USA > Virginia > City of Fredericksburg > City of Fredericksburg > The history of the city of Fredericksburg, Virginia > Part 15
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popular in its day and was a favorite stopping place for the farm- ers. It had a very good patronage also from passengers on the two stage lines. No hotel has been kept there for many years. In its day it was conducted by James Newby, James Cunningham, Jesse Pullen, Wm. P. Quisenberry and Wm. H. Murphy.
The Alhambra, on Main street, just below the Exchange Hotel, was first kept by James Timberlake, who was succeeded by Samuel Stone, and he by Charles F. Barlosius. After the death of Mr. Barlosius, several years ago, the house was repaired and remodelled by Capt. Thomas P. Wallace and leased to John W. Allison, Jr., who conducted it some time as the Alsonia. Some years ago it was purchased by Mr. Michael Long, who conducted it until his death. It is now a restaurant.
On the south corner of Main and Charlotte streets stood the Indian Queen Hotel. This was a fine, old building, erected prob- ably in colonial times for a hotel, with a porch the entire length of the building, with colonnade. It was the favorite stopping place for members of Congress and other travellers going to and from Washington .* The first proprietor of the Indian Queen, in the memory of our oldest inhabitant, was Jacob Herndon. He was succeeded by James Young, John Gray, Robert Blackburn and Mr. Rawlings. The last to occupy it was a Mr. Whiting, and during his occupancy, in May 1832, the building was destroyed by fire and was never rebuilt. The lot to this large building extended to Princess Ann street, and the stage yard and stables were located where the Southern Foundry now stands. It was in this building that the statute of religious liberty was considered, adopted and written, and it is a matter of great regret that the house was de- stroyed. The committee that produced this wonderful document, which is given elsewhere, was composed of Thomas Jefferson,
* It is said on one occasion John Randolph, of Roanoke, stopped here. It was soon known, and the Democrats congregated to entertain him. They pre- pared a bowl of punch in an adjoining room, and when it was ready Mr. Ran- dolph was invited to meet the gentlemen and join them in something to drink. In a gruff voice, he replied to the committee that waited on him, "I don't drink with strangers, and if I can't rest here one night without being disturbed by a mob, I will drive to the Sycamores. The Sycamores was a hotel twelve miles from town on the Bowling Green road. It was said he was not again dis- turbed.
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George Wythe, Archibald Cary, George Mason and Ludwell Lee.
On the south corner of Main and Frederick streets stood Travel- ler's Rest, a tavern of considerable notoriety and popularity, kept by Jesse Pullen. It was headquarters for all circuses and manag- eries, and was frequented by large numbers of laboring men after their day's toil was over. Here were talked politics and the general topics of the day by the ward politicians, and where they laid schemes to carry elections. The house was destroyed some years before the Civil war and the lot remained vacant for nearly sixty years.
The Western Hotel was located at the corner of Commerce and Charles streets, where Mr. Robert T. Knox and Brother keep store. It was a frame building, and the business was conducted first by Thomas Procter, then by Walker Lucas, who was succeeded by Mr. Joseph Sanford. Mr. Sanford, some years before the war, tore the old frame building down and erected the present three and a half story brick structure and changed its name to the Planters' Hotel. During the Civil war it was conducted by Mr. Councellor Cole, and a short time after the war by a Mr. Mitzell. Since then it has not been kept as a hotel .*
Liberty Hotel was located on Liberty street, then outside of the corporate limits, but now a part of the town. For many years it was kept by Boswell Alsop and was headquarters for the sporting men of the town. General Sam Houston, after his return from frontier life, spent much of his time at this hotel, and quite a number of the leading men of the South, on their journeys to and from Washington, made it their stopping place. It is an old- fashioned frame house, one story and a half high, of the same style of architecture as the Mary Washington house, and shows that both of them were built about the same time.
