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18623 5.5
THE CITY
1669-1883
XANDRIA,
VIR
US 18623 5.5
Darbard College Library
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FROM THE BRIGHT LEGACY
One half the income from this Legacy, which was re- ceived in 1880 under the will of
JONATHAN BROWN BRIGHT of Waltham, Massachusetts, is to be expended for books for the College Library. The other half of the income is devoted to scholarships in Harvard University for the benefit of descendants of
HENRY BRIGHT, JR.,
who died at Watertown, Massachusetts, in 1686. In the absence of such descendants, other persons are eligible to the scholarships. The will requires that this announce- ment shall be made in every book added to the Library under its provisions.
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A CONCISE HISTORY
OF THE CITY OF -
ALEXANDRIA, VA.,
FROM
1669 to 1883,
WITH A
Directory of Reliable Business Houses
IN THE CITY, BY
F. L. BROCKETT AND GEO. W. ROCK.
ALEXANDRIA, VA. : PRINTED AT THE GAZETTE BOOK AND JOB OFFICE. 1888.
ELS 18623.5.5
ARD COLLEGE
W
JUN 5 1923
LIBRARY
Bright fund
PREFACE.
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This publication is intended to show the Commercial and Manu- facturing advantages of Alexandria ; its present and future pros- pects, and its importance to the immigrant and capitalist who desire to secure a home in a refined city having great capacities for pro- fitable investments.
In addition to an authentic history of the City, it contains the advertisements of most of the reliable business houses, and much other information of value to the public. Trusting that this little volume may be of advantage to our subscribers, and wishing them and all our good people a Happy New Year, we modestly "launch our little craft."
F. L. BROCKETT, G. W. ROCK.
Alexandria, Virginia, January 1, 1883.
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A CONCISE HISTORY OF THE CITY OF ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA.
The records of the Virginia Land Office at Richmond show, that on the 21st day of October, 1669, a patent for six thousand acres of land was granted to Robert Howsing, for and in considera- tion of the transportation of one hundred and twenty persons into the Colony of Virginia. On this tract the City of Alexandria was located. The land is described as lying upon the freshes of the Potomac river, and on the West side thereof, the survey beginning at a red oak standing by a small branch or run nearly opposite a small Island, commonly called and known by the name of "My Lord's Island," and running down the Potomac river 3,152 poles to a tree on the Northerly point of a creek named by the English "Indian Cabin Creek." This grant was issued by Sir William Berkley, Knt., Governor, &c., and is recorded in the ancient letters and style of that day. At the foot of the grant appears the names of the persons whose transportation was the considera- tion in the grant. From the great age of the paper, and its frequent handling, it is impossible to make out all the names, but the following can readily be identified : Jno. Allen, Eliz. Burtin, Jno. Beaty, B. Bowyer, Ed. Babcock, Alex. Bucker, Giles Cable, Theo. Coake, Wm. Cox, Ro. Carter, - Cowland, Fra. Cogan, Tho. Davis, Tho. Dray, Ro. Dooley, Ruth Day, Morris Dixon, Demfard, Jo. Dove, Ma. Edwards, Josias Franklin, - Freeman, Alex. Fisher, Sam. Farmer, L. Gardner, - Glassly, Theo. Griffin, Miles Gray, Sam. Gressen, Geo. Gorn, Mr. Howsing, Jno. Hudson, Wm. Holson, Geo. Harris, Sym. Harper, Jno. Holmes, Ra. Hopkins, Theo. Hopkins, Ly. Haynes, Ja. Hunter, Jo. Hoxten, Da. Hobson, Ma. Herbert, Chas. IIudsen, Ro. Harser, Tho. Killip, Sara Knowles, Robt. King, Ed. Kent, Tho. La wrassen, Jno. Lane, Row. Lawson, Jno. Leake, Hen. Luxten, Lan. Moseley, Jo. Mott, Susan Moxxim, - Morrell, Jno. Maxey. Jo. New- berry, - Norten, Jno. Norris, Ed. Norris, Mary Phun, Wm. Prise, Tommy Tibold, Hen. Pratt, Jno. Parkey, Evan Parkey,
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Mar. Pressin, Sam. Pyke, Tho. Palmer, Jno. Porter, Mary Porter, Susan Phelps, - Prescott, Ro. Porter, Jno. Sprast, Mary Standly, Ed. Seaman, - Skinner, Jno. Suttle, Tho. Snokett, Wm. Salmen, Tim. Shelley, Pis. Sorby, Ruth Smily, Tho. Snowden, Ro. Stanten, Jo. Truemen, Tho. Tenssen, Jno. Thughill, Ja. Towme, Fran. Trotter, Latt Thughill, D. Taylor, E. Wilkins, Ruth Whitehead, Mary Wilkinson, Jeff. Wormley, Phil. Watson, Jno. Wells, Pat West, Fran. Walker, Hum. Wilson, Robert Young, Ro. Young and 10 negroes.
