Evening star., 1939-12-31
Ante>Bell,,m
Setting " as
Impressive
Old Blair Mansion
Occupied Place
In History
By John CIagen Proctor.

y
AS the writer has probably said
before, there are few places in or
around Washington that will not,
upon investigation, disclose some
worthwhile historic information.
And so we find such familiar places
as Rockville, Tenleytown, Bethesda,
Chevy Chase, Alexandria, Hyatts-
vile, Bladensburg, Silver Spring and
q number of other well-known near
by localities just teeming with items
Of unusual interest.
Silver Spring, the aforementioned
town, located right at our District
Maryland line and extending along
both sides of Georgia avenue in
Montgomery County, is, by name at
least, about 100 years old, since 1t
was in 1842 that Francis Preston
Blair built his home in this neigh
borhood, and gave it this name, hav-
ing previously bought large area
of ground in this vicinity, which he
added to from time to time, until
it reached about 1000 acres.
The pioneer Mr.. Blair came to
Washington in 1880 at the invitation
of President Jackson, who was
strongly opposed to disunion. The
President wanted Mr.. Blair to come
here and help him establish news
paper to defend and explain the
policies of his administration. The
result was the starting of the Globe,
which became a power in politics
and made a fortune for its early
owners and editors. At first 1890
1880, 1t was published by F. P.
Blair; later Q834-184Y, it was pub
lished by Blair and John c. Rives.
The latter purchased the formers
interest in 1849, and with the as
sistance of his sons, continued to
publish and edit it until 1873. In
connection with this paper, there
was also published the Congressional
Globe, begun during the 1833-34
session of Congress and superseded
by the Congressional Record in 1873.
Story Of Silver Spring.
The founding of Silver Spring by
the senior Blair is Interestingly told
by Maj. Gist Blair in the Records of
the Columbia Historical Society,
where he says:
my grandfather, who had been
brought from Kentucky by Andrew
jackson, President of the United
States, soon after his election, rode
into its delightful wilds on his horse
Selim and discovered the beautiful
sparkling spring from which its
name is derived. ." He had pur-
chased this saddle horse from Gen.
William Lingan Gather, from whose
family the prosperous town of
Gaithersburg, in Montgomery Coun-
ty, takes its name, then a repre-
sentative man, and while he was
riding Selim one day outside the
boundary of the District of Columbia
his horse became frightened and
threw his rider and ran away among
the thick growth of pines in the
valley to the west of the road which
Is now known as Georgia avenue, in
the District of Columbia, formerly
Seventh street road, in the county
HE followed his horse into the
woods and found him shared by the
Yeins to a bush which had caught
the reins dangling, and near the
place was beautiful spring full ot
white sand and mica, which the
gush Of the water from the earth
forced into small column, sparkling
as 1t rose and fell like silver. HI
was charmed with the spot anc
purchased the property. It was moi
dear, and I have a parchment Ger.
ttficate showing that some of the
land was bought direct from the
State"
The wife of the pioneer Mr.. Blair
who was Violet Gist, was as fond o.
horseback riding as was her hus.
band, but there were only a few
roads around Silver Spring wher
they moved there, and so, in ordel
to provide a good bride path fol
his wife, Editor Blair had laid ou
"that winding roadway which fol
lows Sligo branch, now where tn
Seventh Day Adventists have grea
sanitarium." The bridal path ex
tended about seven miles, almos
entirely on the Silver Spring
property.
Though the old home Of Franci
Preston Blair was built nearly
century ago, care and attention Civ
1t the appearance of a more recentl!
constructed building, and, certainly
few would ever imagine its grea
historic importance.
Former Senator Blair Lee o