* At the corner of Commerce and Charles streets, in front of this hotel, is a stone block about two and a half feet high and some two feet in diameter. It was placed there many years before the Civil war, it is said, for the sale and annual hire . of slaves. The slave to be sold was required to stand on this block in the presence of the gathered traders, when he or she was "cried out" by the auctioneer to the highest bidder. Those slaves who were publicly hired out for the year also took their stand on this block and were hired out at the highest price bid. There is probably no relic in Fredericksburg that calls back more vividly the days of slavery than does this stone block.
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AGRICULTURAL FAIRS.
We have no means of ascertaining where the fairs previously re- ferred to were held or how long they were continued under the act of 1769, or any similar act that might have been passed by the Leg- islature after Virginia became a State. In the first of the nine- teenth century an agricultural fair was held on the Kenmore farm, near the Kenmore building. The gate leading to the grounds was on Lewis street, where it intersects with Winchester street. The stock was exhibited on the fair grounds and the ladies' department was kept on the upper floor of the present city hall.
At one time Mr. Samuel Gordon, then proprietor of Kenmore, was president of the association, who was succeeded by Hon. James M. Garnett, of Essex county. It was the custom of this association to have an address by the president on the first night of the exhibi- tion on agriculture and stock raising, which was one of the main features of the fair, and drew together a large number of farmers and others to hear it.
A silver cup, awarded to Mr. Jacob Gore for the best wheat fan exhibited at one of these fairs, is now in possession of Police Officer Charles A. Gore, a grandson of Mr. Jacob Gore. It is in a good state of preservation, the inscription on it being "Presented by the Fred- ericksburg Agricultural Society, 1823." On the left of the inscrip- tion is a wheat fan, beautifully engraved, near which is the letter J, which stands for Jacob, and on the right is another fan, near which is the letter G, standing for Gore. We do not know when these annual fairs ceased.
About the year 1850, possibly a little earlier, fair grounds were laid out on Green House Hill, covering most of that part of the town where Prof. A. B. Bowering now lives. A Mr. White, of Caroline county, was the first president, Mr. W. N. Wellford suc- ceeding him to that office. The first steam engine for threshing wheat ever seen in this country was exhibited at one of these fairs by the Hope Foundry, of this place, then operated by Messrs. Scott and Herndon. It was constructed by Mr. Benjamin Bowering, fore- man of the works. A committee of farmers was appointed to ex- amine it and report upon its merits. After witnessing its work the
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committee condemned it, because "it would burn all the wheat up." Fairs were held on these grounds about three years.
A year or so after the Green House Hill fair grounds were closed, the grounds on which Major W. S. Embrey now lives and those in front of him for some distance east of Spotswood street were pur- chased and converted into fair grounds. Very successful fairs were held there until the commencement of the Civil war, when they were closed. The last fair held on these grounds was in 1860, only a few months before hostilities actually commenced. At one time Major J. Horace Lacy was president of this society and Major J. Harrison Kelly was secretary.
After the closing of the fair grounds, in 1860, Fredericksburg had no other fair for twenty-five years. In 1887 steps were taken by the citizens of the town to inaugurate annual fairs. A charter for a society was obtained, stock was subscribed for and the Amaret farm, on the Fall Hill road west of the town and bordering on the . Rappahannock river, was purchased and converted into excellent fair grounds. The society inaugurating these fairs is known as the Rappahannock Valley Agricultural and Mechanical Society, and its annual fairs have been a great success. The presidents of the society from its organization have been Hon. A. P. Rowe, of Fred- ericksburg; Charles Pierson, Esq., of Caroline county; Hon. S. Wellford Corbin, of King George county; Mr. Oliver Eastburn, of Spotsylvania county ; Frank W. Smith, of Spotsylvania county; Captain Terence McCracken, of Fredericksburg; Colonel E. Dorsey Cole, of Fredericksburg; Capt. M. B. Rowe, of Spotsylvania ; Chas. H. Hurkamp, of Stafford; Henry Dannehl, of Fredericksburg, and Thomas F. Morrison, of Spotsylvania.
FERRIES AND TOLL BRIDGES.