Mr. Howsing was not required to settle these persons on his grant ; and, indeed, at that time, occupied, as it was, by hostile Indians, the atmosphere would have been a very unhealthy one for immigrants, and it required nearly a century to clear them out. By the terms of his contract he was simply required to transport one hundred and twenty persons to the Colony of Virginia; it is not unlikely, however, that a few of them accompanied Mr. How- sing to his new possession ; and, among them, one Fra. Cogan, but, whether the ancestor of Alexandria's popular citizen of that name, we are not prepared to say.
FIRST SETTLEMENT.
It is believed that the first settlement on this patent was made in 1695 by Thomas Pearson, the ancestor of Alexander Hunter, on what is known as "Pearson's Island." The early pioneers found the Indians very troublesome, and in order to the protection of their families from the raids of these unwelcome visitors, they were compelled to be almost constantly under arms, as these visits were generally made when civilized people were supposed to be asleep. The region around about being tobacco growing, most of the cleared land was used in the production of this staple. The authorities of Prince William county, in which the grant was located, erected a commodious warehouse on the bluff that then overlooked the river, where Daniel Shryer's sumac factory stood forty years ago, and now the site of the Washington and West- ern R. R. depot. At this time the transportation of tobacco in hogsheads from the plantation to the warehouse was effected in a manner which, if performed at this day, would be calculated to ex- cite the mirth of all the boys, both old and young, in town. As wagons and other wheeled vehicles were rarely to be seen, the transportation was caused by running an iron bar through the cen- tre of the hogshead which, being attached to a pair of shafts
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ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA.
in which was harnessed a horse, ox, or mule, and the removal was made over roads by no means good. The settlement which grew around this warehouse was named Belhaven, in honor of a planter of that name. Here, in 1749, what is now the City of Alexandria, was formed. In 1748 the House of Burgesses of the Colony of - Virginia passed an act which authorized the formation of a town at this point with jurisdiction over sixty-six half acre lots, (two of which were set apart for a Public Square,) nine streets and two public landings. Point West, now the fish wharf, and Point Lumley, now the Pioneer mills. These streets, landings and square had been laid off, and were contained within limits, marked by a line starting from the river and running west midway between what is now Duke and Wolfe streets, to a point midway between what is now Royal and Pitt streets, thence north by that line to a point just northeast of the present city jail, and thence by a line N 64° E. to the river. On the eastern front the river had a bend from Point Lumley to West Point, and covered most of the intermediate space now occupied by Lee and Union streets, and on the north, Oronoco Creek made its way from a point near the American coal wharf through the gap north of the Washington & Western R. R. depot, across north Fairfax and Royal streets, as is shown by an orginal survey, dated July 18, 1749, by John West, Jr., deputy surveyor of Fairfax County, in which the town of Alex- andria was then located. Fairfax county having been formed from Prince William in 1742.
ORGANIZATION.
. The town was organized on the 13th day of July, 1749, with John West, Jr., as clerk. Its first Board of Trustees was com- posed of the following gentlemen : Thomas Lord Fairfax, William Fairfax, George Fairfax, Richard Osborne, Lawrence Washington, William Ramsay, John Carlyle, John Pagan, Gerrard Alexander, Hugh West and Philip Alexander. In 1763 George Washington was chosen one of the Trustees. In 1779 it was incorporated by the General Assembly of Virginia as a town, with the authority to elect a Mayor, Aldermen, and Councilmen, and to hold a Hustings Court ; and in March, 1780, Robert T. Hooe was chosen it first Mayor.
