USA > Virginia > City of Norfolk > City of Norfolk > History of Norfolk County, Virginia and representative citizens, V.1 > Part 50
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In the earlier part of the history of the town this was a very fashionable section, some of our oldest and finest residences being here, conspicuous among them the imposing Riley residence. at the northeast corner of Riley and Holt streets, at one time known as "The Re- treat for the Sick," with its large grounds, paved walks and trees, all protected by massive brick walls. This Walke property takes in all of Fenchurch. Riley, Walke, Falkland, Mariner and Holt streets, the eastern end of Charlotte and a large part of Chapel. Like other tracts we have mentioned, its value to- day is millions of dollars.
The chain of title to this land, we are told, is the same as that of the Glebe, given above, down to the time of William Porteen, who is said to have sold it to Anthony Walke. At least, so Forrest tells us in his history of Norfolk. But right here we have difficulty in finding any room for this tract in the 200 acres of Wise, for these appear to be all taken up in the "Town Lands," the Glebe and "Smith's Other Land," but it is clearly in- cluded in the patent given above to John Wat- kins, in 1644. We are also told by Forrest that a large part of this property remained in this family for more than a century. In 1785 a plat was made of the property for the pur- pose of division among the heirs of the last owner. The old Walke house, we have been told, is still to be seen on this property,-it is a brick house ( recently altered considerably, and its ancient appearance somewhat oblit-
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erated by stucco), at the northeast corner of Holt and Chapel streets, standing about in the middle of the tract.
Pursuing our journey from town, and leav- ing the Walke tract at the corner of Church and Wood, we next notice the land on which is St. Vincent's Hospital. The writer knows very little about this tract. It stretched along the eastern side of Church street from Wood all the way up to a point opposite the corner of Nicholson. The origin of this title seems to be very obscure, and has given great trouble to title examiners. It was most likely a por- tion of the Abraham Ellet patent. In the year 1775 it was the property of Wilson Newton, and it is no doubt from this fact, and for the reason that the property north of it also be- longed to the Newtons from 1719 to 1838, that the creek, which we have so often men- tioned, took its name. This creek formed the eastern, and a branch of it the northern, boun- dary of this tract. The Newtons, it will be seen, thus owned the western side of this creek from Princess Anne avenue to Wood street. No plat was ever made of this property. It was rather low and marshy. Streets were opened through it as the needs of the com- munity required, at different times and in an irregular manner. Those now on this prop- erty are Newton. Pulaski. Master, part of Chapel, Clay, Moseley, Queen, between Church street and Brambleton avenue; Burruss, Jones and Bute street, extended.
The last tract which we will notice out here in the country is the Charles Sayer Boush property. This stretched along the east side of the old road from the Wilson Newton prop- erty, beginning at a branch of Newton's Creek which came up to Church street opposite the corner of Nicholson, all the way to Princess Anne avenue, ran out that ancient road to the head of Newton's Creek, and down that creek to the branch which runs up to Church street.
The original patent for the tract of land of 250 acres, which includes this piece, the prop- erty of Col. Thomas Newton, that of Wilson Newton, and, no doubt, other property in the
northern part of the old town, is as follows: "To all, &c., Whereas. &c., now Know ye, that the said Willian Berkeley, Knight, Governor, &c., give and grant unto Abraham Ellet 250 acres of land situate, lying or being in the County of Lower Norfolk-Beginning at a Spanish oak and so running for lengths north- erly upon the land of William Ship and for breadth westerly crossing a small creek butting on the Gleabe lands, and so again for lengths southerly upon a small creek and so easterly to the first mentioned marked tree bounding the said quantity of land. The said land being due into the said Abraham Ellet by and for the transportation of five persons, &c.'
