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 31
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ever-blooming spirit diffused even through the dry walls of such fabries, as fully supplies the want of elegance. We do not calculate that it will give this town immortal glory, but we do sincerely hope that it will be the means of stirring up the fading gratitude of the people and bring baek to their forgetful memories in fresh and glowing colors the peculiar circumstances of gratitude un- der which we are placed, both to God and man." Nothing can more forcibly illustrate the great change which has come over us in regard to sen- timental patriotism, than this incident. It would be a task too great for Diogenes with his lantern in this our day to find a number of men who would be willing to spend their holiday in heavy work, upon a mountain top, under the burning rays of the vertical sun of July. Many years afterwards, through the interest of the widow of Admiral Dahlgren. who had her summer residence in the mountain pass just below the monument, it was restored and improved and an awning placed to shelter visitors from the sun as they sit upon the summit and enjoy the magnificent view.
This enterprise suggested another of the same kind. When President Harrison died, a party of gentlemen of Hagerstown assembled at Black Rock to erect to his memory a monument like the one above Boonsboro. It never progressed very far, and it is doubtful whether any remnant of it is left. In 1821, about the time the Court and Mar- ket House was removed from the Public Square, it had been suggested that a monument to Washing- ton should be placed in the centre of the square, but nothing was done.
But the most imposing celebration of Inde- pendente day which over took place in our county, even more than the one fifty years later, was that which occurred in Hagerstown and in each of the several districts in 1826-the semi-centennial of the Declaration. The day was ushered in by the rattling of mu-ketry and the booming of cannon, with which latter artillery Hagerstown was always supplied. until the two burst in 1828, as we shall see hereafter. Every kind of implement which could produce a noise was brought into service, and nearly all of them were drowned by the in- cessant roll of the kettle-drums. The Warren Rifle Company paraded through the streets and a procession marched to the Episcopal Church and listened to an address by the Rov. Mr. Lemon. Of course, the day would not have been complete with- out the toasts, so from the church a large party
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marched to Newcomer's Tavern, afterwards the Antietam House and now the site of the Hotel Hamilton, where an elaborate banquet was served. Col. Henry Lewis presided, and a long list of toasts, commensurate with the importance of the occasion, was duly honored.
The festivities of the time were soon changed, however, into mourning, for the news came that upon this eventful day, the great statesman wliose hand fifty years before, had penned the Declara- tion of Independence, had died and that on the same day his great political adversary, John Ad- ams, the second President of the United States, had joined him in the land of spirits. Immedi- ately meetings were held and resolutions adopted in various parts of the country. At a meeting held in the Court House in Hagerstown the preach- ers of the county were requested to preach sermons suggested by the occasion and the teachers of the schools were asked to read obituary notices to their pupils. The church bells were all set tolling and a memorial service was held in the Lutheran Church-the Reverend Mr. Fullerton and the Reverend Mr. Ruthrauff officiating. Wm. Price delivered an eulogium upon the distinguished dead, . and the benediction was pronounced by the Rev. Mr. Reed. All the churches were draped in mourning. Stores and shops were closed from 10 to 2 o'clock and all business was suspended whilst a solemn procession moved through the streets of the town. In the ranks of this procession were men of all classes and conditions, including the children from all the schools of the town. But the most conspicuous part of the procession was a little band of feeble old men, survivors of the heroes who had fought through the war of the Revolution more than forty years before. Some of these veterans had fought through more than one war and, among these was Captain William Lewis.
Willian Lewis was born in 1755, and was a
young man when he entered the army under Wash- ington as a private. His gallantry attracted the attention of that great commander-in-chief, who presented him with a captain's commission. He took part in the battles of Trenton, Princeton, Brandywine, Germantown, Monmouth, and in sev- eral skirmishes. After he was mustered out of service he came to Ilagerstown and remained here as a quiet citizen until the Indian war broke out. His services were again enlisted, and he was put in charge of the recruiting station which was established in Hagerstown and maintained here for several years.
