davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1955-09-29
Sold for $4,000,
Land Is Worth
Million TOday

There was a land auction in
Silver Spring on Sept. 16, 1885
BID before development.
The county offered at auction
six acres divided into % lots. The
land was originally purchased by
the county for a Silver Spring
community center, plans for
which were abandoned.
Only one bidder appeared at
the auction. Garfield /. Kass of
fered $1,000 for the tract. Coun-
~ Attorney Edward Peter declin.
ed the bid and called off the sale.
Today the land is worth well
over a million dollars.
Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1955-09-29

Chapel, was used by severa.
congregations before it was pur
chased by the Presbyterians OF
Washington in 1893.
In 1890, Takoma Park was
chartered as a city by the Mary
land General Assembly. The
certificate of Incorporation was
signed by Gov. Elihu f. Jackson
The Incorporation movement was
led by the Takoma Park I'm
provement Association, an or
ganization of local citizens.
Elections held in May of that
year resulted in Mr.. Gilbert's
election as mayor. He held that
post through 1893, Councilmen
chosen were George II. Bailey, j.
Vance Lewis, Daniel Smith and
Frederick J. Lung.
Theodore Bailey was appointed
town clerk and treasurer, but
resigned after a few weeks and
was succeeded by Charles M
Heaton, Jr. Fred w. Longley
was named bailiff, with Carrot
M. David elected as W n
counsel.
The streets were named by
Mr.. Gilbert, an ardent fan of
the outdoors. Almost all of
them bear the names of trees on
flowers. At first the streets on
the District side were called
avenues, as on the Maryland
side, but they were later changed
by the d. c. Commissioners 50
that, aside from Eastern Avenue
the term avenue" is distinctive
Of the Maryland part Of Takoma
Park.
Mr.. Gilbert was a temperance
advocate, as evidenced by the
clause inserted in each early
deed that mo malt or spirituous
liquors be manufactured or sold
on said premises. A newspaper
clipping of 1895 declared, "Ta
koma Park is prohibition
town. To this day, residents
fight moves TO allow sale OF
liquor within the towns boun
diaries.
Aside from the general topog
raphy, the healthful climate and
the profusion Of trees and
flowers which abounded in the
area, there was still another
factor which led Mr.. Gilbert to
develop the first subdivision in
TakOma Park.
This was the large number OF
fresh running, crystal clear
springs all over the area. which
furnished drinking water for the
early residents.
Two springs are mentioned in
particular in the early historical
accounts, but it has been eSti.
mated that the area boosted 10
or 30 all told. Number one,
called Little Spring, was located
on Cedar Street, near the rail.
road tracks.
The Takoma Spring, also
known as Big Spring, was the
largest and most prominent Of
Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1955-09-29


such communities as Wheaton,
TWinbrook and Viers Mill Vii
lage - which sprang full-groWn
from the drawing boards and
bulldoZerS of subdivision de-
veloper - has precedent in the
birth of one of the county's
most unusual communities, Ia
kona Park.
Takoma Park, straddling the
juncture of Montgomery County,
Prince Georges County and the
District of Columbia, is known
today as a quiet old town where
the stores are closed on Saturday
and open on Sunday, and the
people talk softly and gently,
Most area residents think of
Takoma Park as a place that
was Railways there" - growing
up slowly through the centuries,
around the homes of early
settlers.
But the real story is that the
town was built up and promoted
by a New York-born developer,
Benjamin Franklin Gilbert.
Mr.. Gilbert, a successful bust
neSsman in Washington, was
driving through the country sur
rounding that city one day in
1883. Taken with the beauty of
the Grammar farm, he bought it
and turned the 100-acre tract into
a series of home lots.
The following year, a vehicle
carrying three adults and four
children from Washington enter
ed a forest of oak, pine and tulip
poplar, to makestheir home in a
crude, hastily-conStructed frame
building on that tract.
Benjamin Gilbert was the lead.
er of that small band.
Located but few miles
directly north of the national
capital, with all the natural adj
Vantages that it afforded, and
with ready access to and from
Washington by rail, the Sylvan
Suburb of the National Capital"
grew rapidly under its master
builder.
Within a year there were $50
residents. In 1886, Mr.. Gilbert
had bought and subdivided the
so-called Carroll Farm tract, east
of Carroll Avenue, and was de-
livering water from the big
spring on Poplar Avenue.
During the winter of 1884,
just after Mrs. Gilbert had pur-
chased the original tract for
$500, completed the preliminary
layout and sold a couple of lots,
he called on Orlando d. Sunny
and his family in Washington.
AS they sat playing cards, he
suddenly remarked that he had
purchased the property, and said,
1--WE will name it this evening"
Turning to Mrs. Sunny, he ask
ed, Ida, what would you sug-
gest?"
Mrs. Sunny promptly replied,
Tacoma" the Indian name for
high up, exalted, or high place
near the Great Hunting
Grounds, the Indian Heaven.
She suggested that the name be
spelled with a *" to avoid con.
fusion with Tacoma, Wash, and
to give better balance in writing.
Thus the town, lying partly in
Maryland and partly in the Dis.
Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1955-09-29
Takoma ark Ranks
!: Among Areas First
Home Developments

