USA > Maryland > Caroline County > History of Caroline County, Maryland, from its beginning > Part 17
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this book. Thomas White, another large land owner, lived on what is now the Carter land. Between the camp-ground and Burrsville was the Fountain estate. Of this family Andrew Fountain was a captain of militia in the Revolution, while Marcy Fountain became a promi- nent citizen of the upper section of the country.
At this time or a little later, William Chilton pos- sessed the land around the camp ground and former mill site and erected at the head of Chapel Branch a mill which continued for many years. Upon the schools' be- ing located on his land, or a lot therefrom, it was given the name of Chilton's, which is used by many at present, though the official name is Camp Grove.
Two school buildings have been burned on the site of the present one which was erected in 1918 through the cooperative efforts of a few enterprising residents of the community.
Camp Grove School takes its name from being on a part of the old Chilton's camp ground. For many years this grove was annually tented, and religious services held under the auspices of the Methodist Protestant de- nomination. Along with improvement in travel and oth- er changes in events, the camp, in the main, has ceased to function as in olden times, and is rapidly disappear- ing.
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DENTON.
Denton, for more than a century the county seat of Caroline County, on the east border of the Choptank, was originally named, "Edenton," in honor of Sir Robert Eden, proprietary Governor of Maryland in 1769-1774. The "e" was dropped, thus changing Edenton to "Den- ton" a little while subsequent to the Revolution and Governor Eden's departure for England.
The county seat, which at the time was at Melvill's Warehouse, a mile and half farther up the river, was re- moved to Denton in the early nineties; a square of land containing four acres having been purchased for the erec- tion of a court house and jail in October 1791. The price paid was "thirty shillings, current money, per acre." The old map on record in the office of the Clerk of the Circuit Court, an interesting showing of the work of that day, bears the signature of Robert Orrell, surveyor, and those of three of the five village commissioners-Levin Charles, Alex. Maxwell and Solomon Brown. The village as shown by the map numbered forty-nine buildings in all. It was then a village of some commercial import- ance as is evidenced by "shop." "store," "wharf" and "granary" marked on the map.
In November 1792 it was enacted by the General As- sembly of Maryland, "That Joseph Richardson, Christo- pher Driver, William Robinson, Henry Downes and Rob- ert Hardcastle have full power and authority to open and lay off a road, and make a good and sufficient canseway, through the marsh on the east side of Choptank river, op- posite, or as nearly opposite the court-house of said county as they may think best or proper, and erect a wharf at the end of said causeway, if they shall think it necessary."
In 1796 William Richardson, William Potter, George Martin, Henry Downes, Christopher Driver, Joshua Driver and John Bennett were appointed commissioners to attend to surveying Denton.
The act providing for the surveying follows :
"WHEREAS it is represented to this General Assembly, that the owners of the land contiguous to Denton, in Caroline County, are desirous that a village should be surveyed and laid out, with convenient streets, lanes and alleys; therefore, BE IT ENACTED, That the said commissioners, or a majority of them. are hereby authorized and empowered, with the consent of the proprietor or proprietors aforesaid, to survey and lay out any quantity of land, not exceeding fifty acres, including the public square called Denton,
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in Caroline County, and the lands thereto contiguous and the same, when surveyed, to be erected into a village, and to be called and known by the name of Denton; and such village. when surveyed and laid ont, to divide into lots, which lots shall be numbered and bounded by stones, at every corner of the same; and the said commissioners, or a majority of them, are hereby authorized and empowered to survey and lay ont a sufficient number of streets, not exceeding fifty feet wide, as also a sufficient number of alleys, not exceeding twenty feet wide, through the said village. for the public convenience;
At the same time provision for relaying the public square was made in the following act:
"WHEREAS it is represented to this General Assembly, that the public square of Denton might be much more advantageously located, by exchanging a part of the said public square for a small quantity of land lying on the south side thereof, by means whereof a communication with the main street, leading through Denton, will be formed with the said public square: therefore, BE IT EN- ACTED. That the said commissioners, or a majority of them. are hereby anthorized and empowered to survey and lay ont anew the public square, which was originally laid out and condemned in pursuance of the act of assembly to which this is an additional supplement; and in case the said commissioners, or a majority of them, shall deem it most advantageous to the public, they, or a majority of them, are hereby authorized and enpowered to ex- change a part of the said public square lying on the northernmost side thereof, not exceeding one acre, for the like quantity of land on the southernmost side of the said square and upon the pro- prietor or proprietors of any such land so exchanged executing a deed or deeds of bargain and sale, agreeably to the laws of this state, such land shall be forever thereafter deemed and taken to be part of the said public square, and as such to be used and en- joyed."