THE BUILDING OF THE TOWN
was commenced in the northeastern section, along the river front, and on the high ground in this neighborhood along Union and
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Water (now Lee) streets to Oronoco street. The character of many of the buildings was first-class, built of brick, and several still standing are used for milling and other commercial purposes. Here the first town paper was published. Among the buildings erected were The Colonial Bank and two Hotels, one the "Crown Prince," the other, the "King's Inn." At a later period the "Royal George Tavern" was erected on the N. W. corner of Came- ron and Royal streets, now the site of the store house of Messrs. Harlow Brothers. The Braddock House was built in 1752, Christ Church in 1773, and the 1st Presbyterian Church in 1774. The latter building was destroyed by lightning July 26, 1835, and was rebuilt in 1836.
SALE OF TOWN LOTS.
The first sale of town lots took place immediately on the organi- zation of the Board of Trustees, and among the purchasers were a few of the ancestors of well-known citizens of to-day, viz: John Carlyle, William Ramsay, Lawrence Washington, William Fairfax, George Fairfax, Nathaniel Chapman, Gerard Alexander, William Fitzhugh, and John Dalton; and, at a later sale, George Mason, John West, Augustine Washington, William Henry Terrett, Pearson Terrett, Hugh West, John Muir, Robert Adam, and John Orr became purchasers. The last record of the proceedings of the Trustees was dated April 4, 1767, and the re- cord of the transactions of the town authorities seems to have dis- · appeared until 1794, and since then, the Council Records, for sev- eral years, have been lost or destroyed, probably at the burning of the Market Building in 1871; among a great mass of old books and papers, the first record was found in 1876, and rebound, and is now well preserved.
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IMMIGRATION.
Alexandria at once attracted attention. Before its organization a few immigrants had already come; but, shortly thereafter, many influential families from the British Isles sought homes here. Most of them came supplied with liberal means, and prior to 1800 scarcely an immigrant arrived without the ability to provide & home for himself and family. Many had been educated in the best schools, and it is a remarkable fact that very few of them were un- able to read and write. This is one of the reasons why the Alex- andria of to-day is the equal of any city in the land in educational advantages. Between the years 1749 and 1800 the largest immi-
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gration was from Scotland, that from old Ireland was next in point of numbers. The revolution of '98 was, in a great degree, the cause. England, also, made a good showing in sending those whose families are among our representative people of to-day. The im- migration from Germany, although very limited, is now repre- sented by many of our leading citizens. As Alexandria gave promise of becoming one of the most important cities in the Union our neighboring States contributed of their best citizens. All this was before Washington City was born, and before Baltimore had grown to the proportions of a respectable village ; but the times change. The Federal capital-Seat of the General Government- has become the most beautiful city in the Union, and the city of Baltimore, thanks to the beneficence of Virginia in granting the Baltimore & Ohio Rail Road the right of way through her borders, is not only the chief city of Maryland, but one of the most important cities in the Union. It is impossible to give the names of all of those who came among us before 1800, but the descendents of many : of them will be readily recognized as among our leading citizens of to-day. There came from-
SCOTLAND : Robert Adam, William Bartleman, Robert Brocket, Sr., Dr. James Craik, Col. Fitzgerald, James Fleming. Dr. James Gillis, William Hunter, Jr., Dr. John Hunter, Collin Hunter, John Hunter, Col. Charles Little, Colin McIver, John MeIver, Rev. James Muir, Ebenezer Muir, James Mackenzie, Alexander Mac- Kenzie, Dr. John Dalrymple Orr, Major Valentine Peers, William Ramsay, David Wilson Scott, James Wilson, William Wilson, Capt. William Wilson, and Andrew Jamieson.
FROM IRELAND : Guy Atkinson, Dr. James Carson, John Carlyle, Nehemiah Clifford, William Dunlap, James Douglas, William Herbert, Robert Brown Jamesson, John Kincaid, Michael Madden, Jesse Taylor, Jesse Taylor, Jr., Robert I. Taylor, and William Taylor.
FROM ENGLAND : Capt. Mark Butts, Rev. Thomas Davis, John Duffey, William Hodgson, Thomas Longden, Thomas Rogerson, John Rumney, Hugh Smith, Thomas Towers, John C. Vowell, and Thomas Vowell.
FROM SWITZERLAND : Anthony Charles Cazenove.
FROM GERMANY : Capt. Henry Piercy, a Revolutionary officer on Washington's Staff and afterwards commanding officer of the Alexandria Blues.
