Evening star., 1946-10-27

one village. The population is dis
tributed throughout the townships
for it is, essentially, an agricultural
area.
Political History Dates
From April e, 1886
The principal celebration will be
held Saturday, although April %,
1896, st. Georges Day, was the date
on which the county actually COM
menced to function as an inde-
pendent political unit.
In creating the county. which was
named after Prince George Of Den
mark, who became King-consort
on the accession of Queen Anne in
1702. the Colonial Legislature further
decreed:
THAT the colors military flag)
for the said county be st. Georges
Cross, a red cross in a white field"
The formal celebration will start
about noon Saturday with parade,
which will start at Hyattsville, wind
past the Bladensburg Peace Cross
and terminate at the Marlboro Fair
Grounds.
Floats in the parade will depict:
The visit in 1908 Of Capt. John
Smith to the Indian settlement of
Piscataway Greek. Capt. Smith and
his party are believed to have been
the first Anglo-Saxons to sight the
county,
Prince George surrounded by pal
ace officials.
Sir Francis Nicholson, the royal
Governor, during whose admins
tration the county came into being.
The church at Mount Calvert,
first courthouse. Justices Of the
peace, serving as county commits
sioners and as the County Court,
were appointed by King William
through Gov. Nicholson and met
in the church on st. Georges Day.
The evolution Of the tobacco in
dustry in the county.
DR.. William Beanes Of Marlboro,
who was arrested for allegedly in
stigating the arrest Of marauders
Of the British Army en- route to
Washington. Francis Scott Key,
while on his way to negotiate the
release of DR.. Beanes from Fort
McHenry, was inspired to write our
national anthem.
Thomas George Pratt, who lived
lin Marlboro while serving as Gov
ernor of Maryland from 1845 to 1848.
He also served as United States
Senator from 1850 to 1857.
Gov. O'Conor Will Speak
AT Marlboro Exercises
Ceremonies at Marlboro. at which
many State and county officials will
be present, will include speech by
Gov. O'Conor.
One of the county's best informed
historians, Daniel M. Greene, re-
Gently wrote an extensive series Of
musings on olden times OF Prince
Georges. Excerpts follow:
"The original division Of Prince
Georges County comprised four
hundreds: Patuxtent, Collington,
Mount Calvert and 'Mattapony,
with a total of 514 taxables. The
hundred was adopted from the
English system, where the county
or shire was divided into hundreds,
each hundred usually having groups
of 10 families of freeholders gov
erned by high constable and hav-
ing its own court. The first county
seat was established at Mount
Calvert, where it remained until
172l when it was removed to its
present site at Upper Marlboro. '''
Upper Marlboro in Colonial days
was a gay social center, as well as
county seat. BY ITO there was
socially distinctive aristocratic
class in Prince Georges County,
comparatively large, wealthy and
some well educated. The county
seat became famous for its horse
races, its clubs or assemblies, its
balls and its plays.
Planters Made Up Purses
For Co, orful Horse Races
"The planters put aside their
spare money with which they made
up purses for the races. A ball
usually followed the races and also
after a theatrical performance. :
The old assembly rooms at Upper
Marlboro became famous through
out the neighboring territory. They
were used for q variety of purposes.
plays, balls and card parties being
the most popular. : >"
"The early settlers as a whole
were not an educated class. How
ever, as early as 1894, the Assembly
passed an act for the establishment
of free schools and authorized their
support by levy of duties on the
export of furs and tobacco. Again
in 1723 an act was passed for the
establishment of a free grammar
school at BladensbuTg. The notice
stated that the master would teach
Latin, Greek and Hebrew, If re-
quired.
1.-THE school masters were q low,
dissolute set as . rule, many OF