THE OLD MARKET PLACE.
Nearly a century ago, there was erected on the Southeast corner of the public square facing Market Street, where the Masonic Hall now stands, an open building about thirty feet long, which was used as a mar- ket place. Across the pillars which supported the roof extended boards for shelves. Some green produce, eggs. and meat, including beef by the quarter and whole pigs as well as smaller quantities, were brought here and either sold from these shelves or the wagons which were backed un there for that purpose. Here also slaves may have been sold.
The following comes under date of 1827 :
"Whereas the commissioners of the village of Denton have erected on the public ground in said village a market house, and Whereas the members of Washington Lodge No. 59. of Free and Accepted Masons, have erected over said market honse a room or rooms to be occupied as a Lodge room or rooms. Therefore
"BE IT ENACTED, by the General Assembly of Maryland, That James Sangston. Joli Brown, Nehemiah Fountain, Bennett
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Wherrett and James Hand, the commissioners of the village of Denton, and their successors, or a majority of them, shall for ever hereafter hold, possess and enjoy, all the public ground on which said market house and Lodge house and Market-street, and also all the public ground between said market house and Lodge house and Second-street, and twenty feet of public ground im- mediately contiguous to the west side and north end of said mar- ket house; Provided that nothing in this act shall be construed so as to authorize the said commissioners or their successors or the officers of Washington Lodge to erect thereon any other pub- lic buildings for the use, convenience and benefit of the said vil- lage.
"AND BE IT ENACTED, That the members of Washington Lodge No. 59, and their successors. shall for ever hereafter hold, possess and enjoy, the said room or rooms erected by them over the said market house, in as full and ample a manner as if they had an actual deed for the premises on which it is erected, with- out any let, hindrance or molestation. of any person whatsoever; and in case at any time the said Lodge shall go down, the com- missioners of the village of Denton shall have it in their power to rent the room or rooms now occupied as a lodge room or rooms, and apply the prceeds to the payment and costs of the subscribers for the erection of the roons now occupied a's a Lodge after keeping up all necessary repairs, any thing in any law to the con- trary notwithstanding."
BANKS.
In December 1813 a number of citizens of Caroline County prayed that a bank be established in Denton. The acts regarding the same are given below :
"BE IT ENACTED, by the General Assembly of Maryland. That a bank to be called and known by the name of The Bank of Caroline shall be established in the village of Denton, in Caro- line County."
"AND BE IT ENACTED, That the capital stock of this bank shall consist of two hundred thousand dollars, money of the United States, divided into eight thousand shares of twenty-five dollars each.'
FIRST NATIONAL BANK IN COUNTY.
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COL. PHILIP W. DOWNES.
Denton is the possessor of three prosperous banks. Of these the most important as well as the oldest in Caroline County is the Denton National. This bank was organized in 1881 with Col. P. W. Downes as first pres- ident and R. T. Carter as first cashier and transacted business on the site of the present bakery. Later on the bank moved into its new brick home on the corner of Main and Fourth Streets. In 1902, the present hand- some pressed brick building was erected at a cost of $18,000. The present capital stock of the bank is $100,000, with a surplus of $200,000, which gives the bank a high rating, standing as 16th in the state. There are now six persons regularly employed in this bank, with Harvey L. Cooper as president and W. I. Norris, successor to T. C. West, who served thirty-two years, as cashier.
The Peoples' Bank which became a State Bank in 1919 was organized in 1898, with a capital stock of $50,000 as a National Bank, with Joseph HI. Bernard as president and George Wallace as cashier, and transact- ed business for a number of years in the Masonic Build-
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ing. Later, the present bank was built at a cost of $20,000. Mr. Bernard procured some Indiana limestone, saved from the Baltimore Fire, as the building material. Henry T. Nuttle of Andersontown, is now president and T. F. Johnson is cashier.
