USA > Maryland > Washington County > Hagerstown > A history of Washington County, Maryland from the earliest settlements to the present time, including a history of Hagerstown > Part 11
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60
IIISTORY AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD
well done. Her funeral text is recorded in 2nd Tim. i, 12. The hymn was sung, "Lord Jesus ('hrist, true man and God," also the hymn, "Think ve children of men, on the last day of life." "O ny child, lay rightly to heart the words of this hymn, and do right and fear God and keep His commandments, and if you have anything, do not forget the poor, and do not exalt yourself in pride and haughtiness above your fellow men. For you are not better than the humblest before God's eyes, and perhaps not as good. And so, if you have no fear of God within you, all is vain. My child. keep this in remembrance of your father, and live according to it, and it will go well with you here while you live, and there eternally."
The town which Hager had founded was named by the founder, Elizabethtown, in affection- ate remembrance of his wife and so it was incor- porated and so it was known for many years."
Hagerstown as originally laid out, contained about five hundred and twenty lots each fronting on the street eighty feet, and running baek two hundred and forty fect to an alley. The number- ed lots in this original plat were bounded on the north by North street and extended south of An- tietam and west of Walnut and six hundred and
forty feet cast from Potomae. Afterwards in eon- tinuing Potomac street to the south, it had to de- fleet to the left to avoid the large swamp which is now just disappearing. The lots were rapidly sold, or rather leased, for five pounds and an annual and perpetual ground rent of seven shill- ings and six pence. Within ten years after the town was laid out on paper, more than a hundred comfortable dwelling-houses had been ereeted, oe- cupied by a prosperous and happy population, hav- ing probably but little communication with the world aeross the mountains. They manufactured their own goods, and were already beginning to build up a trade with the settlers south of the Potomac, whom in a few years they supplied with salt, hardware and such articles as they could not manufacture for themselves in their own rude way, receiving in payment the products of the forest and the farm. The public square had been re- served to accommodate a market house in its centre. This building, a rather rude and primitive affair, we may be sure, remained until the town became the capital of Washington County in 1776, and then it gave place to a combined market house and court house, with a whipping post in the mar- ket. When not occupied by market people, the
*The evolution of the present name is traced by Mr. Basil Sollers in an address upon Jonathan Hagar. "The public were better acquainted with Jona- than Hagar and his work," says Mr. Sollers, "than with Elizabeth, his wife. To many it was always Hagar's Town. Indeed before the town was in ex- istence, so well was Mr. Hagar known that neighbor- ing farms were located as "near Capt. Hagar's in Frederick County." Others gave it its legal name. Even in the laws it is mentioned indifferently as Elizabeth-Town and Hagar's Town after 1802. This "struggle for existence" between two names has in- terested me much. In 1770, Eddis says the name of Hagar's Town is given to it "in honor of the intelli- gent founder." A letter from a school boy to his father, Capt. Wm. Heyser, at the American Camp, Philadelphia, is dated "Hagar's Town, Oct. 12th 1776," Hart and Rochester advertise "nails, brads and sprigs of their own manufacturing in Hager's- Town," over date "Hager's-Town, August 20th, 1790." The "Washington Spy," of January 1st, 1790, is print- ed by Stewart Herbert "Elizabeth (Hager's) Town," -that is, Elizabeth-Town, or if you like it better Hager's Town. In the laws we find "an act to es- tablish a market-house in Elizabeth-Town," in 1783; Commissioners of Elizabeth-Town were appointed and incorporated as such in 1791. The laws further mention it as Elizabeth-Town in 1792, 1793 and 1794. An issue of the "Herald and Advertiser" is dated "Elizabeth ( Hager's) Town, (Maryland), Wednesday, March 31st, 1802." Two laws mention Elizabeth-
Town in 1802, and in 1804 one mentions Hager's Town, which is the first recognition of this name in the laws. In 1807 it is twice called Elizabeth-Town and twice Hager's-Town, and the "Hager's-Town Bank at Elizabeth-Town" is established. In the "De- scription of the States of Maryland and Delaware, by Joseph Scott, Philadelphia, 1807," he says, "Eliz- abeth-Town, commonly called Hagerstown, a hand- some and flourishing town, and the capital of the county. It is situated near Anti-Etam creek and 71 miles from Baltimore, and contains about 300 houses, a court house, jail, market house, school house, and four churches, viz .: one for German Lutherans, one for German Calvinists, one for Episcopalians, and one for Roman Catholics. The town has a great number of clock and watch makers, blacksmiths, coppersmiths, gun and lock smiths, hatters, tanners, boot and shoemakers, saddlers, weavers, dyers, pot- ters, coachmakers, and taylors; also a rope and nail manufactory." The laws mention in 1808 Elizabeth- Town twice, in 1810 Hagers-Town, in 1811 Elizabeth- Town, and Hager's-Town twice, and in 1812 Hager's- town. In 1813, the name was changed from Eliza- beth-Town to Hager's Town by act of the legisla- ture, though the first mention of the name in its present form, Hagerstown, which I have been able to find in the laws, is in 1829. Thus the justice of the people has proved in this case stronger than the affectionate desire of the founder, and legislative enactments. The fittest namc has survived."