The clearness of this patent should have entitled Sir William to immortality, even if he had not had it thrust upon him by Nathaniel Bacon. For impenetrable fogginess and hope- less incomprehensibility this patent should take the first prize at a conveyance show. It serves to confuse us, without illuminating us, and to bring into question some of our former con- clusions, which, but for this patent, seem pretty clear. It seems a hopeless task to at- tempt to follow its elusive descriptions. If we only knew where the Spanish oak was, or the land of William Ship, a little more defi- nitely than merely that they were in the coun- ty of Lower Norfolk, we might do something with this description. We learn from it, how- ever, that it was not the earliest patent in that portion of the suburbs, for in running "north- erly upon the land of William Ship" we see that he must have already acquired an adjoin- ing traet to the east. It serves to confuse our other deductions when the patent says: "And for breadth westerly crossing a small creek butting on the Gleabe lands." Does this mean that this 250-acre tract itself "butted on the Gleabe lands," or that it crossed a creek which "butted" on those lands? If the land itself "butted" on the Glebe lands, this tract must include the "Smith's Other Land" tract, and our early chain of title to that tract be wrong. But we think it means that it crossed a creek, which creek "butted" on the Glebe lands. The
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crossing of any branch of Glebe or Smith's Creek would satisfy this requirement. On the whole, we think it is better to give up the at- tempt to follow these lines, and rejoice that old Sir William had all the trouble which Bacon gave him. He richly deserved it, on account of this patent if nothing else. Of course we know in a general way where these 250 acres are, because we know they included this tract of Charles Saver Boush-his chain of title establishes that -- and that they stretched toward the west, coming into con- tact with creeks near the Glebe lands. No lo- cality in Lower Norfolk County satisfies these requirements except the northern part of Church street.
This tract of land was formerly called "Boush's Pasture," and was, in large part, of a marshy nature. It was platted in 1775, the owner being apparently very proud of owning it, for he gives each of his names to streets upon it. Besides its considerable frontage on Church and Princess Anne avenue, it compre- hended the whole or parts of these streets: Charles, Sayer. Boush, Calvert, Wide and Landing. But alas for human plans! Their innocent device to render his name immortal has been cruelly defeated by the heartless City Councils. Saver has been changed to Chapel, and Boush to Henry, leaving only the name of Charles, the least significant of the three.
It tells us a good many interesting things, among others that at that time there was a "Tann Yard" at the northeast corner of the two old roads; that the land on the other side of Princess Anne avenue was owned by Sam- uel Farmer, and that on the other side of New- ton's Creek by John Freeman, that to the south by Wilson Newton, and on the other side of Church street that George Abyvon, John Pool and Thomas Newton held sway. But. after all. this property is not an attractive portion of the town, and is largely occupied by the colored race. We know its title, however, fairly well. It is as follows :
The Colony of Virginia to Abraham Ellet, patent, March 25, 1664.
Abraham Ellet to Sarah Ellet. will,-Book of Wills and Deeds. No. 4. Page 16.
Sarah Ellet to Alice Denise. sale.
Alice Denise to William Newman, sale.
William Newman to Thomas Norris. sale,-Deed Book 1. Page 100.
Thomas Norris to Thomas Brink. sale .- Decd Book 4. Page 200, 50 acres, a part of the property. Thomas Brink to William Porteen, sale,-Deed Book 5. Page 83. the above 50 acres.
Thomas Norris to William Porteen, sale .- the other 50 acres of a ico-acre tract cut off from the original 250. William Porteen to Lemuel Newton, sale .- Deed Book for 1719-1723. Page 1;I.
Lemuel Newton to Nathaniel Newton, descent.
Nathaniel Newton to Col. Samuel Bonsh. sale, January 20, 1738 .- Deed Book 12, Page 266.
Col. Samuel Boush to Charles Sayer Boush. will,- Will Book T. Page 37.
This last owner platted the land, and sub- divided it into lets in September. 1775, and sold it to various persons, among whom we find the names of John James, James Marsden, James Holt. William Holmes, William Row, Christopher Calvert. Nathaniel and Arthur Boush and James Theloble.
The plat of this property has a grewsome picture on it representing a poor wretch dang- ling from a gallows erected across the avenue, near the corner of the two old roads. and indi- cating that as the place of public execution. The geographical position of Princess Anne avenue is shown by this plat to be determined by the length of Newton's Creek, this road As in the case of Town Back Creek, we owed much of our information to a dispute about ownership: here again we are indebted to a law suit for a part of this property. for the above chain of title, it having been worked out by Judge W. H. Burrows, one of the counsel in the case. being the first route to the east which could be taken without bridging this creek. This plat also tells us that at the south end of Landing street "a large loaded flat may come here.' This fine landing, on such deep water, is about half a square south of the corner of Calvert and Landing, and is pretty firm land now. The three patents given in this essay ac- This plat is really a very gossiping little map. ; count for 548 acres of the old town. The
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HISTORY OF NORFOLK COUNTY
acreage of high land in the four old wards of the city is computed at 665 acres. We think that the II7 acres, the difference between these figures, would be accounted for by the filling up of the river and creeks which has taken place, and believe we have in these early trans- actions the foundation of the present owner- ship of all the land in the city.
