A history of Washington County, Maryland from the earliest settlements to the present time, including a history of Hagerstown, Part 17

Author: Williams, Thomas J. C. (Thomas John Chew)
Publication date: 1906
Publisher: [Chambersburg, Pa.] : J.M. Runk & L.R.
Number of Pages: 622

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 17

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In 1791, Thomas Dobbins came over from Williamsport, and started a brush shop. He ap- pealed to the patriotism of the people to save their hog bristles and horses tails to sell to him, and in connection with his brushes he advertized an ink powder for sale, which he elaimed to be "super- ior to any made in Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Fots- damn, or any dam whatever."

As early as 1191, it was made a boast that the importation of shoes had nearly eeased and must soon eease altogether. Thomas M. Jilton had a shoe factory in Hagerstown opposite Ridenour's tavern, and there were shoemakers in every neigh- borhood. They did not have to go beyond the limits of the County for their leather, for tanning and currying was a flourishing industry. Mathias Nead had a tannery until 1790 when he was suc- ceeded by his son Daniel. Other tanneries were owned and operated by Alexander and Benjamin Clagett and Dorris Doyle. The printer of the Spy offered ready money for clean linen rags which he exchanged for the paper upon which the Spy was printed, but at what mill does not appear.

The hats worn by the people of the County were also produced in Hagerstown and their man- ufacture a flourishing industry down to the time of the Civil War. The first hatters were John Harry and Jacob Harry, young men who, with several brothers, came to the County at an early date. Jacob Harry built the house next to the Baldwin House on the east. Here he put out his sign, "Jacob Harry, Hatter." After he was established in trade here his father, Jacob Harry, Sr., came over from Europe and arrived in Hag- erstown at night. The next morning the sign over the door immediately arrested the old gentle- man's attention and he at onee made his son take it down. "That is not your name, sir," said he, "your name is Hairy." The young man protested but the old one remained firm and the sign was accordingly taken down and placed in the garret where it remained until after the death of the old man. It was then restored and that spelling of the name has remained until this day. It was this Jacob Harry who made the addition to Hag- erstown known as Harry'stown. He had a large number of children, among them George I. Harry, John ITarry, and the wives of the late Frederick Humrichouse. John Roberston and William D. Bell. Harry's wife was a Miss Sailor. The

Harrys came to America from Holland, to which country they had been driven from France by the persecution of the Hugenots.

Jacob Olt was also a prominent hat maker. He manufactured hats for men and women. An- other hatter was Henry Wingart. Later Wingart was in partnership with a man named Taylor, and dissolved in 1798. Shortly after the beginning of the century, Samuel Rouskulp appears to have been the principal hat maker and later his two sons, Samuel and Upton were the only manufac- turers of felt hats in Maryland.

The farmers of the County found a market for their hemp at several rope walks in Hagers- town, which furnished all the mill and well ropes, bed eords and all other kind of ropes used by the people. The principal of these rope walks was that of Col. Thomas Hart and son. This was bought by Col. Hart's former partner, Col. Nathaniel Rochester, in April, 1794, and in consequence of this purchase and a desire to live near the rope walk, he sold the house he was then living in, on North Potomac street, a house which was after- ward owned by the family of the late Wm. Will- iamson, and built the house at the corner of Prospeet and Washington street, later owned by Upton Lawrence, William D. Bell and Dr. Howard Kennedy. C'ol. Rochester built the eentral portion of the house very nearly as it now is, but the wings were of one story, and built of logs. These wings were removed by Upton Lawrenee when the house came into his possession, and the strue- ture was put nearly in the shape it now stands.

Just aeross Prospeet street from his residence stood Col. Rochester's Forge and Nail Works. This was another important Washington County industry,-the manufacture of nails. Cut nails had not been invented, and so those used by our people were beaten out at Rochester's works or at Hughes & Fitzhugh's Nail Factory at Mt. Aetna.