61
OF WASHINGTON COUNTY, MARYLAND.
market house under the court house was used as a public hitching place for the horses of visitors from the surrounding country. The jail stood on the alley between Washington and Franklin streets. It was a small structure of logs, with holes to admit light, in the entire absence of windows at that time, and in fact not until recent years, was it considered necessary for the sheriff to reside at the jail.
The same year that Hagerstown was laid out Gen. Washington's scheme of improving the navi- gation of the Potomac river had taken shape and Jonathan Hager and Thomas Cressap were among the Directors or Managers for the Colony of Maryland .*
When General Washington, as a youth, sur- veyed Lord Fairfax' estate in the Valley of Vir- ginia, he became acquainted with the immense productiveness of the soil and the great mineral wealth of the Valley on both sides of the Potomac, and was no doubt struck with the entire isolation. It was absolutely without communication with the tidewater portion of the Colonies-then the centre of population, except over rude trails which must have been well night impassable for a good portion of the year. Later, after the successful termina- tion of the war for Independence, when the suc- cessful General had resigned his commission and had retired to his farm at Mount Vernon, he was still alive to the future welfare of the country. With characteristic wisdom, he foresaw the rapid peopling of the Valley of the Ohio and of the
upper Mississippi, and he further saw that there was no chance of holding the people who should settle the West, as it was then called, as a part of the confederation unless they were bound by the chains of commerce and self interest. Besides these evident political considerations, it was also in Washington's mind to secure to the cities of the Atlantic seaboard the valuable trade of the West- ern territory. The mouth of the Mississippi river was at that time in the hands of the Spanish and Washington was anxious to keep the trade of the Ohio and the upper Mississippi from drifting down the stream to the growing town of New Orleans. His original scheme therefore was enlarged so as to contemplate an extension of the Potomac and James Rivers as far through the mountains as pos- sible toward the waters of the Ohio which should be finally reached by short portages. He com- inunicated with the Governor of Virginia, the Con- tinental Congress and influential citizens of the State of Maryland and impressed upon all of them the political and commercial importance of the undertaking. In his letter to Governor Harrison, of Virginia he reminded him "that the flanks and rear of the United States are possessed by other powers and formidable ones, too; nor need I press the necessity of applying the cement of interest to bind all parts of the Union together by indis- soluble bonds-especially of building that part which lies immediately west of us to the Middle States." He thought the Western settlers already stood on a pivot ready to drop into the arms of
*February 11th, 1762, the following communica- tion appeared in the "Maryland Gazette," of Annap- olis.
"To the public.
"The opening of the river Patowmack and mak- ing it passable for small craft, from Fort Cumberland at Will's Creek to the Great Falls, will be of the greatest advantage to Virginia and Maryland, by facilitating commerce with the back inhabitants, who will not then have more than 20 miles land car- riage to harbour, where ships of great burthen load annually, whereas at present many have 150; and what will perhaps be considered of still greater im- portance, is the easy communication it will afford with the waters of the Ohio.
"The whole land carriage from Alexandria or George Town will then be short of 90 miles; whereas the Pennsylvanians (who at present monopolize the very lucrative skin and fur trades) from their near- est sea port have at least 300: a circumstance which must necessarily force that gainful trade into this channel, should this very useful work be affected; and that it may, is the unanimous opinion of the
best judges, and at moderate expense compared with the extraordinary convenience and advantages which must result from it." The communication stated that "it is proposed to solicit the public for their contri- butions by way of subscription." Eleven managers were appointed for Virginia and the same number for Maryland. "Some skillful gentlemen" had "agreed to view" the Great Falls in the spring, and if they should report the opening or passing of them practi- cable (which is now generally believed) it is proposed that whatever balance remains in the Treasurers' hands after compleating the first design, shall be ap- propriated to that purpose."