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THE STATE OF MARYLAND was represented by Amos Alexander, Nicholas F. Blacklock, Grafton Caywood, Francis Dyer, Basil Hatton Davidson, James Galt, John Grubb, Capt. John Hawkins, Capt. James McGuire, John Roberts, Richard Rock, Thomas Swann, and John Shakes.
PENNSYLVANIA by Richard Arell, David Arell, Samuel Arell, Robert Allison, Dr. Elisha Cullin Dick, Col. Philip Marsteller, Capt. John McKnight, and Matthias Snyder.
NEW JERSEY by George Coryell, Daniel McClean, and Samuel Snowden.
NEW HAMPSHIRE by Col. Timothy Mountford of the Alexandria Museum, William Yeaton, and Joshua Yeaton.
MASSACHUSETTS by Jonathan Swift, a son-in-law of General Daniel Roberdeaux, a Revolutionary officer and a member of Con- gress in 1877-79 from the City of Philadelphia. Subsequent to the Revolution General Roberdeaux moved to Alexandria, and built the house now owned and occupied by Mr. John T. Hill, No. 98 South Lee street. And-
DELAWARE by John Corse, a Lieutenant of Artillery in the war of 1812, the father of General Montgomery D. Corse.
Most of those whose names follow were born in Alexandria, and all of them resided here before 1800 : John Adam, Robert Brockett, Jr., George Washington Craik, Charles J. Catlett, Richard Con- way, Joseph Conway, Robert Conway, George Hunter Chapman, Peter Cottom, Rev. Townsend Dade, Dr. Wm. A. Daingerfield, Capt. Bathurst Daingerfield, John Dunlap, Baldwin Dade, Benj. Dulany, Sr., Col. Rozier Dulany, Geo. Deneale, John Dunlap of Wil- liam, Capt. Ebenezer Eveleth, Rev Bryan Lord Fairfax, Ferdinando Fairfax, Michael Flannery, Rev. David Griffith, Thomas P. Gilpin, Col. Geo. Gilpin, Samuel Hilton, James Harris, Lawrence Hurdle, Lawrence Hooff, John Hooff, Wm. Herbert of Thomas, John C. Herbert, Nathaniel C. Hunter, Lewis Hipkins, General Alexander Hunter, James H. Hooe, The Harpers, James Irvin, Dennis Mc- Carty .Johnston, William Johnston, John Janney, Commodore William Jamesson, Elisha Janney, Presley Jacobs, Israel Janney, Isaac Kell, Newton Keene, John C. Kempff, Thomas Lawrason, Edmund I. Lee, Ralph Longden, John Longden, Adam Lynn, Francis Lightfoot Lee, Robert Howe Little, John A. Longden, John G. Ladd, Ludwell Lee, Dr. Wm. Lanphier, Geo. C. Longden, Joseph Mandeville, Capt. Cleon Moore, Charles Page, Wm.
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H. Powell, Col. Wm. Payne, Wm. Ramsay, Jr., General Daniel Roberdeaux, Win. Daingerfield Ross, Col. Dennis Ramsay, Col. Charles Simms, Thomas Sanford, Dr. Augustine Smith, Col. Augustine J. Smith, Lawrence Sanford, John A. Stewart,. Capt. George Slacum, Win. R. Swift, Thomas Sangster, Edward Stabler, Richard Stanton, Phares Throop, Rev. Wm. Thom, Samuel Thompson, William A. Williams, Roger West, Benjamin C. Wood, and General Robert Young.
WAR OF THE BRITISH AMERICAN COLONIES.
On account of boundary disputes, at about the middle of the last century, the French and English in America engaged in a war, and finally hostilities between the two nations were officially de- clared. The war commenced in the Ohio region. The English attempted to build a fort at the forks of the Ohio, upon territory claimed by the French. The latter, aided by Indians, drove the English off, finished the fort, and named it Fort Du Quesne, in honor of the Governor-General of Canada.