The manufacture of whiskey being almost the chief industry of the County. we find there was a considerable number of brass workers and copper- smiths to make and repair distilleries. Wm. Hej'- ser was a coppersmith, and in 1797, he occupied a house one door from the square formerly owned by Nathaniel Rochester. John Greiner, who had fought the Indians in the Miami campaign, was a brass founder. His foundry was nearly opposite the Beltzhoover tavern, probably where Updegraff's store now is. William Reynolds also had a eop- per working and tinning establishment, but he

OF WASHINGTON COUNTY, MARYLAND.

removed it to Baltimore in 1797. Another use for workers in brass was in the manufacture of clocks which was successfully carried on in Hagerstown for many years. Among those engaged in this business were Jacob Young, John Steikleider, Hy- att Lownes and John Reynolds. The most famous of them was Arthur Johnson, who flourished some time afterwards and who made the Town Clock in 1823. Gunsmiths were very numerous, as there was a great demand for fire arms through this whole period, not only in hunting, but for military purposes, as we have already seen. There were so many shops in the town that the trials of guns in their yards became a source of public dan- ger, and an ordinance had to be passed to sup- press it. The only gunsmith, however, whose name appears in the Spy is Christian Hawken, in May, 1794. To supply powder for these fire arms, and also for blasting rocks, John Light started a powder mill near Funkstown in 1797. This mill was in existence over twenty-five years, and during that time it was constantly blowing up. Later, another mill was started lower down the Antietam, two miles from Funkstown by Mr. Boerstler. Mr. John Booth also had a powder mill on the Antie- tam at "Delemere." In March 1799 two gentle- men who were out hunting went into this mill to replenish their stock of powder, while there the powder maker discovered that one of the mortars was getting too dry. He put his hand into it, and an explosion took place. There were a hundred and fifty pounds of powder in the mill; the roof was blown off, the workman lost his eyesight, one gentleman was much burnt, and the other had his thigh broken. It is a commentary upon the news- paper of the time, that in giving an account of this accident it was not considered necessary to mention the name of any of the persons injured.

A Pot Ash Factory, an Oil Mill for the man- ufacture of linseed oil by John Scott at West Conococheague, numerous distilleries and the flouring mills were also included in the industries of the County. In September, 1795 there is an advertisement for a sober tobacconist. The entire surplus of rye and corn was converted into whiskey and sent to Georgetown in boats or to Baltimore in wagons and this was one of the principal industries of the County. But the chief one of them all was carried on in the flouring mills spread along the banks of the Antietam and the Conococheague at short intervals as well as upon other streams. Col. Stull had the mill on the

Antietam many years afterwards owned by Wm. Hager. Here he also had a distillery and a saw mill. Cephas Beall succeeded him here in 1794, and afterwards Clagett & Beall. David Rowland had a large mill on the Antietam, a mile from Funkstown and on the same stream was Beall & Kendall's Mill. As early as 1791, the wheat raised around Hagerstown was not sufficient for these mills and many thousand bushels were brought down the river on flat boats to Williams- port and landed at the warehouse of Thomas Dob- bins and Charles Brooks, who also shipped great quantities of flour in boats, down to Georgetown. The people of Washington County were very dif- ferent at that early day from what they are at present. There was greater simplicity in their manner of life. They inade but little money, and spent but little; a whole family could be clothed for what it costs now to clothe a single member of it. Education was by no means general and a public scrivener, William McIntosh, "opposite the German Calvinist Church," in Hagerstown, found his employment not only in preparing instruments but in writing letters for those who could not write. The German language was much used, and in all the churches except the Episcopal, Meth- odist and Presbyterian and the Roman Catholic, after one was built about 1794, it was need exclus- ively and only gradually, in after years, gave place to the English language, as another generation grew up. Indeed, after a century it has not yet been entirely discarded. Not only was the great body of the people of German origin, but the pop- ulation was being constantly reinforced by fresh arrivals from Germany. In the Beaver Creek neighborhood there was but a single English fam- ily, that of a man named Ingram.