The "Maryland Gazette," June 10th, 1762 con- tained the following announcement: "The managers have now the pleasure to inform the public, that sub- scriptions are filling very fast, and that people in general, but more especially in the back countries, and those bordering on the Patowmack, discover so much alacrity in promoting the affair, that there is not the least doubt that sum will be raised, suf- ficient to carry on the work by the day appointed for the meeting, 20th of July next."
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HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD
either the British or the Spaniards should those counties offer the allurements of profitable and easy trade. Washington's plans were National and included the union of the waters of the Ohio with those of Lake Erie.
There was no difficulty in getting the Legis- lature of Virginia to take proper action on the Potomac navigation seheme and as it was essential to have exact conformity upon the part of Mary- land, Commissions were appointed by Virginia to confer with representatives of Maryland.
At the meeting of the Commissioners of Vir- ginia and Maryland, which was held in the city of Annapolis, December 22, 1784, Virginia was rep- resented by George Washington and General Gates and Maryland by Thomas Stone, Samuel Hughes and Charles Carroll, of the Senate, and John Cad- wallader, Samuel Chase, John Debutts, George Diggs, Philip Key, Gustavus Scott and Joseph Dashiell, of the House. General Washington was chairman and R. B. Latimer was clerk. This body passed resolutions setting forth their belief that the improvement of the river as far up the north branch as possible, and thence by a road to the waters of the Ohio, would greatly increase the commerce of the two States and greatly promote the political interests of the United States, by forming a free and easy communication and con- nection with the people settled on the western waters, already very eonsiderable in their numbers, that therefore, the project deserved to be patron- ized by the States of Maryland and Virginia, and that each State should subscribe for fifty shares of the capital stock. It was the opinion of the conference that a road should begin about the mouth of Stony river and be carried about twenty miles to Dunker Bottom on the Cheat river, and
thence to the Ohio by batteaux navigation, al- though they feared that the improving of the Cheat river might involve considerable expense. If that was the case, however, the road might be continued twenty miles further to the Mononga- hela, where navigation had long been practiced. The road they thought, should be cut and eleared not less than eighty feet, and properly improved not less than forty feet nor more than fifty feet in width. It was further recommended that a survey of the route be made.
By the charter that was granted by Virginia in October 1784, and by Maryland in November of the same year, the capital stock of the Potomae Company was placed at 500 shares of $444 4-9, each an even hundred pounds sterling of that date, payable in milled Spanish dollars or foreign coin of equal value. The canals around the Falls were made real estate and were to be free of all taxation. In case of condemnation of lands where condemna- tion was made, the company was to acquire an estate in perpetuity, and not simply the right of way. This feature was copied into the charter of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Company, the successor of the Potomac Company .*
Tolls were granted to the company upon con- dition that they make the river navigable in dry seasons for vessels drawing one foot of water. The locks were to be eighty feet long, sixteen in width and with four feet depth of water. This was subsequently changed to twelve feet wide and two deep. The river was to be improved from North Branch to Georgetown; at North Branch there was to be a road made over to the Cheat River, Tolls were to be collected at South Branch, Paynes' Falls, near Weverton, and the Great Falls, ncar Georgetown. These toll points were afterwards
*The following is an extract from the original manuscript book entitled "Subscriptions for extend- ing the navigation of Potowmack" preserved in the Land Office at Annapolis:
"Maryland Sst:
"In pursuance of an Act of the General Assem- bly of this State entitled an Act for establishing a Company for opening and extending the navigation of the River Potomack. We the Subscribers, desir- ous of promoting so laudable an undertaking, do promise and hereby oblige ourselves, our Heirs, Ex- ecutors and Administrators, to pay to such Treasurer as shall be appointed to receive the same,, the sev- eral and respective Shares affixed to our names, in such proportions as shall be agreed upon at a general meeting of the Company to be held on the 17th day of May 1785."
Subscribers Names.
Residence.