To concilliate the Indians, Washington held a conference with them in 1753, as the representative of Governor Dinwiddie, and in the following year he returned as second in command of a regi- ment of six companies-three hundred men-in a campaign against the French and Indians on Willis' Creek or Cumberland river, as it was afterwards named, with the design of establishing the authority of the English. Washington, on this expedition left Alexandria* in March, 1754, with two companies-one hundred
* The following account, often published, appeared in the Alexandria Guzette August 25, 1874 :- "When Washington, in command of the Virginia Rangers was waiting at Alexandria the arrival of Braddock's forces, an exciting election contest occurred between Mr. Fairfax and Mr. Payne for the House of Burgesses. Washington supported Fairfax with much zeal : and, high words passing between him and Payne in the market square, Payne struck Wash- ington a blow which brought him to the earth. The troops rushed from the barracks, and would have made short work of Payne, had not Washington pacified them, assuring them that he knew the proper course to take in the premises. Duels were not then under the ban of public opinion. All supposed that a fight was imminent. Next morning, however, Washington sent for Payne, and when the latter entered the room he saw on the table, not pistols, but a decanter of wine and two glasses. 'Mr. Payne,' said Washington, 'to err is human. I was wrong yesterday, but if you have had sufficient satisfaction, let us be friends'. Weems relates that from that day Washington was Payne's idea of true manhood."
The "striking" proclivities of the Payne's seems to have come down to the present generation, and one of this family is the man who struck "Billy Pat- . terson." . It occurred in the City of Richmond, in the month of May, 1852. Dr.
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and fifty men ; Col. Joshua Fry, with the other companies, passing up the Potomac with artillery. The British Government having de- termined to drive out the French and destroy the power of the Indians. sent over. in two ships-of-war, The Sea Horse and The
Alban S. Payne, of Fauquier, went to Richmond to attend the Medical National Convention. It was in session several days, and at its close, many of its members were invited and attended a champagne party, given by the late Dr. Robert W. Haxall. It was early in the morning of the 5th of May, before the party left the residence of the hospitable Doctor. As several of them were passing along near the spot where the St. Clair Hotel now stands, on their way to Capitol Hill, there rushed up from the basement of a restaurant a big burly butcher, weighing 240 pounds, and elegantly formed, named "Billy Patterson." He had been arrested on several occasions for beating his wife, and on that very evening had been indulging himself in that pastime. As they made considerable noise in passing along the streets, perhaps he thought they were police officers. Anyway, when he reached the sidewalk he "pawed the earth," bellowed like an enraged bull, and dashed at the group of medics, knocking several of them down. Dr. Payne was walking between Dr. Martin P. Scott who had his right arm, and Dr. Blair Burwell, who was his escort, on the left. There were several persons in the rear. Payne took in the situation instantly, and said to Scott, "Martin, let go my arm, and let me tackle the bovine." Breaking loose, Payne sprung at Patterson, struck him a heavy blow in the right eye with his left hand and followed it up with a powerful right hand blow on the chin. The Doctor says "I knocked him, I should think fifteen feet, and he fell like a bullock." They then passed on, leaving Patterson insensible. It was now nearly daylight. Payne went to the City Hotel, kept by Buck Williamson, and feeling uneasy, sent his body servant, on finding out the name of the man, to Capitol Hill to see how he was getting on. In a short time he returned. and said : "Well, Master Ab., he's breathin', and he's hit mighty hard; but I reckon he'll live." The Doctor was, however, apprehensive of trouble from the authorities, retired to his room and sent for Buck, to whom he explained the affair and his apprehensions. Buck kept a couple of running horses. Payne told him that he didn't want any trouble, and that he had better saddle one of his horses, take him around to the rear of the hotel and he would slip down to old Major Doswell's in the country and wait until matters quieted down. In the meantime the doctor had learned that two policemen had put in appearance at the hotel, and were making anxious inquiries about the man who struck "Billy Patterson." "Oh, the devil", said Buck, "I can fix you all right." So Buck called two of his mulatto boys, the pertest and handsomest in the house, and said to them : "Here, boys, is a dollar apiece ; go down stairs and ask the policemen who struck Billy Patterson ?" The boys obeyed; and, according to Buck's instructions, would pass the officers every two or three minutes and ask them "who struck Billy Patterson." The repeated questions created such a laugh among the guests that in a short time the officers retired in disgust. Then the boys, moved by the spirit of fun, took to the streets and accosted for hours every passer by with the same inquiry. Finally, before the Doctor left the city, it became a byword among the guests of the hotel and among the citizens of the town. Then the Richmond papers took it up, and it went the rounds of the press and spread throughout the United States and into foreign lands. Two or three years afterwards Doctor Payne visited Richmond again and Patterson called upon him, and they became great friends. He had reformed in the mean- time and had become a good citizen.
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