For those who wished to acquire an education there were schools, but they were probably very poor ones. In 1990 we find a gentleman who can teach Latin and English advertising that he would wish to have encouragement in a private family, or would take upon him the care of a public school. Ann Rawlings conducted a school in Hagerstown, where she taught "ready sewing, flowering, mark- ing and open work." There was an English school in the hands of trustees which educated a small number of pupils. Some of these came from the country, but the condition of the roads in winter was such that they had to give up school during that season. Mr. Spicer taught vocal music and HIart & Rochester kept music books for sale. In

HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD

1792, there is an advertisement calling for a school master-a single man who can teach an English school. In January 1793 Mr. and Mrs. Jones came up from Annapolis and opened a boarding school, on the first Monday in February, for the improve- ment of young ladies. Tlcy taught "ready writ- ing and arithmetic, tambour and Dresden, English and French embroidery, drawing and painting in water colors, geography, filagree and riband work, plain and colored needlework of all kind, instru- mental music, seed, shell and paper work." This .varied and somewhat jumbled course of study was in the hands of Mrs. Jones, who, however, did not long continue her school for she died one year later. Mr. Jones, in a separate house, taught "a few young gentlemen English grammar, ready writing, arithmetic, book keeping and morals." William Kerr taught animal magnetism and how to cure diseases. In 1994 Mrs. Levy opened a school to teach sewing and embroidery and the "rudiments of reading and writing." Art needle- work was considered a necessary accomplishment for young ladies and the old "Samplers" possessed by so many families bear testimony to their skill. In 1794 John Clagett advertized for a "gram- matical teacher" to whom he offered a liberal sal- ary. The following year Mr. Barrett started a class in French. In 1297 an English and Latin school was advertised.

It was many years before there was any great progress in popular education, but there were many well educated and refined people. They did not read many books, for they lacked the great abund- ance possessed by the people of today, but what they did read was worth reading. In the home of every gentleman could be found a few books, either translations of the Greek and Roman Classics, or the best of the English authors. But few novels were read, and among them was pretty apt to be found a copy of Fielding's Works. Now and then we meet with a notice in the paper asking for the return of some book which had been loaned.

There was a society in the County which could boast of refinement and luxury. The gro- cors advertised expensive wines, chocolate, teas, olives, capers, anchovies and many articles found now only at the best groceries. Many citizens possessed coaches upon which a license or tax had to be paid, which was fixed by an official who in- spected all the coaches in the County. Some of the families boasted of harpsichords, pianos and "honse organs." The people were not only music-

al, but fond of amusements which upon occasion took a noisy character. Bishop Asbury of the Methodist Church visited the town in 1776, soon after the Declaration of Independence. and found the whole population, as he thought, beating drums, firing guns and dran drinking-impress- ing the worthy gentleman with the belief that the place was entirely given over to Satan. There were shooting matches just such as the one describ- ed in Cooper's "Pioneers." A tavern keeper who wished to attract custom would advertise a deer, a turkey or some other prize to be shot for, each person entering the list paying a certain suin. In nearly the same way moncy was made by hunt- ing. A bear or elk would be captured and a grand hunt arranged for a certain day when the animal was liberated, chased and recaptured. Strolling players often visited Hagerstown, and gave exhibitions in the taverns or the Court House and in May, 1993, a male camel "from the deserts of Arabia" was exhibited in the town. In Dr. Schnebly's barn an African lion was exhibited. In April 1791, McGrath's Company of commedians appeared "in Hagerstown at the Theatre" in the tragedy of "Revenge."

McGrath's Company of actors frequently pass- ed through the town. Nearly every summer it would go to Baltimore and stop in Hagerstown for a week or more. McGrath was a great favorite with the people and tlicre was genuine sorrow at the announcement of his death in 1799. His Theatre in Hagerstown was Mr. Peck's ball-room in the Indian King Tavern, and here the curtain would rise before sunset. An address to the peo- ple of Elizabethtown and a patriotic song com- posed by. Mrs. Douglas were sometimes announced. The plays were "Douglas," "George Barnwell," "The London Merchant," which were always sup- plemented by a farce such as "Barnaby Britile" or "A Wife at Wit's End," "The Poor Soldier." Another company, "Hamilton & Co., treated the people to such plays as "Macbeth," "The School for Scandal" and "Romeo and Juliet."

