Evening star., 1941-07-20
Early Excursions On The Potomac

0AAO ~ Al -
ly as Sunday school resort, was Occo-
guam Falls. The Mary Washington was
peculiarly adapted to shallow water and
it was invariably of great interest to see
the long trail of mud left in the wake
of the steamer as she churned up the
creek bed, the water of which seemed not
over feet in depth. When the water
was clear, 1t was easy to see from the
front of the boat the bottom of the
creek as the craft steamed slowly up this
historic stream, now quite close to the
city's penal institution.
After Mount Vernon Springs ceased to
be used as an excursion resort, Glymont,
Fort Washington and Fort Foote were
the main Sunday school excursion places
on the Potomac. Marshall Hall was al
ways popular, especially for night trips,
and many woman today will fondly
recall the generous coatsleeve which pro-
tected her from the chilly night winds
while taking in one of the evening trips
aboard the famous and commodious
tideshover," Mary Washington. Though
the Sunday schools usually arranged for
the shorter trips, it was not unusual for
them to go to Lower Cedar Point,
Chapel Point, Colonial Beach and other
places within days ride of Washington.
River View came into operation in later
days and belongs to subsequent period.
Excursion Days.
For the Sunday School excursions, the
boat was usually chartered, and of course
the bar was closed. Mount Vernon
Springs and Glymont were probably dry
resorts, and intoxicating liquors were not
sold at Fort Washington and Fort Foote,
as these were military reservations.
The Steamer Washington had carry
ing capacity of $500 people, and in her
passengers than any other vessel on the
Potomac. At an early date she was sold
to Capt. E. S. Randall, and she ran for
years between Washington and River
View, until she was succeeded by the
Samuel J. Pentz. After this the Wash
ington was used for colored excursion
parties to Motley Hall and other points
on the river. Later the vessel was sold to
Robert Holtzman who converted it into
a clubhouse and anchored it at Analostan
Island, near Georgetown. Her boiler and
machinery were taken out before it be-
came the property of Mr.. Hoffman and
a part of the machinery was probably
subsequently used in other boats on the
river.
Like so many people who, when they
start on the downward grade. are kicked
Just little bit further, so it was with
the Mary Washington, which was taken
from Analostan Island and anchored
near Four-Mile Run, where, after
short period, she was practically aban-
doned, and any one who cared to do
so was permitted to carry away from
it pieces of lumber or whatever was
detachable. Finally, on November %,
1902, it caught fire in some way and
was entirely destroyed, and that was the
last of the Mary Washington.
For many years following the Civil
War, Fort Washington was looked after
by lone Army sergeant and Sunday
SCllOOl plClllCS Wclc IlcuucIIly Iiclu GiiCiC'
The site of this fort, originally the
Manor of Warburton, was patented Oc-
tober 20, 1641. When the City of Wash
ington was laid out, George Digges was
the proprietor of Warburton, and &C
cording to the census of 1870, had liv-
ing with him one son over 16 years of
age, wife and one daughter, and had
los slaves Presumably his brother,
William, owned % slaves, and Mary,
who may have been his sister -in-law,
owned IS.
Asked for Fort.
The placing of fort at this strategic
place in the river was due to the re-
quest of President Washington made in
1894, for it was on May II of that year
that Henry Knox, then Secretary of
War; received letter which said: The
President of the United States, who is
well acquainted with the River Potomac,
conceived that a certain bluff of land
on the Maryland side, near Mr.. Digges'.
a point formed by an eastern branch
of the Potomac, would be proper situa-
ton for the fortification about to be
erected"
The expense attached to the construc-
ton of the fort was rather small and
included only proposed expenditure of
$4,000, and from what is stated, prob