trict, got its name. Presumably,
Mr.. Gilbert added the word
Park.
Early in its history, public
institutions were established in
the town. The post office open
ed in 1886, and the first school
began operations in a private
home that same year, with Miss
Prentiss as teacher. Two years
later, a public school opened,
taught by Miss Gardner.
Built in 1889, the community's
first church, called Union
Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1955-09-29

Maryland and Virginia was to
have political jurisdiction over
the "District") was to receive
half the proceeds of such sales to
be used in developing its own
buildings.
Thus, everything in the early
part of the year 1871 appeared
to be moving toward satisfactory
settlement = with the prospect
of rapid completion of the prof.
ect. Then unexpected and serious
trouble developed, and stemmed
from a part of the basic contract
with the land owners that had
caused no question at all when
originally drafted. These owners,
most of them Maryland men, at
first agreed readily enough to
the contract clause by which they
would donate the land necessary
for the streets, avenues and
alleys in the new city.
But, when the plans drafted by
L'Enfant were revealed, they
called for streets varying from
100 to 100 feet in width, and
avenues of 160 feet in width, ex-
cept for one central avenue to
run from the Capitol building to
the Presidents house of 400 feet
in width! What all of this meant
was that, of a total estimated
area of something close to 6,100
acres Ito be dedicated to the
establishment of the "District"D
more than 5000 acres would be
used for thOroughfareS, if the
French planner had his way.
And, if another estimated 541
acres for Federal buildings were
considered, less than 1000 acres
(enough for approximately 10000
building lots) would be available
for general use, with half of the
proceeds from sales from these,
it must be remembered, to go to
the Federal Government!
In this crisis - which threat.
ened to wreck the negotiations
and perhaps the project itself -
Washington's great restraint and
patience proved to be decisive
He could not but feel a good deal
of sympathy for the irate land.
owners. And L'Enfants tempera.
ment and attitude, genius though
he undoubtedly was, made him a
difficult man with which to deal.
Yet the president clearly saw
the issue and knew that the
French artist was right. A great
city in the future would need
these great avenues and boule-
wards, so he used all of his per-
suaslVe influence to induce his
associates to go along with the
basic plans. After some minor
adjustments, the landowners. to
their great credit, consented, and.
IN thus agreeing, placed idealism
and patriotism far ahead of
profiteering..
1t may be well to add that this
crisis, plus some other unfor.
tunate incidents shortly there
after, led to the abrupt resigna-
ton of L'Enfant from the com.
mission, much to the regret of all
concerned.
But the essential principles of
his plans were never departed
from, either by Ellicott his i'm.
mediate successor, or any of
those who, in the years ahead,
were to be responsible.
MarylandS contributions TO the
growth Of progress of the United
States of America from the DAYS
of the Revolution to the present
era, have been numerous and dis.
tinguished. But never was a
more glorious chapter written in
all OF that long history than that
involving the patriotic coopera.
ton of citizens of Montgomery
County and neighboring areas in
Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1955-09-29