An amusing incident relating to Hagerstown in 1799 is told in John "Bernard's Retrospections in America." Bernard belonged to a company of English actors of high standing who were making a tour of the United States. They came to HIag- erstown to play. Mr. Bernard relates his exper- ience as follows :

"On the second night of our entertainment at Hagerstown, we were opposed by an exhibition

OF WASHINGTON COUNTY, MARYLAND.

which drew at a draught every spectator engaged to us. This was the first importation of a Barthol- omew fair novelty I had met with in the States, and did not yield to the most extraordinary in my recollection. It was thus announced.

" "This day is introduced to the American public the far famed monster of Madagascar called the one-horned Boukabekabus, whose age, powers and dimensions have never been discovered, and must remain a matter of conjecture to the end of time. He will eat, or drink any given quantity of wine, read or write like any ordinary gentleman, etc. On Thursday after performing all these feats he will' exceed himself, &c. After astonishing the crowned heads of Europe the pro- prietor pants to submit this curiosity to the Judges of Hagerstown.'

"I prevailed on Cooper to accompany me to see a phenomenon, which evidently had escaped the notice of Lennen's, when we discovered that the extraordinary monster consisted of an ordinary bull's hide, surmounted by the canvas head of a unicorn and distended by wooden ribs, containing a man in the interior who roared through a truni- pet and flickered a pair of candles in the glass eyes to give them a mysterious aspect. We also found that the ingenious and modest impostor was no other than a runaway tailor from our wardrobe who had carried with him all the materials for his exhibition. After this appeal to the critical acu- men of Hagerstown (a proper refuge for outcasts) we felt disclined to continue in the lists so re- turned to Alexandria."

In September, 1799, the first circus was exhib- ited in Hagerstown. It was "Rickett's Equestrian Circus," and the attractions were horsemanship, vaulting, etc. The price of admission was one dollar. But the principal amusement then and for many years afterwards was horse racing. It was useless for moralists to write and declaim against it, as they did, it was firmly rooted as an institution in the County and nothing could induce the people to abandon it. Before 1790, there were regular race courses at Williamsport, Hagerstown, Funks- town, and Hancock. The last named race course was managed by John Johnson and Caspar Shaff- ner. Those at Hagerstown by Jonathan Hager

and John Ragan, both of whom kept taverns. Every autumn there were trials of speed and great crowds gathered to witness them. The horses were fine and liberal purses were offered. In 1790, the Williamsport races were for three mile heats open to any horse carrying nine stone. In 1817 the Grand Jury presented the annual horse racing as a grievance-"not of itself a violation of the law, but attended by profane swearing, drunkenness, &c., to the corruption of the youth." The jury earnestly hoped that peaceable citizens would discontinue the practice. But peaceable citizens would do nothing of the kind, and horse- racing went on for many years. Great attention was paid to raising horses, and it was customary to parade fine horses through the streets of tlie town. This became a public nuisance, and was prohibited by a town ordinance. In 1793 it was considered of sufficient importance to announce in the Spy "that the beautiful and remarkably ele- gant imported horse "Sportsman" of the real Hunter breed, is to pass through town today on his way to his present owner, George Clarke, Esq., of Green Castle." Apparently Washington County was not alone in attention to horse racing for one day in June, 1791, the post man from Baltimore came with no mail and his excuse to the disgusted editor was that when he left Baltimore, a horse race was in progress and the postoffice was elosed in consequence, so that he could not get his mail. This excuse the editor received with some incred- ulity. But all communication with the outside world was infrequent and uncertain. But one mail a week was received from Baltimore. In the winter the roads were frequently in such bad con- dition as to be impassable. The Spy of January 6, 1791 expresses the thanks of the printer "to the gentleman who sent him a late Baltimore pa- per. As the post arrives so seldom and precarious during the winter the editor will receive every communication with thanks." The regular course in 1792 was for the mail to leave Baltimore at 3 o'clock on Saturday afternoon, and proceed through Frederick to Sharpsburg then on through Hagerstown to Chambersburg, arriving at the latter place at 7 o'clock on Monday evening or more likely at 7 o'clock on Tuesday morning .*

*From the Washington Spy July 9, 1794:

A list of letters remaining in the Post Office at Elizabethtown, 5th July, 1794 for:

Charles F. Brodhag, Fort-Cumberland.

