Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1948-02-19

fowl sanctuary?
The 40-acre strip of land lies be-
tween the river and the Chesa-
peake and Ohio Canal at the foot
of the Pennifield Locks Road Cor
Muddy Branch Road) about five
miles above Great Falls. 1t is not
far from National Park Service
holdings and is directly on the
route taken by gray mallards on
their southwark migrations.
The presentation of the deed to
the tract was made to State Game
Warden Ernest A. Vaughn who
said that the development of the
area would be complete by next
September. The work will be done
by the State Game and Inland Fish
Commission in cooperation with
Federal agencies and other wild
life groups.
Mrs. Dierssen told the SENTINEL
that she and her husband conceived
the idea of the sanctuary last sum-
mer while discussing conservation
work with Malcolm King of Cal
thersburg, Wild Life Field Super
intendent of the State Game and
Fish Commission, and James Ber-
rier, President of the Rockville
Chapter of the Izaak Walton
League. They suggested that the
tract would make an ideal bird
sanctuary. 1t was their interest
and enthusiasm that led to the
dedication of the land for the pur-
pose, she said.
Mr.. Dierssen, who is with the
Port of Baltimore, said he hoped
the grant would begin practice
among landowners of giving areas
for the development of food and
resting places for wildfowl.
Mr.. and Mrs. Dierssen trust
that this wildfowl refuge will not
only be of benefit to conservation
lists and sportsmen but to school
children, bird lovers and scientists
who wish to observe and study
wild life in it's natural setting.
The Dierssens are living in Bal
timore this winter. Four years ago
they came from Washington and
bought Old Mill Farm on the road
between Travilah and Jamestown.
The tract donated to the State is
not a part of their home farm but
part of the Hatton Waters place
which they purchased from his
heirs three years ago and renamed
River Farms.
The Waters farm comprised a
number of pieces of land border
ing River Road, from the junction
of that road with the road to
Pennifields, to some distance be-
yond Muddy Branch. The sanctu-
airy will include a piece once called
"Maiden's Bower" which was part
of a brides dowry and more re-
Gently called Long Acre"
1t was quite a job searching the
title of the tract, John D. Bowman,
Rockville attorney, told US. These
tracts along the river have changed
hands many times. Some of the
first grants were for enormous
parcels which were later broken
up and sold-so it is hard to go
back to the original ownership.
Perhaps newcomers to the vi
cinity might like to know of some
of those early patents. By looking
on their deeds they may turn up
something interesting.
Records show that BrightwelPs
Hunting Quarter was patented
August 20, 1895, for Richard
Brightwell, who was attracted by
the rich bottomland along the
river. His one thousand and eighty
six acre tract is said to have run
four miles along the Potomac and
is traversed for its entire length
by the C. & o. Canal. 1t was stu
ated between Edwards Ferry and
the mouth of Great Seneca. Bright
we'll lived with his dogs, pet bears
and deer as companions for 26
years before Concord" was grant
ed Daniel Dulany, April 26, 1921.
This tract, located a mile above
Brightwells, contained 1,106 acres
and extended up beyond Whites
Ferry. 1t, too, is now traversed by
the canal.
Nearer the Falls was 100 acres
patented to John Thompson, De-
cember 8, 1715, called "Thomp-
sons Hop-Yard," described as ly-
ing along the Potomac. Just above
was "Dung Hill" surveyed for
Walter Evans, August 10, 1715,
containing 536 acres. 1t was stu
ated on the Potomac at the mouth
of Watts Branch. The canal runs
through it "as does the River Road
from near Watts Branch to Con-
nell's farm"