Department OF the Interior.
ment and was almost as much a
Marylander as a Virginian, for he
counted as his close associates and
near neighbors men and women
on both sides of the Potomac. In
the determination of the location
of the Nations Capital, therefore,
in which his was probably. be-
hind the scenes, the chief in
fluence, there was never any queS-
ton of where his loyalties cen
tered.
For this reason, in the long
draWn-out negotiations which fol
lowed the passage of the resi-,
dence bill", the fact should not be
overlooked that the first presi-
dent, after all, was dealing
primarily with his friends and
neighborS in the development of
the Federal seat of government.
And their great confidence in
him, as well as his own in them,
was a tremendous factor in the
ultimate success of the venture.
BY the terms of the residence
bill' fixing the location of the
national capital in the Potomac
valley, Washington was to be
personally responsible for the
selection of the exact site. There
is evidence to support the con-
tention that he did consider a
number of possible choices along
the many miles of the river front
- all the way from the Bay to
the point where the two great
branches forming the m n
stream join together.
He may even have, toyed with
the idea of site as far west as
the mouth of Wills creek, or at
the point near Conococheague of
the famous crossing of tn e
Warriors trail. He knew these
places well, as we'll as the
vicinity of Martins ferry and
Harper's ferry.
But there is little doubt but
that from the very beginning the
area near the junction of Rock
Creek and the Potomac - close
to Georgetown and Alexandria,
and to his own beloved Mount
Vernon - appealed most to him.
For here was a location possess
ing a combination of features
such as would challenge the
Imagination of a man like Wash.
ington's vision and fine sense of
values.
The Rock Creek site. lying
mainly in Montgomery and
Prince Georges Counties, was at
the very extremity of the navi.
gable portion of the Potomac.
Above it were the rocky lodges
OF the mountain stream, and be.
low the broad tidal waters
tasting of salt and the ocean.
The navigable Potomac pro.
vided direct access to all of the
original 10 States of the new
Union, both to the north and TO
the south. On the other hand. AT
a time when land travel in the
young Nation was relatively
undeveloped - and especially
over the Appalachian system into
the West, here was site not
only centrally located but on the
very most direct and the best geo.
graphical route to the Ohio and
beyond, and far enough into the
interior to give emphasis to the
probable growth and influence of
the west.
This emphasis was already
being given play in plans for a
Chesapeake and Potomac canal,
backed by Washington himself
and other important contem.
poraries, and it was soon to re.
ppiVe additional undaruyritino in
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1955-06-16
Six Enter Junior
Garden Contest

Six young All club members have
entered the Junior Garden Contest
being sponsored this summer by Herr
Gardens in an effort to increase in
terest of young people in flower and
vegetable cultivation.
The contestants are Janis Gable,
daughter of Mr.. and Mrs. Karl Ga
BILE of 800 South Jackson; Karen
Basinger, daughter of Mr.. and Mrs.
Bryan Basinger, 308 South Main !;
Linda Sommers, daughter of Mr.. and
Mrs. Evan Sommers, Route q; Ron
aid Chidester, son of Mr.. and Mrs.
Kenneth Chidester, Route 2; and
Louise and Carole Herr, daughters
of Mr.. and Mrs. William Herr,
Route /, Pandora.
All of the gardens will also be
Judged as projects in the children's
All work. In the local contest Coun-
ty Agent Herbert Hadley will act as
judge with two members of the
Bluffton Mems Garden club, Lorain
Basinger and Kermit Herr.
Gardens will be judged early in
August, prior to the Allen County
Fair.
Kenneth Chidester and Edgar Herr
are All Club leaders.
Prizes of So, Sd, So, So, and 81 are
offered in that order to the first five
prize winners.
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1955-06-16
MdriIyn OberIy,
ReLdOn Schirch
Exchange VOWs

Following their wedding trip to the
Wisconsin Dells, Mr.. and Mrs. Rel
don d. Schirch who were married
May 81 in the First Mennonite
church are now at home to their
friends at 1011a North Main street,
Bluffton.
Mrs. Schirch is the former Miss
Marilyn A. Oberly, daughter of Mr..
and Mrs. Reno ]. Oberly of Bluffton,
and Mr.. Schirch is the son of Mr..
and Mrs. Ernest r.. Schirch, Chenoa,
ILL.,
The Rev. Alvin ]. Beachy officiat-
ed at the double ring ceremony.
The bride chose as her maid of
honor Miss Barbara Diller, and Miss
Bonnie Parish was bridesmaid.
LaVerne Schirch, brother of the
bridegroom, was best man. Ushers
were Kenneth Bishop, Richard Yeck,
John Augsburger and Richard Cripe,
The bride was graduated from
Bluffton high school and has COM
pleted her junior year at Bluffton
college. She is an elementary teacher
in Lima.
Mr.. Schirch is a graduate of Chen
oa high school and will be senior
at Bluffton college this fall.
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1955-06-16

