Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1950-11-16
Montgomery SideIights
ELSIE WHITE HAINES
ELSIE WHITE HAINES

estate owner. One transaction was
the purchase from Jeremiah
CraSb's estate of 502 acres called
Crabb's Fortress, on which was
located "Lost Knife" the transfer
being in 1911. Braddock owned a
great part of the adjoining prop
erty through various deeds during
a long period, William Dorsey,
Meltias (Tice) Lyddane and Willis
Burdette successfully acquiring
the southwest and southeast losts
on Adams Street.
"In about 1884, when Mrs. Jones
moved into the house, above re-
ferred to, Mondays blacksmith
shop was on the corner, then Com
merce Lane and Adams Street, the
same shop being later owned by
Phil Mulfinger. Next door was
located the Post Office, a small
frame building, in about 1888,
serving also as a general mer-
chandise store, of which the popu-
lar Hal Dawson was proprietor.
He later moved to and reared his
family in the West, returning here
to live and die on his prosperous
farm near Rockville. (Mr. Dawson
was the father of States Attorney
Walter w. Dawson and Miss Rose
Dawson who live at the family
home). ]H
Adjoining Mrs. Jones house on
the other side was the present
Hicks house, Cor No. 32), at that
time the Dick Green home. Here
resided also a member Of the
family, apparently of an iptros-
pective and neurotic temperament,
perhaps the result of Vitamin de-
ficiency, Her name was "Polly"
and her frequent mournful shrieks
of "Polly's so sick" are still vivid
lly recalled by several of the then
children of the neighborhood. Some
years later, after "Polly's" demise,
another familiar voice resounded
frequently each day, emanating
frcm the Peter residence on North
Adams Street, the tones being more
dictatorial than plaintive, calling
over and over, arthur! Ar thur
Pc teri" Of course, you are
rioht-the weird voices were those
of pet parrots"
Still quoting Miss Mona: ITO
be on the safe side, we estimate
that within about fifteen years the
Youngsters in that block were the
four Jones children, perhaps ten
or more Erglands, Kate, and
Arthur Peter, Judge Robert Pc
ter being a little older, five or more
of the Dawson children and, If /
mistake not, later Mrs. Richard
Falvey Bessie Jones). There may
have been others whose names are
not row available. Mr.. Thomas
Anderson, a widower without chill
dren, lived on the northeast corner,
his house having been built III
1878, now owned by Judge Thomas
M. Anderson, his nephew. The old
eall-Dawson home still stands on
the northwest corner (now the
Davis home). The tract extending
from Commerce Lane (West Mont
comery Avenue) to jefferson
Street along South Adams Street
known as "Miller's Hope" was
sold by John r. Miller to Jonn
Braddock in 1843. The records OF
the present Christian Church show
that deed was executedSin 1906
by Roberta v. Braddock convey
ing to the church the house then
used as a place of worship, when
was the residence of Brother BRAD
dock, across the street from the
present church." During the fol-
lowing years 'Miller's Hope was
sold in lots to Charles Veirs, trus-
tee for Mrs. Rebecca Veirs, later
the DR.. Edward Anderson home
Mrs. Rosalind Curtain rented
small house adjoining this lot
where she conducted a kindergar-
ten school, many of those young
sters still living in Rockville
If this bit has intrigued you, you
may want to buy copy Of MISS
Noma's history and read the BOOK
in it's entirety. IShe has about a
hundred more copies of the reprint
for sale-just send $2.65 to her at
1923 22nd Street, NV, Washing
ton 7, d. c. and she will mail you
a annM