The youngest bank of Denton is the Farmers' and Merchants State Bank, which was organized in 1919 with John T. Carter as first president and Sherman Higmutt as cashier. It is located on Main and Third Streets in the Carter Building. Its Capital Stock is $30,000. The Board of Directors are pleased with the business they are transacting and it promises to become a strong banking institution.
FIRST FACTORY.
Perhaps the first factory built in Denton, was the old plow factory, located on the northeast corner of Main and Fourth Streets and erected about 1835. Henry Wil- son, father of the late Charles Wilson, an eccentric old gentleman, but highly esteemed by Caroline Countians, was proprietor. The factory produced complete plows for many years, one of which is still owned by Mr. C. H. Stewart. After the death of the owner, the manufac- ture of plows was discontinued and after much wear the walls finally decayed. Many of the residents of Den- ton recall the happy hours of their childhood when "com- ing home from school they looked in at the open door" and wondered at the sights and sounds of the first fac- tory they had ever seen.
LEADING MERCHANTS IN 1820.
In 1820, according to the diary kept by the late Jef- ferson Pratt, Sangston and Hardcastle were the leading merchants of Denton. They bought tan-bark, wood, grain, dried fruit, feathers, wool, poultry and other coun- try produce, which they shipped to the city by sail ves- sels. In this year corn sold at twenty-five cents a bushel and wheat from sixty to eighty cents.
OLD COINS USED LONG AGO.
During the early days of Caroline County the coins that were in general use were very different from those that we use to-day. At that time they had the twelve and one-half cent piece which was called a "levy," the six
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and one-fourth cent piece which was called a "fip," the three cent piece, and the two cent piece. In some see- tions of the county the levy was called a "bit" and even today in some localities we hear of the quarter dollar being called "two bits."
EARLY TRAVEL ACROSS THE CHOPTANK AT DENTON.
It has not always been as easy and convenient for the people of this community to travel across the Chop- tank River as it is now. In the early days their only way of getting across here was by means of small boats or ferry which perhaps landed near what is now the jail, then called Pig Point.
About 1792, probably in order to shorten the dis- tance of the ferry across here, there was a causeway laid through the marsh on the east side of the river. This causeway was very low at first and was often covered with water. Later it was raised and travelling across it was much easier. Many of our older residents remen- ber a few occasions when they had to be rowed to the top of the hill in boats.
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DENTON IRON BRIDGE. Erected 1875.
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A few years later in 1811, a number of citizens on seeing how much more convenient it would be to have a bridge here, decided to form a company to erect one, so they were incorporated by the General Assembly under the name of "The President and Directors of the Denton Bridge Company."
This first bridge was a narrow one way drawbridge with a draw twenty-six feet long and a toll bridge to all persons not residents of Caroline County. The Levy Court paid a small sum ($280) each year to allow these to go over free. Those who came here from other coun- ties had to pay twenty-five cents for a four-wheeled ve- hicle : twelve and one half cents for a two wheeled ve- hicle ; six and a fourth cents for a horse and rider; three cents for each mule or horse, and two cents for each foot passenger. In 1818 this toll was doubled.
This bridge remained a toll bridge until shortly be- fore the Civil War, when it was sold to the county and in about 1875 replaced by the iron bridge which remain- ed standing until 1913 when the concrete bridge was con- structed.
OLD STAGE ROUTES.
The old stage coaches which ran between Denton and various points, long before the railroads were built in Caroline County, are well remembered by a few of our citizens. They were large substantial vehicles usually drawn by two horses and carried both mail and passen- gers.
Travelling in these old coaches was very slow and tiresome, although the rate of speed depended, to a cer- tain extent, on the condition of the roads and the weath- er.
Sometime before 1860 there was a stage line started between Easton and Felton, Del. via Denton. After 1860 the stage met the Chester River boat at Queens- town. It usually left here between six and seven o'clock in the morning and was due in Queenstown anywhere between ten and twelve o'clock. If the tide happened to be low it was necessary for the passengers to be carried out in a row boat or a scow before they would get aboard the steamer which was then anchored out some distance from the shore.
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OLD BRICK HOTEL.
OUR FIRST STEAMBOATS.