The Ladiesf Harmony Circle will
meet Thursday, June l6 in the home
OF Mrs. Wayne Westall, with Mrs
Albert Gibbs as assistant hostess
Mrs. LeRis ]. Dukes will be the lead
er using the program topic "Go, Tell
It-Aboye the Noise" The roll call
is to be a. summer craft for children
Mr.. and Mrs. Guy Stewart enter
tanned Sunday in their home: Mr.. and
Mrs. Waldo Hanna, Mildred, Dolores
and Carolyn Hanna, Mrs. Lulu Hanna
and Elwood james. The occasion
marked the Stekart's 51st wedding
anniversary and the birthdays of Mrs
Waldo Hanna land Carolyn Hanna
Miss Mildred Hanna recently returned
home from Oterbein College and has
secured a petition with the Charles
Co. store in Hutton for the summer.
Mr.. and Mrs. Merritt Green had as
weekend guests, Mr.. and Mrs. Walter
Kennedy of st. Petersburg, Florida
Mr.. and Mrs. Lee Wilkins and Mr.. and
Mrs. Charles Bucher.
Little Miss Collette Bibler, daugh.
ter of Mr.. and Mrs. Theron Bibler
Findlay, is suffering an attack Of
polio. She is the granddaughter Of
Mr.. and Mrs. W. G. Carr, Bluffton.
The Friendly Couples Class will
have its annual picnic Sunday noon
June 10, in tie Rawson Park. Those
in charge wip be Mr.. and Mrs. Lewis
]. Dukes ard Mr.. and Mrs. Albert
Gibbs. The election of officers will be
held
Mr.. and Mrs, Joe Habegger were
Sunday dinner guests of Mr.. and Mrs
Robert Poe and family in Findlay.
Mr.. and Mrs. John Gauss, North
Baltimore and MI /. and Mrs. Levi Wal
tz, Mt. Cory, were Sunday dinner
guests of Mr.. aud Mrs. ]. w. Harris
and family.
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1955-06-16
Pastor OF BIufftOn
EUB Churches To
We'd /GaIiOn Girl

The Rey. Stanley w. Walton, stu
dent pastor of~three rural churches
in the Bluffton Evangelical and
United Brethren charge, will wed
Miss Joyce Ann 6humaker Sunday,
June 26, in a Ceremony to be per-
formed in the GAlion EUB church at
3 o'clock in thf afternoon.
The Rev. 4aul c. Walter, pastor
Of the church, will be assisted by the
Rev. Marion Hanover of Findlay, in
officiating at the wedding service.
The custom Of open church will be
observed.
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1955-06-16

Rev. Mr.. Walton is the son of Mr..
and Mrs. Paul Walton of Route 2,
Sycamore, and Miss Shumaker is the
daughter of Nh. and Mrs. Leroy
Shumaker of Gallon.
Rev. Mr.. Walton is a student at
Wlnebrenner Seminary, Findlay.
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1955-06-16
Hold Final Rites For
VIM. Badertscher

Funeral services were held Satur-
day afternoon from the Basinger
Funeral home for William Bader-
fischer, so, Route 2, Bluffton, who died
at Z a. m. Thursday at his residence
after an illness of two weeks.
Mr.. Badertscherg was born July z,
1894, in Richland township, the son of
Frederick andf Mary Mariana
(Zingg) Badertscher. He was mar
ried on August IT, 1885, to Elma
Locher, who survives.
He is also Survived by son, John
F.; daughters Mary Ann and Martha
Jane, all at home; sister, Miss Anna
Badertscher, Bluffton; brothers, Dan
]. and Fred, both of Bluffton.
He was a member of the First Men
MONTE church.
The Rev. Alvin ] fBeachy officiated
at the service with burial in the
Ebenezer cemetery.
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1955-06-16

LEGAL NOTICE
Robert WISE who u now Imprisoned in
Sing Sing Penitentary of the State of New
is 117-026. will take notice that his wife
Joan Wise has filed her petition for divorce
in the Common Pleas Court of Allen Coun-
ty, Ohio. in Case No. t2903 on, the ground
of imprisonmeht in a state penal institution.
The defendAW is required to answer with
in six weeks from tho first publication OF
this notice which "a made on June is. 1855.
ELMER Mc0EAIN. Lima, Ohio
Attorney for plaintiff
June Is. "a. 80. July Z. IA. q
The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1955-06-16
PAGE FIVE