Before we close we must say a word about the personnel of those early landowners. They were of the first dignity and importance in the community. The list of the mayors of the town contains the names of many of those whom we have had occasion to mention in this chapter. At the head stands Samuel Boush, mayor in 1736; then came George Newton, 1736; John Hutchings, 1737; Samuel Smith, 1740: Josiah Smith. 1741: Thomas Newton, 1747; Wilson Newton, 1751; Paul Lovall, 1762; George Abyvon. 1767; Cornelius Cal- vert, 1768; and John Boush, 1791. Many of these were elected more than once, the term of office being one year. The ownership of land 1 at an early day, and for long afterward, was a prerequisite to the right to vote, and its con- trol carried with it a good deal of consider- ation.
Whether the object sought in founding the city of Norfolk was accomplished or not ; that is, whether the price of tobacco was thereby increased. we do not know. We very much doubt it. We know that most of the 20 towns founded at that time are now no more. and are prepared to believe that long before its de- monetization the value of the weed steadily declined. But of this we are sure, that a city was thereby founded which is celebrated for its amenities, and which has a vigorous and healthy growth, and that its existence has been, and is, a blessing to thousands of our fellow beings. .
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The first Council under the charter of the borough of Norfolk organized on the 18th day of November, 1736. Sir John Randolph. Knight, qualified as recorder, George Newton,
John Hutchings, Robert Tucker, John Taylor, Samuel Smith, Jr., James Ivy and Alexander Campbell, Gents., qualified as aldermen. Sam- uel Boush, designated by the charter as mayor, being dead. George Newton was unanimously chosen to fill the vacancy. Maj. David O'Sheal was appointed deputy recorder. Other alder- men between the above mentioned date and 1789 were: Josiah Smith, John Phripp, John Ellegood, Edward Pugh, Thomas Newton, John Tucker, Wilson Newton, Christopher Perkins, George Abyvon, Richard Kelsick, Paul Loyall, Charles Thomas, Archibald Campbell, Lewis Hansford, Maximilian Cal- vert, William Atkinson, Cornelius Calvert, Bassett Moseley, George Kelly, Thomas Mathews and Paul Proby. Alexander Mc- Pherson was the first clerk of the market; Aldermen Samuel Smith and Alexander Camp- bell intending to remove to Europe, resigned on the 24th day of June. 1742. On the 15th day of August, William Nimmo was chosen re- corder in place of Col. David O'Sheal, de- ceased, and on the 22d of August, 1748, Pey- ton Randolph was chosen recorder in place of William Nimmo, deceased; Anthony Lawson was elected deputy recorder on July 17, 1766. Henry Tazewell, father of Governor Tazewell, was made recorder August 19, 1782.
The American Gaseteer, published in Bos- ton in 1797, and represented to contain "re- liable accounts of Richmond, Petersburg and Norfolk," as they were at that day. has the following paragraph in reference to Norfolk: "Norfolk is the most considerable commer- cial town in Virginia. It was burned on the Ist of January, 1776. by the 'Liverpool' man- of-war, by order of the British Governor, Lord Dunmore. and the loss amounted to £300,000 sterling. The town now contains about 500 dwelling-houses, a Court House, a Gaol, an Episcopal and Methodist Church, and an academy. In 1790 it contained 2.959 inhabitants, including 1.294 slaves. The town is governed by a mayor and five aldermen. It carries on a brisk trade with the West Indies. Europe and the different States, and consti-
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tutes with Portsmouth a port of entry. The exports for one year ( 1794) amounted to $1,660,752. A canal 16 miles in lengh is now cutting from the north branch of Albe- marle Sound in North Carolina to the waters of the Southern Branch of the Elizabeth River. It will communicate with the Eliza- beth River nine miles from Norfolk. Mer- chant vessels of the largest size may go within a mile from the mouth of the canal, and here the water being fresh, the worm which does such damage to vessels in Norfolk and Ports- mouth will not affect them."
NORFOLK AS A CITY.