This important service of discipling the troops he performed with great credit and success. It was during his stay in Hagerstown that the Whis- key Insurrection broke out and he assisted the authorities in restoring order. He escaped the St. Clair's disastrous campaign, but marched with General Anthony Wayne in 1793 to the Miami, and did gallant service in that campaign. In 1826, when he marched with his fellow veterans in the procession just mentioned, he had become very poor and lost his health and his eyesight. That year Thomas Kennedy offered a resolution in the Legislature granting Capt. Lewis the pay. of a retired captain but he did not live long to enjoy it, for he died on the nineteenth of March 1827, beloved and revered as a patriot and a valiant soldier. In 1808 his daughter Eliz- abeth married Captain George Shryock, who also fought for his country in the war of 1812, as Cap- tain in Ragan's Regiment, and who died in 1872, at the great age of eighty-nine years. The family of George Shryock was a remarkable one. He was one of eleven children born to John and Mary Teagarden Shryock. Seven of these lived beyond the age of eighty years. The family resided on the Manor until 1787, when they came to Hag- erstown and lived on Franklin street, opposite the Oak Spring.
CHAPTER XII
N 1820 a petition was presented to the Leg- islature to have the elections in the sec- ond eleetion district held in Willianis- port. That had been the place of hold- ing elections in that distriet when the County was first divided into five election distriets. But in 1801 an Aet of Assembly was passed appointing a commission composed of William Heyser, Henry Ankeney and Frisby Tilghman to make alterations in the lines of some of the distriets. Among the elianges made by this eom- misson was the removal of the polls of the second district from Williamsport to Langley's Tavern. In 1820 the Senate passed an Aet authorizing the elections to be held at Williamsport and ereating an additional polling place at Boonsboro. This bill the House of Delegates rejected. Instead of this a bill was passed by both houses dividing the County into seven eleetion distriets and fixing Wil- liamsport as the polling place for No. 2, Boons- boro for No. 6 and Cavetown for No. 7. This Aet took effeet in 1821. Under its authority the Levy Court in 1822 appointed John Blackford, Daniel Rench, Daniel Sehnebly, John Bowles, William Yates, Henry Locher and William Gabby to lay out the districts. This eommission met at the Court House and organized in May 1822. This was a time of great activity in building churches and in religious matters generally. In October 1820 the General Synod of the Evangelieal Luth- eran Church of the United States assembled in Hagerstown. Christmas 1819 a number of eiti- zens met in St. Paul's Church, Sharpsburg, and formed the Episcopal Society for the promotion of Christian knowledge. Isaae S. White was the
President, and Samuel Knode, secretary. A Ger- man Lutheran Church at Williamsport was con- secrated July 30, 1820. Addresses were made in the German and English languages. On the 27th of May, 1822, the corner stone of a Lutheran Church was laid in Smithsburg. The sermons upon this oeeasion also were in two languages. A few weeks later, on May 27, the corner stone of what is now known as Salem Reformed Church, at Fisher's, three miles from Hagerstown, was laid. This chureli was consecrated June 8, 1823. Beginning in 1825 for several years there was an earnest endeavor to have the Theologieal Seminary of the Lutheran Church established in Hagerstown. Citizens of Boonsborough also urged that it be placed in that healthful and beautiful place. May 12, 1827, the Methodist Church in Hagerstown was dedicated with imposing ceremonies in the pres- ence of large eongregations. Sermons were preached by Bishops Soule and M'Kendree. Not long before this the Presbyterians had erected the church on South Potomac street which after the beautiful stone church at the corner of Washington and Prospeet streets was built, was sold to a con- gregation of the Christian Church which now possesses it. The new Episcopal Church had just been completed and the Catholie congregation were engaged in building what was then the lar- gest church in the town. In August 8, 1827,tlie corner stone of the German Reformed Church in Cavetown was laid. This building was in the charge of a committee composed of Jacob Lambert, Daniel Hewett, Henry Lyday, George Cauliflower and William Kreps.
The eensus of 1820 showed that Hagerstown
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had 2,690 inhabitants of whom 400 were colored. Williamsport had 827. Funkstown 533, Sharps- burg, 656, Hancock 271. Engaged in manufac- turing. Hagerstown had 464, Williamsport 111, Sharpsburg 108 and Hancock 44. Boonsborough was then too small a village to be taken into ac- count separately. But it had a school which had a capacity of a hundred pupils. Two branches were taught to each scholar and the price of tuition was from $1 to $3 per quarter. The inducements held out to pupils were the delightful and healthy location of the village and the morality of the villagers. The first sale of lots in Clearspring did not occur until 1822. Three years later it had forty-seven dwellings, four stores, three taverns, two doctors' shops, a school house and a postoffice. Its population numbered 290 including many me- chanics-wheel wrights, wagon makers, saddlers, tanner». blacksmiths, carpenters and masons. The rapid growth of the place was occasioned by the traffic on the turnpike which was then just attain- ing large proportions.