No. Shares
Wm. Paca
Annapolis
Four
Ch. Carroll of Car-
rollton
do.
Six
Dan of St. Thos, Jen-
ifer
do.
One
Wallace & Muir
do
Five
L. Stone
do.
Two
W. H. Jenifer
Portobacco
One
T. Ridout
Annapolis
One
Sam'l Chase
Annapolis
One
Robt. H. Harrison
Charles City
One
Stephen West
Pr. Geo. County
One
I. A. Thomas
St. Mary's
Two
-
63
OF WASHINGTON COUNTY, MARYLAND.
increased in number and one was established at Conococheague. The one at Paynes' Falls was moved up to Hook's Falls. It seems that naviga- tion was actually practicable up the South Branch as far as Moorfield, Va., and an act was passed by the Virginia Legislature in 1800 to punish persons obstructing the stream with piles of stones or fish dams. The Potomac Company was authorized to improve all the tributaries, but this right they afterwards forfeited. The Legislature of each State passed an act permitting slaves engaged in work on the locks to be carried over the river into the other State without thereby attaining their freedom unless slaves brought from Virginia into Maryland should be permitted to remain in the latter State over twelve calendar months, in which case they should become free. In 1809 a lottery was authorized by the State of Maryland to raise money for the company.
In 1820, the inadequacy of the system being felt, an act was passed authorizing a survey of the country between the headwaters of the Potomac and the Ohio and Rappahannock. The following year, an act was passed virtually forfeiting the charter. To this the Potomac Company assented; the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal succeeded to the older company and the State of Maryland sub- scribed its stock in the Potomac Company to the new corporation.
The Potomac, as improved, was declared a public highway. The boats employed on it were well ceiled with strong plank and sufficiently high to prevent the water in the bottom from damaging any part of the cargo .*
They were furnished with tarpaulin covers, stretched over hoops like an old fashioned wagon, to defend the cargo from rain. Each one had a hand pump and a plank foot way upon each side either inside or out. The boats had to be num- bered and licensed, but no license would be granted unless it was constructed as required by law. Up to 1797 there was an incline plane leading from the surface of the river below Great Falls to the
Canal at the upper level. Merchandise was let down and hauled up this plane so that it would appear that up to that time boats did not go all the way through.
The schedule of the tolls authorized by the charter of the Potomac Company, furnishes a cu- rious commentary upon the condition of the cur- rency in 1784. This was before the adoption of the constitution and there was no national cur- rency. The States did not delegate the issuing and management of the currency to the Congress, but reserved it to themselves and consequently everything was in hopeless confusion and only foreign coins were in circulation., The table of rates was reckoned in sterling money, but every other kind of money was used as much as the English. The charter contained a table set- ting forth the value in English money of the various coins at that time in circulation, and likely to be tendered to the toll gatherers. A Spanish milled piece of eight, or dollar, was equivalent to 4s, 6d; English milled crowns, 5s; French silver crowns, 5s; Johannes, £3 12s; Moi- dores, £1.7; English guineas,£1.1; French guineas, £1,10d .; Doubloons, £3, 6s .; Spanish pistoles 16s 6d .; French milled pistoles, 16s 4d .; Arabian Chequins, 8s, 6d. ; other gold coin, German except- ed, 4s, per pennyweight. The Johannes, or as it was always called the joe, was worth $16 and was a Spanish coin highly prized and carefully hid away in the old stocking which did service as a bank in those days when there was no other.
Under the old articles of confederation, each State retained to itself the regulation of its own commerce and the imposition of duties, and so the charter of the Potomac Company permitted the products of Maryland or other States trans- ported over this highway to enter Virginia free of any impost or tariff duty, and the produce of Virginia or other States to enter Maryland free The toll list gives us also some idea of the produc- tion of the territory in which the Potomac and the proposed extension of the highway lay. Rates
*The following advertisement appeared in the Hagerstown papers of 1825:
BOATING.
The subscriber respectfully informs his friends and the public generally, that he has at present FOUR NEW BOATS
in complete order for conveying Flour, Whiskey and other produce from Williams-Port to the city of Washington, on terms to suit the times.
He has appointed Mr. James Shoaff, for his
agent to conduct business in Williams-Port, such as taking in loading and securing the same, so that it may be safely delivered, and have punctual returns made to all those that may please to favor him in the above line of business.
March 15.
