made by an officer in the British
Army during the Revolution. On this
map, $50 years old, the creek is marked
"Cart-Saddle Creek" No person now
living in the neighborhood can recall
the creek ever being called by that
name The ancient name was as sx-
tinct as the elks and the Indians that
once roamed the neighborhood.
IL would be the saddest of mistakes,
ana fortunately it Is an unlikely one,
II this 200th celebration of Washing
IONS birth should be turned into
merely another occasion upon which
every community in America turns its
eyes toward the city of Washington or
toward New York City The purpose
should be the exact opposite OF itat.
Ine objective should be 70 nave every
local community turn It's eyes away
from the great cities, turn its eyes for
the most part away from the central
celebration, and engage upon the con-