The congratulations of the people of Hagers- town upon the improved prospects of their town, were somewhat lessened by the condition of the streets. These had been going from bad to worse until they became intolerable. The lottery scheme had accomplished but little and it was complained that whilst a portion of East Washington street and a portion of the north side of West Washington were cared for and paved it was because a com- missioner lived in cach of these streets. The re- mainder even of this principal street was unpaved and in a dreadful condition. The streets became the dumping places for the town and so much matter was left in them to decay that it was urged that swine would be permitted to run at large to act as scavengers. This condition of affairs bore the fruit which was inevitable. The town became desperately unhealthy. The summer and autumn of 1822 were very dry and the sickness was every- where. Public meetings were held in the Court House to devise some remedy. By the next year the newspapers of other towns were publishing warnings to travelers to avoid Hagerstown as a post ridden place. Petitions were sent to the Leg- islature asking for power for the commissioners to have nuisances removed. It was not until 1827 that the question of a radical change in the govern- ment of the town was seriously discussed. The Moderator and Commissioners were entrusted with but little real anthority. The town meeting in
January 1827 where it was proposed to obtain a charter for the town and a government by a Mayor and Council with adequate authority, as great ex- citement prevailed as if it were proposed to start a monarchy. Writers in the newspapers drew vivid pictures of the state of affairs in the town when it should come to be ruled by a Lord Mayor, four and twenty fat Aldermen and not less than fifty half starved common Councilmen who should be empowered to tax the heads and property of the people to any extent they chose for the pleasure of the Lord Mayor and his Aldermen and Com- mon Councilmen. This opposition to the proposed charter placed the delegates to the Legislature in a dilemma, for they did not know which would be more popular, to reject or to favor the charter. It was not until March 22, 1848, that the Act of Assembly was passed which changed the Govern- inent to the Mayor and Council. The Mayor was to be elected for two years and one Councilman from each of the five wards into which the town had been divided in 1818 by the same Act which gave authority for building the new Market House. The constant funerals which took place while the town was unhealthy probably suggested a very sensible reform which took place in 1822. A gen- eral meeting of the English Lutheran congrega- tion was held to protest against the needless ex- pense and extravagance in funerals. A resolution was passed at this meeting pledging those present not to accept > arves and gloves and under no cir- cumstances to return to the house from which the funeral took place for the customary refreshments. The political campaign in 1820 was exceed- ingly animated. General Ringgold declined to again become a candidate and Mr. Thomas C. Worthington, of Frederick County, was nominated by the Democrats. The people of Washington County complained that in tlie convention which nominated Worthington they were not represented. In the controversy over this matter, Judge Shriver of Frederick took part and a writer in the Freder- ick Examiner made a most violent and immoder- ate assault upon the Judge for which he subse- quently brought an action for libel against the publishers of the paper. Worthington's opponent was John Nelson, who was also a Democrat and who was elected by a majority of a thousand votes. The next year there was much interest taken in the sheriffalty. There were no less than thirteen aspirants for the position. The prize was carried off by the famous or rather infamous John Van
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Swearingen. In 1821 one indication of the ad- vance of Hagerstown from a country village to greater pretensions, was the first appearance of a milk peddler.John Harry announced his ability to furnish milk to customers and would deliver it fresh at their houses daily at five cents a quart and the service would begin as soon as subscribers for twelve quarts per day should be obtained. About the same time the first advertisement of an oyster house, appeared in the town papers. In Desember 1821 Charles Barnes opened an oyster house at the Globe Tavern. It appears also that large barns are not entirely modern, for Jacob Mumma, whose farm was near Sharpsburg, had a barn two hundred feet long. This was the largest in the County. In January 1822 this great barn was burned along with a large number of live stock and a thousand bushels of wheat. The own- er's loss was estimated at $8,000. A petition was sent to the Legislature in January 1822 asking for authority to build a bridge across the mouth of Beaver Creek, where it empties into the Antietanı, at the foot of the rugged and picturesque prom- entory known as the "Devil's Back Bone." The authority was granted and the work placed in charge of Samuel Ringgold and Daniel Rench and Jabez Kenney was the contractor. Shortly afterwards bridges over the Antietam were also ordered at John Shafer's Mill, and one at Mum- ma's Mill on tlic road from Boonsboro to Sharps- burg. The cost of the latter was limited to $1,800. The builder of the first was Silas Harry. The latter was built by James Lloyd. In October of the same year the Masons laid the corner stone of the bridge over the Potomac at Harper's Ferry. The Conococheague bridge at Williamsport having become delapidated an Act of Assembly giving authority to repair it was passed in February 1826.