CHRISTIAN ARDINGER.
tf.
N. B. Any person wishing to have Fish, Plaster, Salt, or any back loading, can be accommodated on reasonable terms.
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HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD
were made for wine, rum, spirits, hogsheads of tobaeco, linseed oil, wheat, peas, beans, flaxseed, grain, flour, beef, pork, hemp, flax, potash, bar and pig iron, lime, eoals, pipe, barrel and hogshead staves and heading, lumber and timber. 'Towards the latter part of the life of the Potomae Com- pany the shipment of eoal in boats from Cumber- land to Georgetown became an active industry. Fifteen hundred bushels were loaded in flat boats which the current, assisted by poles, would float down in three days. These flat boats were broken up and the timber sold, but the regular keel boats, 70 feet long, were poled back-a long and tedious operation.
Without affording him any opportunity to decline in advance, the Legislature of Virginia authorized the Treasurer, in subseribing to the stock of the Potomae Navigation Company for the State, to subscribe for an equal amount for Washington. It was done gracefully and deli- eately but firmly declined by the Patriot, for, he said, how would it appear to the eye of the world that he had received twenty thousand dollars of the publie money? It would deprive him of the principal thing that was laudable in his conduct.' Very soon subscriptions to the work eame in, locks were built around the Falls of the Potomac and when President Washington came through Hagerstown on his way to Williamsport, he had the pleasure, on the 22nd day of October 1790, of returning to Mount Vernon upon the breast of the beautiful Potomac, amidst the grand seenery through which that historie stream winds its course.
The trade down the river to Georgetown was considerable from the first. The rapid eurrent of the stream carried the loaded boats down with but little labor and they were pushed up stream by poles. The boats were built pointed at bow and stern with a steering oar at each. They were large enough to convey about a hundred and sixty barrels of flour. Hay, flour and whiskey were the principal prodnets shipped from the County. From an early period in the history of the County, water mills were numerous along the streams and the amount of flour made was considerable. Corn and rye, being unprofitable to ship, were converted into whiskey. and the County has always had a high reputation for this manufacture, which is still maintained. Frequently when the price of whiskey was very low in Georgetown it would be wagoned eighteen miles further to Upper Marl-
boro on the Patuxent river, which was at that time a better market. One of the first to engage in this transportation business was Anthony Stake, of Williamsport, who owned a warehouse and two boats which plied between his town, then but a small village, although it enjoyed a large trade, and Georgetown.
Jonathan Hager's name eame prominently before the people of the whole colony in eonneelion with another matter of great publie interest. In 1971 he was elected delegate to the General Assem- bly. When the Assembly convened the committee on elections reported "that they were informed and believe that Mr. Jonathan Hager, a member re- turned for Frederick County, is not a natural horn subjeet, that he came into Ameriea, and was naturalized some time before the said eleetion." After the report of the committee had been read a second time, it was resolved, "That this House will, on Tuesday next, at the sitting of the House, take into consideration that part of the said report relative to Mr. Jonathan Hagar." On Tuesday, October 8th, "The House proceeded to take the same into consideration, and permitted Mr. Hagar, on his prayer to be heard by counsel. The counsel appeared, and being heard, he withdrew." On motions to that effect, the following British Stat- utes, Provincial Act and Resolves were read, viz. : 12 and 13 W. III, e. 2 ; 1 Geo. I, e. 4; Act of As- sembly of 1716, Chap. XI: 13 Geo. II, e. ?; Resolves of the Lower House of Assembly of Oet. 18th, 1753 and 22 Gco. II, c. 45. "Then the House took the several Statutes, the Aet of Assem- bly and the Resolves above mentioned into consid- eration ; and after some debate thereon, Mr. Hagar withdrew, and Mr. Speaker, by the direction of the Ilouse, put the following question: "That Jonathan Hagar, returned as a representative for Frederick County, not being a natural born sub- ject, nor descended from a natural born subjeet, but naturalized in the year 1747. since the Stat. of 13 Geo. II, agreeable to said Stat., long before said election ; hath been a resident of this provinee ever since, and hath a freehold of fifty acres of land, be eligible?" Resolved in the negative.
"In consequence of the aforegoing Resolution, Mr. Hagar was called in, and Mr. Speaker, by the direction of the House, acquaints him that he is discharged from any further attendanee on this House as a member thereof."
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