The first ferry across the Rappahannock river, provided by law, was an act of the House of Burgesses passed in 1748. This act provided for a ferry from the Fredericksburg warehouse, where the tobacco was deposited and inspected by public, bonded inspec- tors, to the land of Anthony Strother, on the Stafford side of the river. The charge for a horse, which seems to have been the only
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one regulated by law, was fixed at three pence. In the year 1796 a petition was presented to the General Assembly of Virginia for leave to build a toll-bridge across the Rappahannock river from the lower line of the land of William Fitzhugh, of Chatham. The Legislature granted the request and Mr. Fitzhugh built the bridge, which was kept open for the public travel as a toll-bridge until 1889.
This bridge has been destroyed several times, some times by floods and at other times by fire, and has been rebuilt, but the dates of its destruction have passed from the minds of our oldest citizens. The only dates that can be given, with anything like accuracy, are, that in 1820 it was destroyed by a great flood, in 1861 by fire, in accordance with military orders, and in 1889 by another great flood. In 1890 the city purchased the site and constructed the present iron bridge, which is about one thousand feet long. On its completion it was opened to free travel and has been continued such to the present time. It was at first a toll-bridge and owned by private parties for nearly a century, and yet so far as we can discover there have been but three owners up to the time it was purchased by the city. These three were William Fitzhugh, Esq., Judge John Coul- ter and Charles S. Scott.
Near the beginning of the nineteenth century a covered bridge spanned the river at the foot of Wolfe street, landing on the farm on the opposite side of the Rappahannock. The farm was then owned by a Mr. Thompson. No one knows when this bridge was built or to whom it belonged. It was known as the Stafford bridge, as the one above it was known as the Chatham bridge, until it was purchased by Mr. Scott, after which it was known as Scott's bridge. The two bridges were destroyed in the flood of 1820 and the Stafford bridge was never rebuilt.
CARE OF THE DEPENDENT POOR.
The first move made by the Common Council, or any other town organization, to provide for the dependent poor of the town was on the 25th of January, 1805, when the hustings court appointed five commissioners-Elisha Thatcher, James Smock, Wm. Benson,
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Benjamin Botts and Wm. Taylor-to "enquire into the probable and comparative expense of erecting or renting a poor and work house for the reception of the poor of the corporation, and ascer- tain the probable salary of a steward for such poor and work house and the annual expense of supporting the same."
These commissioners were empowered to receive propositions from persons desiring to rent suitable houses for the purpose, and to ascertain who would be willing to act as steward and report at the next session of the court. The report was submitted at the March term of the court and was approved and filed; when another commission was appointed, with Dr. George French as chairman, to "rent a house for a term of one or more years," at a cost not exceeding fifty pounds, and John F. Gaullier was ap- pointed steward of the poor and work house.
The steward was to be "allowed a salary at the rate of one hun- dred and fifty dollars per annum, with two rooms and so much provisions as may be necessary for himself and family," which should not exceed three in number. He was to be at his post at all times to receive the poor into the poor and work house, to "treat them with tenderness and humanity, but at the same time to make them work." For the better government of the institution five inspectors were appointed by the court, consisting of George French, from the lower end of the town to Wolfe street ; James Brown, from Wolfe to Hanover street; James Smock, from Hanover to William street; Stephen Winchester, from William to Lewis street, and Wm. Taylor, from Lewis street to the upper end of town. From the record it appears that John Minor was appointed inspector for the town at large.
The inspectors were instructed to place all the poor in the poor and work house and to "advertise a request to the inhabitants to assist no poor person residing in town, lest imposition and idle- ness be encouraged." This manner of providing for the poor seems to have been continued to the beginning of the Civil war, and, in addition to looking after the steward and the inmates of the poor and work house, the inspectors (more frequently re- corded overseers of the poor), were to bind out all orphans who had no one to look after and provide for them.
The Exchange Hotel. (See page 166)
The Fredericksburg College. (See page 198)
.
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It is not stated in what part of the town the first poor house was located, but for many years before the Civil war it was located on the Lang property, near Gunnery spring, and afterwards the poor were quartered in a brick house near the western limit of Princess Elizabeth street, which was rented for the purpose and which is now owned by the Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Rail- road Company.