Upton Lawrence, a distinguished member of the Hagerstown Bar died March 30, 1824 at the age of forty-five years and was buried in the family vault on his farm two miles from Hagers- town. Upton Lawrence was the son of John Law- rence and Martha West of Linganore, Frederick County, Maryland. His wife was Elizabeth Hager the daughter of Jonathan Hager, Jr., the son of the founder of the town of Hagerstown. Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence had five children, Jonathan and Upton, Mrs. Robert J. Brent, Misses Elizabeth and Martha. The latter lived until their death some years ago in their father's residence, the house
built by Dr. John Reynolds on Washington street near Prospect. They were the last representatives of the founder's family in the town. The Misses Lawrence possessed many valuable relics of their ancestors, including the watch which Jonathan Hager, Sr., wore at the time he was killed and which bears the marks made by the log that passed over his body. They also owned two-thirds of the ground rents on the lots of the original town, the remaining third having passed to Jonathan Ha- ger's daughter, Mrs. Danicl Heister. Mrs. Robert J. Brent left numerous descendants. One of her daughters married William Keyser, at one time a vice-president of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. Mr. Lawrence's home was always the gathering place of a refined circle of society. Among his constant visitors were Roger Brooke Taney, John Thompson Mason and Luther Martin. The lat- ter was at one time engaged to be married to Mrs. Lawrence's mother, the beautiful young widow of Jonathan Hager ; but she broke the engagement on account of Mr. Martin's well known intemper- ance.
The winter of 1822 was full of amusements for the people. Several troupes of players visited the town and performed at the Globe Tavern As- sembly Rooms, or Hagerstown Theatre, as it was called. One company presented "The Blue Devils" and "Tobies Elegant Comedy," "The Honey Moon," for some time three nights in the week. The prices were for boxes 75 cents and 50 cents for the pit. No money was received at the door. This performance was followed by a "Grand Operatical Romance and brilliant spectacle. The Forty Thieves," which was given four nights in the week and concluded with "Animal Magnetism" a farce. Another play which was popular in New York about the same time was "Tom and Jerry, or Life in London." Concerts at the Court House were also included in the list of amusements for the winter. Another amusement during the win- ter was an Elk chase given by William Crum- baugh. He bought an elk and turned him loose near Hagerstown and invited the public to take part in his recapture-at so much a piece. Shoot- ing matches had not gone out of fashion. In Christmas holidays 1825 a bear, a hog and a num- ber of turkies were put up to be shot for at Oster's tavern, two miles from Hagerstown on the Western pike. But the most popular of all amuse- ments then and for many years was some trial of strength. Bullet playing or Long bullets the hurl-
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HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD
ing of a heavy iron ball weighing about five pounds was constantly indulged in. What is now Poto- mac avenue from "Wayside" down to the Square was the favorite place for this game and it became so dangerous to persons traveling on the road that it had to be prohibited by an Act of Assembly -- a law which is still upon the statute books although but few persons now know the meaning of the term. There were constant wagers upon feats of strength. Samuel Shaw won a wager by carrying three bushels of wheat from the Square to Hager's mill, a mile distant, and putting it into the mill. But in winning his wager he lost his life, for shortly afterwards he was taken ill from the effects of the strain and died.
