Evening star., 1944-04-02
Capital Sidelights
By viii P. Kennedu.

"The first town in the United States
to be named after George Washington
Is Washington, Mass, community of
unsurpassed rural beauty which nestles
in the heart of the Berkshire Hills"
Representative Charles r. Clason has
declared in lengthy extension OF re-
marks in the Congressional Record.
This statement, however, is refuted by
Chairman Sol Bloom of the House For
eign Affairs Committee, who as direc-
tor general of the George Washington
B1centennial Celebration IL years ago
had an extensive survey made, which
ranks Washington, Mass, seventh in
calendar rank of places named for
Washington and spotted on a special
map published at that time. AS a mat
ter OF fact, Representative Clason in
cludes in his article extracts from his
tory of the town given on the occasion
OF the l50th anniversary of the celebra-
tion of the Incorporation of the town
July 4, 1927, by Philip Mack Smith,
then member of the Library of
Congress research department. who
stated that the town of Washington,
Mass, incorporated April IL, 1777, was
the second town in America to be
named for the Father of His Country. /"
Mr.. Blooms bicentennial research
showed that there were 257 townships.
III cities, towns and villages; 80 coun-
ties, 10 lakes, 8 streams, mountains,
State and IA or Is miscellaneous fea-
lures in the continental United States
named for Washington. In addition to
these $50 geographical locations, there
were found to be some LAO American
city streets and an undetermined NUM-
Der OF schools, colleges, universities.
buildings, monuments, bridges, ferries,
city parks, forts, etc., which also bear
Washington's name. To this are to be
added some $50 similar uses of his name
in our outlying possessions and in for
eign lands
The bicentennial survey gives No.
priority to Washington Heights on Man.
haitian Island, N. Y, under the names
Mount Washington and Fort Washing
ton, in the spring or early summer of
1776; No. 2, washington District"
comprising the whole of the present
State of Tennessee, named in a petition
by the Council of Safety of the State
OF North Carolina, received August %,
1776; No. g. Washington County, Md,
dated from September 6, 1776, and per-
haps as early as August 81, which thus
was the first county named for Wash
lngton; No. d. the town of Washington,
N. H., named in petition dated Sep
tember %, 1776, and incorporated De-
cember 13, l776, which thus would seem
to be the first town named for WASH
ington; No. S, Washington County, Va,
named between october and December
81, 1776; No. 6, the town of Washing
ton, N. c., which name was used for an
unspecif1ed tideWater locality on Octo-
ber, 81, 1776, and No. 7, the town of
Washington, Mass, established April 2,
l777, and incorporated in ITO Next in
seniority rating come the towns of
Washington in Connecticut and Georgia
What Congressman from Maryland
was found guilty of treason? The an
swer is Robert Alexander. Born on
the family estate in Cecil County, he
was member of the Provincial Con-
vention of Maryland, 1774-1776, and
secretary Of the Baltimore Committee of
Observation and member of the Council
Of Safety in IT'S. He was elected a
member of the Continental Congress
December 9. ITS. and reelected July
d. 1776. Soon after the PRONUNCIATION
of the Declaration of Independence, he
fed from Maryland to the British fleet,
Joined the Associated Loyalists Of Amer
lea, and In 1882 sailed for London, Eng
land. whore he remained In 1880 he
was adiudgcd guilty Of high treason, and
his property was conhscated