After the war, for about eighteen years, the poor were main- tained at the private houses, with such families as would agree to take them. In some instances the town paid rent for the houses for the families who would take one of the poor, and in others a stipulated amount per month for their maintenance. This manner of providing for the poor caused much complaint, both from the city and its dependents. The city authorities charged that the cost per capita was entirely too much, running annually in the aggregate from two to three thousand dollars, and the poor com- plained that they were neglected in both food and clothing.
But the overseer of the poor (the number having been reduced from five to one under the city ordinances) aided and assisted by a committee of three from the Common Council, could do no better with the facilities at his disposal, and while the subject continued to be discussed the Council had been slow in making any change. This inaction, however, was not because the citizens did not favor providing better methods for taking care of the poor, because the public favored it, and the necessity was recognized, but because no member felt willing to take the lead in such a movement.
In the Fall of 1882 a case of small pox broke out in town, and, strange as it may appear, it caused the erection of the present almshouse. The small pox case occurred near the corner of Prin- cess Ann and Frederick streets. The citizens in that part of the town became greatly alarmed and a stampede was threatened. An extra session of the Common Council was called in haste, to make arrangements for the removal of the patient (a colored man) to some isolated place. The Council met and discussed the matter, but it was found that there was no place to which he could be moved. The town owned no land where a temporary hospital could
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be erected, and land owners declined to rent to the city, for spread- ing a tent or for erecting a temporary hospital.
In this condition of things the economy of having an almshouse, in which to keep the poor, entered very largely into the discussion, and the result was the farm and residence of Mr. Frank Beckwith, on the hill about half a mile west of the town, was purchased for seventeen hundred dollars. The small pox patient, to the great delight of the citizens in the lower end of town, was at once sent to that place and the excitement subsided.
The following year the residence on the farm was greatly en- larged and a commodious department for the colored poor was built, under the direction of the Committee on Poor of the Com- mon Council, consisting of Messrs. S. J. Quinn, E. D. Cole and M. B. Rowe, and the dependent poor of the town were sent to "Mount Nebo," which was the name given to the place, because of its commanding position and the splendid view of the town and surrounding country from that point.
Since the poor have been kept at the almshouse they are better provided for and are better satisfied, besides they are more com- fortable than under the former system, and the expense of main- taining them has been reduced fully one-half. Mr. Albert Hooton, who was overseer of the poor of the town prior to the erection of the almshouse, was the first superintendent of the institution. Mr. Hooton died on the 23rd of November, 1897, and Mr. John Wesley Ball was elected to the vacancy and is now serving. Mr. A. Mason Garner is chairman of the committee of the Council having the almshouse in charge, and while it is conducted on economical prin- ciples, the poor are well provided for, in both food and clothing.
WATER WORKS.
For more than one hundred years after the charter by the House of Burgesses the town was without water works of any description. About the year 1832 a private company constructed the Poplar Springs Water Works, which distributed through the principal streets of the town the elegant water from Poplar springs, located on the Plank road, half a mile west of the city. About ten years
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afterwards the Smith spring was added, which increased the supply. But notwithstanding the addition of the Smith spring the supply was very inadequate; yet for more than half a century these springs, together with street pumps, furnished the only supply the town had. The works were constructed by a Northern con- tractor, whose name is not remembered, and are yet operated. Since the Civil war these works were under the superintendency of Captain Joseph W. Sener, until his death, in 1889, since which time Mr. Robert Lee Stoffregen has been superintendent.
The inadequacy of the water supply for domestic and manu- facturing purposes, and the great necessity for fire protection, were subjects for the consideration of the Common Council for many years, without definite action. On several occasions committees were instructed to have surveys and estimates made for a system of water works, which were done and recommendations had been made by some of the committees that works should be constructed, but the Council in each case had failed to act upon them. As a case of small pox contributed to the erection of a long-needed almshouse, so a fire, that threatened the town with destruction, showing the authorities how helpless they were when confronted by flames, con- tributed to the construction of water works.