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT
THE STATE OF OHIO /
Allen County, IS.
Estate of William G. RhQdes. Deceased.
James c. Blair 81 s0l Masonic Bldg, LIZ
ma. Ohio. has Been appogted and qualified
as Administrwor pf the state of William
&. Rhodes. Ate AAens County. Ohio. de-
ceased. ~
Dated this 9Th day - June. 1885,
PAUL J. RoCKEf. Probate Judge
June 10. 23. 80
The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1955-06-16
N E w S
FROM THE
Ruth Enlow Library
BY EDITH BROCK
BY EDITH BROCK

Books are being presented in
memory of Mrs. Nina Sharpe by
Mr.. and Mrs. Scott Shirer and by
Mrs. Howard Naylor. The Oakland
Mt. Lake Park Lions club is giving
a book in memory of Rev. Sanford
f. Ryan.
A realistic model of wagon
train camp of pioneer days is on
display in the young peoples room.
This model was made by Ross Sci
by, Jr., of Northern High School,
assisted by Charles Schroyer, in
connection with a unit of study on
the westward expansion of the
United States
Donations of books have been
received this week from Kenneth
Lawton and the Roy Shank family.
The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1955-06-16

Donham-Myers-On June s, at a
double ring ceremony in the army
chapel at McChord Air Force base,
Tacoma, Wash, Miss RoXie Myers,
of Aurora, W. Va, became the bride
of Ale Lawrence w. DOnham, son
of Mr.. and Mrs. Walter Donham,
Aurora, w. Va
The bride chose for her wedding
light blue rayon-linen dress, with
white accessories.
Mrs. Donham is a graduate of
Aurora High school with the class
of 1855.
Mr. Donham is a graduate of
Aurora High school with the class
of 1948 He enlisted in the Army
Air force and left for his training
on February II, 1852. On January
25, 1858, he went to Japan where
he was stationed for two years. He
returned from Japan January 81
1855. Since that time, he has been
stationed at McChord Air Force
base, Tacoma, Wash, where the
couple will reside.
The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1955-06-16
ISheriff's Office
Featured in Article

The office of Sheriff of Garrett
county was featured i'll an article
which appeared this week in the
Cumberland Evening Times. 1t was
written by William f. Kelly, Eve
ming Times staff writer.
Paul w. Fisher. sheriff, was pic
tured as an unusually easy-going
person but one who takes great
pride in his work.
Fisher is a native of Garrett
county, having been born at Cove.
He devotes almost his entire day
and night to handling the duties
of sheriff. He is assisted by James
FrantZ and between them cover
some 700 miles of county road and
look out for the welfare of the 3D.
900 residents of the county. Frantz
was appointed deputy sheriff last
year. He was formerly employed
with the State Roads commission
An outbreak of minor crimes
during the first three months of
this year didn't add any glory to
Fishers job. Last year the jail
played host to an average of two
prisoners a day, but glance at
this years files shows 1877 persons
have been lodged in the lookup
thus far, an average of more than
four per day. The full house"
trend started when 483 persons
were arrested during the first three
months. A total of 1923 spent at
least one night in the lookup dur
ing April while "a slept in the Jail
during May Thus far this month
81 have spent the night behind
bars.
About the biggest problems
Sheriff Fisher and his deputy face
are petty larceny and breaking and
entering cases. Although most
people would guess that 80 percent
of Fishers headaches come from
Deep Creek Lake section where
some 800 cottages are vacant dur
ing the winter, Paul says he gets
few calls from the Lake area.
One of the reasons is that either
Fisher or Frantz make check of
cottages at least once a month.
The Shcriff's office is open "a
hours day, seven days a week
Frantz and his wife have the
duties of maintaining the county
jail. Mrs. Frantz, mother of four
children, also has the job of feed
ing the prisoners and keeping an
eye on things when Fisher and her
husband are out on case.
Both Fisher and Frantz have
their own cars but only Fishers
auto is equipped with a tWo-way
radio system. Fishers radio is
hooked up with the Maryland State
Police stationed in Oakland and
the sheriff works hand-in-hand
with the State Troopers on all
cases.
The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1955-06-16
Hit By Delivery Truck

Earl Johnson, aged about so, was
struck by the delivery truck of the
f. A. Smouse store on Monday eve
ming, but apparently was not seri-
ously injured The accident oc-
CURED at the corner of Third and
Green streets
The man was able to get up and
walk but was taken to the office of
DR.. A. E. Nance where he was
given a thorough physical check
up. The examination revealed no
broken bones.