On the IIth of February, 1845, Norfolk ceased to be a "borough." and by virtue of the amended charter of that date became a "city." During the year following the increase in real estate was $121,018. and the tonnage entered and cleared at the Custom House showed a gain of 100 per cent. In 1847 the famine in Ireland produced an extraordinary demand for corn, and the exports of this article from Norfolk were very great and profitable. In 1847, to the ever memorable year of 1855, Norfolk advanced slowly but steadily, and a revived prosperity was evident. The sum- mer of the latter year brought upon the city the most terrible visitation that ever affected an American city and in three months con- verted Norfolk and Portsmouth into charnel houses. The dread disease was imported; it was not indigenous. Since then, by means of . proper precautions learned at dear cost, Nor- folk has been free from pestilence, and its health record will compare favorably with any city in the country.
Front 1855 to 1861, the beginning of the Confederate War, the people engaged bravely in the work of recuperating the shattered for- tunes and enrgies. and in 1860 had again taken up the thread of the lost trade, and with splendid and commendable energy were push- ing their connections to the South and West. But the war stopped all this and brought on
another complete suspension of business and stopped all commercial operations. Four years of war drove out from their counting-rooms and warehouses, their stores and workshops, the business men of the community. They laid down their business to take up arms in behalf of their State, and those who returned after the war found their capital impaired, their trade gone, their places of business and their private residences occupied by strangers, and in' many instances themselves penniless and their families homeless.
They went to work with a determination to rebuild their shattered fortunes and to make Norfolk more prominent than she had ever been before to the commerce of the country. Day and day they toiled, year and year they worked. and each day and each year the trade and building exhibit showed an increase over the previous one.
The value of imports in 1900 was $222,- 058.98. In 1900 1,805 vessels were required to transport coal from this port. (The first car-load of Pocahontas coal arrived over the Norfolk & Western Railway,-New River di- vision, --- on the 17th of March, 1883. ) Over 700 steamships and 1,900 other vessels cleared from this port for foreign ports during the year 1900. For coastwise trade during the same year 2,353 vessels cleared from the Cus- tom House. The total tonnage of vessels en- tered and cleared from this port during 1900 was 11, 134, 134: cargo tonnage, 19,484.734.
An idea of what the growth of the city has made necessary in the erection of new build- ings may be gathered from the following com- parative statement of buildings erected for a period of II years past :
Year.
Brick. Frame.
Total. Value (est. )
1890.
79
7I
150
$ 375.000
1891:
9.3
77
170
492.000
1892.
78
139
217
425.000
1893.
173
120
290
550.000
1894
180
252
951.858
1895.
130
170
300
60.600
1896.
108
140
248
434.400
1897
03
75
138
700.000
1898.
130
98
234
1.220,000
1899
197
150
347 805.150
1900.
193
143
336
1.230.560
.
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HISTORY OF NORFOLK COUNTY
The United States Census Bureau report of the manufacturing industries of Norfolk in 1900 is as follows:
Establishments 445
Capital $6.425.099
Increase in 10 years. 88 per cent
Value of products. $9.397-355
Increase in 10 years. 84 per cent
Average number of wage carners 4,334
Total wages . $1,571,229
Miscellaneous expenses 701,597
Cost of materials used. 5.283.975
This outline unfolds the splendid destiny of Norfolk, and the recent growth is only the beginning of a great continental emporium. The predictions of the great scientist. Commo- dore Mathew F. Maury, are rapidly material- izing. He observed that "Norfolk is in a po- sition to have commanded the business of the Atlantic seaboard. It is midway the coast. It has a back country of great fertility and re- sources, and as to the approaches from the ocean. there is no harbor from the St. Johns to the Rio Grande which has the same facility for ingress and egress, at all times and in all weathers. The waters flowing by it into the sea separate the producing from the con- suming-the agricultural from the manufac- turing States of the Atlantic slope; and there unite the channels that lead from the famous regions in the country for corn, wheat and to- bacco to the marts of commerce. * * The natural advantages of the position will be ob- vious to anyone who will compare the back country in Norfolk with that of New York. The country drained by the Hudson is all the back country which naturally belongs to New York. . But the back country of Norfolk is all that which is drained by the Chesapeake Bay --- embraced by a line drawn along the ridge between the Delaware and Chesapeake, thence northwardly, including all of Pennsylvania that is in the valley of the Susquehanna-all of Maryland this side of the mountains-the valleys of the Potomac. Rappahannock, York and James rivers-with the valley of the Rcan- oke and a great part of the State of North Carolina whose only outlet to the sea is by way
of Norfolk. * * * Virginia saw those ad- vantages and slept upon them. Nature had placed them there, and she did not dream that man could take them away. But the enterprise of New York has taken them away. The South wants to regain her direct trade. We do not wish to discourage the effort, great as the odds against Norfolk now are, for we know there are men in the South who have en- ergy, enterprise and capacity enough for any- thing that energy, enterprise and capacity can effect." If that great Virginian could see now how the energy, enterprise and capacity of Southern men are making Norfolk and her sis- ters forge ahead, he would exclaim: "Truly the people are aroused and are building on the natural advantages so as to realize my ideal in the near future." The following summary of facts are significant of the growth and im- portance of Norfolk :
The Norfolk Post Office stands among the important post offices of the South and is the distributing point for an immense total of mail matter of all kinds. The system prevailing in the Norfolk Post Office is excellent and thor- oughly up-to-date. The postmaster is Col. John R. Waddy, and his assistant is S. B. Carney.