The fire occurred in rear of George E. Chancellor's store in 1883, at the corner of Charles and Commerce streets, now conducted by M. S. Chancellor, and while it was confined to the premises and did but little damage, it threatened to be a serious conflagration. There was no fire department in town and no water to supply an engine, if one was sent from Richmond. This aroused the author- ities and the people generally, whose property was constantly threatened with destruction, and at the next meeting of the Council a plan was adopted for "an abundant supply of water for all pur- poses, including fire protection," which was submitted to a vote of the citizens for their approval or disapproval.
The plan submitted was adopted at the ballot-box by a large majority, and a special committee of the Council was appointed to carry out the will of the people, thus expressed, and construct the works, consisting of Messrs. S. J. Quinn, James S. Knox, Charles
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E. Hunter, Terence McCracken and Wm. E. Bradley. After arranging the necessary preliminaries the committee contracted with Colonel Wm. W. Taylor, of Philadelphia, who constructed the works and turned them over to the committee in the latter part of February, 1885, at a cost of twenty-five thousand dollars, Mr. Ben- jamin Bowering having been appointed by the committee to super- intend the laying of pipe, setting of the pump, etc.
The introduction of water into the buildings, the extension of water mains, the changing of the old for newly-patented fire hy- drants, and the erection of additional fire hydrants since the works have been in possession of the town, together with additional pumps and steam engine and boiler, have increased the cost of the works to about fifty thousand dollars. At present there are about eighteeen miles of pipe, ranging in size from eight inches to one inch, and seventy-two fire hydrants. These hydrants are so located that they protect from fire all the property of the town.
The reservoir pressure is from fifty to fifty-six pounds to the square inch, according to draught, which is sufficient to throw streams of water over any of our ordinary buildings. The pres- sure, by the use of the pump, can be raised to one hundred pounds to the square inch.
The water is taken from the Rappahannock river, which is known to furnish the softest and purest of water, the analysis show- ing that it is free from any foreign substance, and the reservoirs are so well arranged that the citizens are seldom served with water that is the least discolored. The works are under the control of a committee of the Common Council and a superintendent. Since their construction they have been under the superintendency of Captain S. J. Quinn, and they are in good condition and a paying investment to the city, at a comparative small cost to the con- sumers. The present water committee consists of Josiah P. Rowe, H. B. Lane and A. M. Garner.
THE OLD GAS WORKS.
The old gas works of the town were constructed by a private company in 1843-44, at a cost, it is said, of about forty thousand
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dollars. The works have changed hands several times since their completion, it being a private company, and most of the stock holders residents of Philadelphia. In consequence of the wear and tear of the works, and the erection of an electric plant in town some twelve years ago, which secured the contract for lighting the streets, the stock of the gas company depreciated very much in value, and an effort was made on the part of the town to purchase the works.
For this purpose a special committee was appointed by the Com- mon Council, consisting of Messrs. Wm. I. King, M. G. Willis, James S. Knox, Wm. E. Bradley and John T. Knight. They entered into negotiations with the officers of the company and finally purchased the works at a cost of twenty thousand dollars. Since their purchase the works have been placed in good repair and the mains have been extended in many parts of the town where they did not before run. There were about nine miles of pipe, but it was claimed by many who had examined the works that the plant was too small to supply the town, and there was much complaint of "no gas" on the part of the consumers, but it was then fashion- able to complain against the city even if you were getting what you wanted, and so the matter went on until the "spirit of improve- ment" struck the town and estimates for a new gas plant were ordered, and before many months passed it was decided that the old works must be abandoned and a new plant constructed on a new site. And so the work of construction commenced and went forward with great rapidity. After the new plant was completed, and had been in running order for some time, the superintendent was asked for an article on the works for this volume, and he re- marked that during the latter part of the year 1904 it became obvious that the old gas plant, which had been supplying the city with gas for fifty years, had gone beyond repair, and that for the sake of economy it would be necessary to erect a new plant. With this end in view a plot of ground was selected near the railroad depot and alongside the right-of-way of the railroad, and here the new works were built. Mr. Frederic Egner, an eminent gas engi- neer, was selected to draw the plans and engineer the construction.
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