Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-02-05
BY THOMAS r. HENRY.

Washington may be built on top OF
an ancient metropolis--a populous trad
ing and manufacturing center of past
ages.
Such Is the conclusion of Alfred E.
| Glascock, local amateur archeologist,
from a considerable accumulation of
objects unearthed recently by steam
shovels and from a study of aerial maps.
For years Mr.. Glascock has been
gathering artifacts from building eXca-
vations in the District, but his most
conclusive evidence, he says, comes from
the recent discovery of large number
Of stone implements and other artifacts
on the eastern bank of the Anacostia
River, at Molly Boat Cove. almost at
the end of East Capitol street.
These included one stone ak so eff
cient in design, Mr.. GlaScock said, that
he has found six patents issued by the
Government on different implements,
each of which is based on single one
Of the principles already. incorporated
in one tool by the prehistoric inhabit-
ants.
Boat Industry Prospect.
The territory around Molly Boat Cove,
he believes, was one of the manufactur-
ing centers of the ancient metropolis
where skilled workmen turned out
heavy dug-out canoes for the trade In
one direction, and light bark canoes
for the trade in another direction.
The recent discovery of small In
dian industrial center for the manu-
facture of utensils from soapstone in
the mountains near Charlottesville, Va,
he says, adds to his theory by showing
that the Algonquin tribes did concen-
trate their manufacturing in favorable
places, from which trade was carried
on over wide area.
There also are the Indian stone quar-
ries discovered years ago near Piny
Branch, where, it may be assumed,
stone for arrows and other implements
was quarried in exchange for other
articles.
When the first white explorers came
up the Potomac they found a number
of villages near the site of Washington,
but Mr.. Glascock believes that the con-
centration was much greater than has
been believed hitherto.
The map study shows, he says, that
the present site of Washington would
be the pivot of trade and immigration
routes of the majority Of the far-flung
Algonquin-speaking peoples, and con-
sequently would be the place where
their industries would group together.
Around the factories" large numbers
of wigwams for the workmen and their
families would accumulate until there
must have been considerable city of
skilled artisans and traders.
Migrated From Alaska.
The reconstruction depends largely
on making Washington the hub of the
Algonquin nigrations, together with the
enormous number of artifacts found
here, much of which is now in the col
lections Of the National Museum and
of George Washington University.
The Algonquin-speaking race, Mr..
Glascock points out, probably migrated
originally from Alaska through Canada
along the southern edge Of the ice belt,
leaving small settlements behind them
in Montana, as shown by the Indian
linguistic map. AS the main body pro-
ceeded East they were shut off from
the South by the war-like Iroquois
tribes, who had settled about the Great
Lakes. So their only route was east
ward to Labrador and Newfoundland,
where they left settlements, and then
southwark along the coast.
Everywhere they were barred from
turning inland over such natural
waterways as the st. Lawrence and
the Hudson, by the fact that they
would encounter the Iroquois. This con-
dition obtained until they reached the
Potomac, which afforded them a nat
ural roadway far into the interior be-
fore they encountered their enemies.
In their migration down the coast
they had developed both the dug
and birch-bark canoe, the former of
the most value in carrying their house.
hold goods and families. In their dug
outs they turned up the Potomac. But
these heavy boats were serviceable only
to the head of tidewater. In small,
rapid streams and against the current
they were practically unmanageable.
The Potomac tide would carry them
only about as far as Washington and
UP the Anacostia only about as far as
Molly Boat Cove. Here they would
have been obliged to debark and con-
struct bark canoes for further progress
inland. This would have caused great
delay. A considerable canoe building
industry would have been established
and the less energetic left behind.
Washington Was Starting Point.
Now from Washington, Mr. Glascock
deduceS from the aerial maps, there
were two favorable routes OF migration
inland which could have been followed
by launching bark canoes on small
streams and with short overland jour-
neys. The distribution of artifacts, he
says, indicates that they took both
bAACoC AOQlCog dIWaJo 1IOul
Washington. The first was by the way
of Rock Greek and Seneca Creek and
then through the Blue Ridge Mountains
near Harpers Ferry-known as the
Seneca trail.
The second was by way of the Pa
tuxent to the Susquehanna trail. Both
there routs. he points out, afterward
were followed by stage coaches and
railroads and today are being followed
/ hV airnlanaS Pv both fhasa ro,Ytae tho
Algonquins, he says, could have pro-
lPORRERC EMDI OX