The Post Office force includes 15 railway postal clerks. 21 post office clerks, 25 letter carriers, three substitute letter carriers and two substitute post office clerks, one janitor and one special laborer,-a total of 68 men.
The outfit of the office includes stamping machines of the latest device for printing the date and hour of arrival and departure of each piece of first-class mail handled.
The report of registered matter handled during the year ending December 31, 1899, gives figures as follows :
Letters and packages registered at Norfolk 13.492
Registered package envelopes made
up and dispatched 12,079
Through registered pouches and sacks up and dispatched 2.325
U,!S. COURT HOUSE AND POST OFFICE, NORFOLK, VA,
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Through registered pouches received 2,03I
Registered package envelopes received . 21,388 Registered package envelopes received in transit 63.971 Letters and packages received for de- livery 23.780
Total number registered articles han- dled 139,066
There were 43 mails received and dis- patched daily, and about 25,000 letters orig- inated and were received at this office daily. The gross receipts of the office are about $110,000 per annum.
For many years the Norfolk Post Office has been maintained in its present location, the stately old government building on Main street. This building is also used for the United States Court room and as the Custom House for this port. The growth of Norfolk and consequently its postal business has been so great that new and enlarged quarters for the postoffice became imperative.
To meet this demand the United States government is now completing, at a cost of about $350,000, a thoroughly modern, finely equipped Post Office building on Plume street. This will be completed in the near future. The Post Office will then be removed to it and other branches of "Uncle Sam's" service will then monopolize the present public building.
No better index to the growth of the city can be found than the postal receipts. The following is a comparative statement of the past 10 years :
Year ending Jan. 30, 1887. $47.055.71
Year ending Jan. 30. 1888. 50,023.86
Year ending June 30, 1889
Year ending Jan. 30, 1890 56.476.60
Year ending Jan. 30, 1891. 68.419.82
Y'car ending Jan. 30, 1892 74.360.20 Year ending June 30, 1893
Year ending Dec. 31, 1894. 83.309.48
Year ending Dec. 31, 1895 84,892.42
Year ending Dec. 31, 1896. 90,027.74
Year ending Dec. 31, 1897 98,626.34
Year ending Dec. 31, 1898. 99,406.25 Year ending Dec. 31, 1899. 106,964.29
In addition to the above comparative state- ment the following facts showing the volume of money order business transacted in this of- fice will be interesting :
Cash on hand January 1, 1899. . $ 7,083.32
16,088 domestic orders issued ... 137,222.15 Fees and war tax on same .. 1,354.42 882 international orders issued . 19,607.85
Fees on same.
221.40
3.844 deposits received 490.490.22
Errors
.03
Total $655.979.39
17.473 domestic orders paid .. $198.371.87
120 domestic orders repaid. . 1,146.50 253 international orders paid .... 4.360.71 3 international orders repaid .... 90.36 Deposited account Treasurer U. S. 446,700.00 Errors 1.12
Cash on hand December 30. 1899 ... 5.308.83
Total
$655.979.39
NORFOLK WAREHOUSE ASSOCIATION.
An accurate history of the city of Nor- folk would contain as one of its essential ele- ments a somewhat abridged yet perfectly co- herent and comprehensive history of the cot- ton export trade and even possibly of the in- ter-State and manufacturing history of the staple. It is not intended in this brief article to attempt a review, even in brief. of Norfolk's share in the fortunes of King Cotton. but rather to contrast the beginning and ending of the past decade from 1890 to 1900. In the record of the past the wise man reads the promise of the future, and when the resident of Norfolk for the last 10 years casts his eyes over the details of cotton trade handling as he has seen it develop at this port during that period, the rainbow of promise of future suc-
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