The first steamboat came up the Choptank River to Denton from Baltimore before 1850. It was named the "Cyrus." People gathered here from miles around, or on their own shores, to see it as it passed. There was talk among the very small boys and also the negroes that the waves would probably wash them away from the shore. So when the darkies saw it coming they all ran and hid and none could be seen anywhere.
"The Cyrus" perhaps only made one trip, but a little later "The Dupont" with Captain Case as captain made weekly trips between Denton and Baltimore. In- stead of having wheels on the side, as "The Cyrus" had, and as most of the boats of to-day have, it was propelled by one wheel from the back. If there were any passen- gers on this boat coming down to visit a home on the river shore, where the wharf was not deep enough for the steamer to dock, the captain would sometimes have the small boats lowered and send them ashore.
AX OLD GRAVE.
One of the oldest graves that can be identified in this vicinity is that of Major John Young in the old cemetery at the rear of the Methodist Church. In some places the brick wall which was built around it, has fall- en. The marble slab, though much worn and molded, still shows the following unusual inscription :
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"Dedicated to the memory Major James Young, who was born the 14th day of June 1775, and died January 1822, aged forty eight years and seven months.
The blow, how sudden, how severe the dart,
This marble shows life's fleeting scene. Proclaims it but a passing dream While time rolls on, while moments fly, This stone cries out, 'Prepare to die,'
Friends, be not careless concerning your duty to God, for time is on the wing. Heaven is worth striving for.
Philosophy, age, and experience tell us there is no real pleas- ure in this world, our hopes and pursuits of such end with disap- pointments, with this a strong influence that reason is loudly pro- claiming to the universe, there is a world beyond this where a Heaven of enjoyment is awaiting the Righteous."
This Major Young was a Caroline Countian by birth and at one time a banker of Denton. He was also a member of the State Legislature and a Major in the War of 1812. One of his sons, Captain Edward Young, was for many years a commander of a boat on Maryland wat- ers and was widely known on the Eastern Shore.
A UNION SHIP VISITS DENTON.
In the early years of the Civil War a Union cutter came to Denton and anchored at the bridge. This ship brought about fifty men commanded by Captain Num- bers, whose purpose was to arrest and punish any South- ern sympathizers that had spoken too freely of their own opinions. Some of these were: Messrs. Thomas H. Slaughter, Ezekiel Saulsbury, Eben Wright, Josiah Beck, Silas Christopher, W. P. Stafford, and Frank Port- er.
Number's men had been directed to the Slaughter residence. Upon nearing it, they saw a horseman riding rapidly toward them. As soon as the rider discovered the presence of the officers he rode about fifty vards to the edge of a swamp and escaped to Hickory Ridge where Wesley Smith fed him till it was safe for him to return and prepare to join the Confederate Army. Later on the soldiers tried to capture David Wright, father of the later Mr. Wright of Andersontown, also a Southern sym- pathizer. They compelled Mr. Hobbs, then a neighbor of Mr. Wright to lead them to the house of the suspect but upon their arrival they found that Mr. Wright had escaped.
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The soldiers left Denton about forty-eight hours after their arrival, without a single prisoner, but they had thoroughly scared all Southern sympathizers.
AN UNFORTUNATE CELEBRATION.
A company of Union soldiers was stationed at Den- ton, as guards in 1863, and in celebrating the Fourth of July brought quite a disaster upon the town they were supposed to benefit.
They had been celebrating with the use of skyrock- ets and other explosives used on the Fourth of July, and it was some of these that started the fire. At the back of Mr. Blackiston's store, where Mr. William Bullock has a garage, was a rum shop. While the lower part of the building was used as a rum shop, the second floor was used as a store room for flax and cotton. Some of the rockets landed on the roof which started the flax burning. This being a late hour, and the town being un- prepared to fight fire, it burned about all the business part of the town, which consisted of several stores, a hotel, and this rum shop.
BRICK HOTEL REMODELED.
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OLD GRIST MILL.
In the summer of 1868 a grist mill was built in Den- ton on the north end of the present Fourth Street on what was known as Saulsbury creek. The joint owners of the mill were, Mr. John Emerson, father of the late Mr. Waldo Emerson, and Mr. Frederick Roschy, a Ger- man shoe maker of Denton. Mr. Emerson, however, managed the business and had his office on the site of Mr. Frederick Towers' present home. This mill was run by water power but the first heavy storm that came wash- ed the dam out. At once a new dam was built and a race led back to the turbine wheel which operated the mill.