John Boggs, Hagers-town.

John Campbell, near Hancock-town. George Duncan, care James Erwin, Mercersburg. Michael Fallon, care Daniel Hufe, Iron Master. James Foard, Washington County. Isaac Houfer, Hager's-town,

HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD

This was under the early organization of the U. S. Post Office Department. Three years previous- ly Samuel Osgood, of Massachusetts, had become the first Post Master General of the United States with but a single clerk to assist him in attending to the affairs of the seventy-five post offices the country then contained. There were but two in Washington County Sharpsburg and Elizabeth- town, and none between the latter place and Cham- bersburg. There was great carelessness and in- differenec upon the part of the mail carriers who did not seem to care very much whether they went empty handed or not. The carrier from Baltimore returning from Chambersburg, would bring the Philadelphia papers to Hagerstown but sometinics he came without them, rather than wait a few minutes for the pouch to be made ready. In Octo- ber, 1195, another post route was established through the County, namely, from York, Pa., to Martinsburg. Va. This involved another change in the day of the publication of the Spy. During the earlier portion of this period Robert Rochester was Post Master at Hagerstown.

In 1796 the office was removed to a house known as "Mt. Hart," probably one of the proper- ties of Col. Thomas Hart. When a mail was received, the door was closed, but there was such a constant knocking for admission, that the post- master hit upon a device to protect himself from the annoyance. When the mail bag had been opened, and the letters were ready for delivery a white flag was displayed from one of the windows and public notice was given, that under no circum- stances would the door be opened until the flag was out. On Monday morning such letters and news- papers, addressed to citizens of Hagerstown, as had not been called for were dispatched to the persons for whom they were intended, by a carrier. The letters and papers now received and distributed at Hagerstown in a single day are more than were then received in the whole of Washington County in twelve months. In 1793, Robert Rochester had been succeeded as postmaster by Nathaniel Rochester. In 1797 John Ragan had started a

stage line which left his tavern on Tuesday for Baltimore via Frederick and New Market, reached Baltimore Wednesday and returned to Hagerstown on Saturday. Hagerstown contained at this time about twelve hundred inhabitants, but it was rela- tively a much more important place, at that period and for many years after, than it is at present. It was the business centre of a large territory and was a distributing point for a large part of the Western territory just then open- ing up. A great part of its produce was brought here and sold, and provisions taken back. In September, 1791, there was a drought all over the country, and especially through the western portion of Virginia and Kentucky. Thou- sands of cattle, some from Virginia and some driv- en through the wilderness from Kentucky, cross- ed the Potomac at Williamsport and were brought to Hagerstown for sale. This largely extended traffic furnishes us with an explanation of the great number of stores in the town, apparently so disproportionate to its size. These merchants not only sold goods but they were shippers of produce to the coast. A large proportion of their business was by barter. For the dry goods and groceries they sold, and which many of them re- ceived upon direct consignment from Hull Eng- land, they took in payment wheat, rye, tobacco, spelz. oats, flax, butter, tallow, bees wax, &c., and maple sugar. This last commodity was brought down from Cumberland. Flat bottom boats brought wheat, decr, skins and hams down the Potomac from Cumberland to Williamsport. At this time wheat was worth five shillings a bushel, rye 3s 9d; corn 2s 9d .; whiskey, 3s 9d; tub butter, &d; beeswax, 20d to 22d; flax 1s 6d. Among the merchants of Hagerstown, the princi- ple firm was that of Hart & Rochester, who kept a large stock of dry goods. In 1792 ,this firm dissolved, and was succeeded by Thomas Hart & Son. Nathaniel Rochester continued in the mer- cantile business in partnership with Robert Rochester, until June, 1194, when he closed up the concern in order to devote himself exclusively to

Frederick Heife, Hager's-Town.