During the latter part of 1824 and for many months nothing so much interested the people of Washington County as the visit of La Fayette to America and his promised visit to Hagerstown. Upon the very first news of his intended visit to America a public meeting was held at the Court House over which William Gabby presided and of which J. Schnebly was the secretary. The citizens of the town resolved that they participated in the general joy upon the prospect of seeing the distin- guished and gallant soldier, that being deeply impressed with the value of his services to this country and being desirous of manifesting in a suitable manner their veneration for his character and person it was determined that a committee should wait on him upon his arrival in Baltimore to tender their congratulations and to invite him to visit Hagerstown. The committee was com- posed of Col. O. H. Williams, Col. Frisby Tilgh- man, the IIon. John Buchanan, William Priee and V. W. Randall. This committee of distinguished citizens later on met Gen. La Fayette in Baltimore to whom they were introduced by the city authori- ties and tendered the invitation and an address. Both were kindly received and a promise made to pay a visit to Washington County-the time to be fixed by letter. The committee returned highly elated over the success of their mission and called another public meeting to provide for a suitable entertainnient for the nation's guest. These. besides a banquet, were to partake some- what of a military character. Gen. Ringgold issned orders to the second brigade of the Maryland Militia to assemble at the town hall on the last day of O tober to make arrangements for their part of the ceremonies. The latter part of May 1825 was finally fixed for the visit, but to the bitter
disappointment of the people the news eame that the boat on which La Fayette was aseending the Ohio river, struek a snag and sunk. La Fayette lost all of his baggage and narrowly escaped drowning. His engagement to come to Hagers- town was cancelled. He got no nearer to Hagers- town than Leesburg. Va., which he visited August 9. 1825. The same number of the Torch Light which contained this announcement, also contain- ed an advertisement by J. S. Skinner, Postmaster of Baltimore, asking for some wild turkeys to be presented to the General. As some compensation for their disappointment the people of the town had the satisfaction in May of seeing General Scott and his suite, and a few days later, Henry Clay, who were here en route to the West. Some of the internal affairs of the County about this time might well have claimed the attention of the peo- ple. The Alms House had again become a publie disgrace, as it continued at intervals to be more than a half century longer. A traveler who visited Hagerstown in this year examined the Alms House and found nothing in it which did not excite his warmest admiration. He had visited many poor houses but had never seen more efficient measures taken to relieve the distressed. The inmates were supplied with all necessary food and raiment and there was a system of cheerfulness which makes the wretched forget their woes and induced af- frighted reason in most cases to return to the dwelling she had abandoned. But the grand jury which visited the Alms House about the same time were not so impressed with the measures adopted to induce the return of affrighted reason. They discovered a damp and noisome apartment ten feet square, reeking with filth, unventilated and filled with terrible stench. To the floor of this cell were chained four unfortunate human beings whose only crime was that they were bereft of their reason. At the January session of that year the Legislature had empowered the Levy Court to sell the Alms House and to buy a farm for the better accommodation of the poor. Not more than $1500 was to be levied for this purpose in any one year and no levy at all was to be made until the Court House and jail then newly built, had been entirely paid for. This farm was never bought and the poor remained in horrible quar- ter- in Hagerstown until a farin was given for their benefit by a liberal citizen, more than a half century later as we shall see further on in these chronicles, But if the town was in so
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deplorable a condition as to an Alms House it could boast of one institution which is sadly needed here in this more enlightened day. That institu- tion was a Work House in which vagrants and lewd women were put to hard labor-each one sentenced to it for thirty days.
It is not only the Alms House that Washing- ton County had occasion to be ashamed at this time. In January 1825 a petition for free schools went down fromn Boonsborough to the Legislature. The following year an Act was passed for free schools throughout the State, but the Act was sub- mitted to the people and was to be effective in no County where it was not approved by a majority of the voters. Washington was one of the coun- ties which rejected this law and it was done by the decisive majority of more than five hundred votes. Three thousand and eighty votes were cast-1,169 in the affirmative and 1,680 to reject. But there is reason to believe that before long the result was deeply deplored by many who had contributed to it. Perhaps when they felt the results of an improved price for wheat, the regret that some portion was not expended in education was still mnore keen. In January 1825-whilst wheat was selling in Baltimore at 90 cents in Hagerstown the price was only from 56 to 60 cents a bushel. But by the end of April it had advanced to $1 and $1.10. This sudden advance was attributed to a more liberal English policy. It was this year that what was known as the "sliding scale"
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