Further trouble with the power led the owners to discontinue the milling business. Mr. Philip Downes later bought the building and moved it to Towers' Wharf where it now stands.
STREET LIGHTING.
After the streets of Denton had for many years been lighted by oil lamps faithfully attended by Charles Smith, now janitor of the Court Honse, in 1901 the peo- ple were very much pleased with the gas plant which was built for the purpose of lighting streets and homes. But a few years later, as the electric light plant had been started near Denton, the gas plant was discontinued and electricity substituted.
LAW BUILDING.
In 1902, "The Law Building and Realty Co." was incorporated by W. H. Deweese. II. L. Cooper, A. G. Towers and Fred R. Owens and the same year the Law Building was built on Main Street, opposite the Court House, on the site of the old Choptank Hotel. The lower floor is now used for the Post Office, hardware store, and other offices; the second floor, for law offices only; and the third floor for lodge rooms and a Law Library.
THE PAVING OF MAIN STREET.
When Denton's Main Street was paved in 1915 and 1916, as the result of a law passed by the General As- sembly the year before, a decided improvement was made to the town. The work done by Mr. C. S. Kauffman, rep- resentative of the Holt Construction Co., is made of con- crete, abont seven inches in thickness, with a six inch
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curb on either side. The extent of this road is about seven-eighths of a mile, extending from the railroad in East Denton to the foot of Denton Hill, including the causeway and making a total length of a mile and a quar- ter. The width of the street varies from sixty feet in front of the Law Building, to thirty feet through the main part of the town to Eighth Street, east of which point it is only fourteen feet in width.
The cost of construction was about $22,000, the state paying for one half of the cost, if twenty-four feet in width or less, and if over twenty-four feet in width pay- ing for twelve feet only, the town meeting the cost of the remainder. The individual property owners paid for the construction of the curb, the cost of which was one dollar per running foot.
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FIRST PUBLIC SCHOOL BUILDING.
SCHOOLS.
Records of the General Assembly of 1804 show that the parcel of land in Denton now used for a jail was once set apart for the purpose of building thereon a school house, but owing to difficulty in securing funds nothing
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MANUAL TRAINING EXHIBIT.
was done for several years. From year to year however, effort was made to get an Academy in Denton, until at last in 1826 the General Assembly made it possible to proceed by paying two hundred and fifty dollars for that purpose and an equal amount yearly for its support. This Academy was then organized, but the building was not erected for several years. In the meantime the Academy was conducted in the Hall, over the old Market Honse, on the site of the present Masonic Hall.
Finally in 1835 a school building was erected on the corner of Gay and Second Streets in the block in which the Court House now stands. It was a plain but sub- stantial two story building, with a school room and a donble entry hall-way below, and a school-room and a cloak room above. For a generation the building stood here, and in the year 1879 it was removed to Low and Second Streets on the site of the present Primary School, and was there used as an Academy until 1883, when it was moved a little west on the same street, and sup- planted by the present Primary building. In fact the old building is today used as a dwelling house, and the original slate roof, which was all hand made, is still in good repair, promising to last for generations to come.
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The year 1887 stands out in school history, for the County School Commissioners, authorized the first High School in the County. Prof. Chas. W. Bryn was the first principal of this school, which was conducted in the Ma- sonic Hall for two years.
Feeling the need of a new school building, in 1901 the present High School was erected on Franklin Street. It is an attractive and comfortable building and for some years was large enough for every need. In the last few years, however, the attendance upon the town schools has grown so rapidly that the building is entirely inade- quate.
CHURCHES.
Methodist Episcopal.
The history of the Methodist Episcopal church in Denton began apparently with Moore's Chapel in 1816. as given in this volume under the heading-Early Churches.
The present brick church was erected in 1867, Rev. John Hough being pastor at that time. Several years ago this church was thoroughly repaired, remodelled and a Sunday School room added.
Presbyterian.
One of the first churches built in Denton was the Presbyterian church which was situated on what is now Gay St. Although no one seems to know just when it was built, services were discontinned here many years before the Civil War. After this time it was sold to the colored people and is now supposed to form a part of the M. E. Church of this place.
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