John Hukill, Salisbury Manor, Washington County. Daniel Hughes, Esq., Hagerstown, Washington Coun- ty, to be forwarded by Andrew Blake Garden- er (2 letters.)

Robert Hughes, Esquire.

John Kinning, care of 'Sqr. Henderson near Green- Castle.

Michael or Martin Markley, Hagerstown.

Tobias M'Gaughey, to be called for at the Post-Office. Stephen M'Claskey, Hagerstown.

John M'Lane at Mr. Taylor's Hagerstown.

David Park, Allegany County, Maryland.

Henry Scybert, Distiller at Nichs, Swingles. William Scott, Long Mcadows.

George Tiginger, near Hagerstown.

John Tenent, to George Clarke Green Castle. Daniel Toneyry, Williams-port.

OF WASHINGTON COUNTY, MARYLAND.

the manufacture of ropes and nails. Other prominent merchants were M. & W. Van Lear, Alexander and Hezekiah Clagett who were sue- ceeded in 1791 by Alexander and Benjamin Clag- ett "dealers in Dry Goods and Wet Goods." Benja- min Clagett married Jennet, daugliter of Wm. Lee; John and Hezekiah Clagett ; Darvan & Tier- nan; Geiger & Harry, dry goods and groeers, on the southeast corner of the Square; James Fergu- son & C'o., wholesale and retail. Ferguson made a great deal of money and died about 1830 at an advanced age; Henry and Jacob Hoover, dealers in French burrs; John Lee at the sign of the "Sugar Loaf;" Rezin Davis at the sign of "Gen. Washington ;" his residenee was on the east side of South Potomae street, a few doors from the Square on the lot long owned by Alexander Armstrong. He was Lieut. Colonel of the 2-1th Reg. of Md. Militia but resigned in April 1799, and was succeeded by Wm. Fitzhugh. Thompson & Kean in the front room of Capt. Ott's Tavern; Wm. Lee, John and Peter Miller who dissolved in 1793 and were succeeded by Peter Miller & Co .; Christopher Adler, Ogle & Hall, "in the Main street leading to the Western eountry, three doors above Col. Rochester's ;" Basil & Richard Brooks, the latter married a daughter of John Ragan; Luke Tiernan was succeeded in 1796 by K. Owen & Co .; Baltzer Goll was not only a leading mer- chant, but a prominent and public spirited ertizen of the County for many years. He died in May 1799, leaving a young widow and 6 children. He was succeeded in business in 1796 by Alexander Kennedy, who married Miss Stephen, of Berkley County ; Clagett & Foreman; Devalt & Lissinger, Jas. Kendal, who was a son-in-law of Col. J. Stull; Frederick Miller & Co., apothecaries, at the sign of the golden mortar between the Court House and Ragan's Tavern ; Franeis Foreman & Co., who started trade about 1797; Aaron Joseph, Jeweller, at John Ragan's Indian King Tavern. Among the stores in the County outside of Hag- erstown was that of John Smurr, near Swengle's Mill, a short distance from Williamsport. He dealt more especially in drums in 1794, an artiele of merchandise in great demand about that time. In Williamsport were the stores of James Brown & Co., who dissolved in 1794; Jeremiah Evans and Charles Shanks, who were partners until 1793; Rudolphus Brill ; John Kennedy & Co., who opened a store on North Potomae street in the town in 1797; Jacob T. Towson; and P. De Veemon. In

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A history of Washington County, Maryland from the earliest settlements to the present time, including a history of Hagerstown, Part 17

Author: Williams, Thomas J. C. (Thomas John Chew) Publication date: 1906 Publisher: [Chambersburg, Pa.] : J.M. Runk & L.R. Number of Pages: 622

Author: Williams, Thomas J. C. (Thomas John Chew)
Publication date: 1906
Publisher: [Chambersburg, Pa.] : J.M. Runk & L.R.
Number of Pages: 622