A Portrait of Old George Town

al Town an

the "flouring mills" in great Conestoga wagons painted red and blue drawn by six-horse teams adorned with gay harness and jingling bells. Also, there was a thriving coastwise trade, up to old Salem and Newburyport where the clipper ships were built, and do

against the French. He landed his troops in Alexandria, marched them up to where the ferry crossed to George Town, where they divided, part going through Virginia, and he,

Bellamy, the gifted actress, in 1755: "For never have I attended a more complete banquet or met better dressed or better mannered people than I met on my arrival in G

it had reached. No better example could be found than this old town with its families who had come from well-to-do circumstances, not, as was the case with so many settlers of the new country

nty he had come from Crossbasket near Glasgow, first to Bladensburg and thence to George Town, and in 1752 established himself in business, and in 1790 became its first mayor. He represented the firm of John Glassford & Company of North Britain, Glasgow,

rst to New York, then to George Town about 1783 and established himself in this same lucrative

rs give a pictu

, December

tle

black cloth, which I am afraid I shall soon have occasion for, my

ge W

the laying off of George Town. He owned one of the

her one of t

wn, Augus

tle

. Dunlop are very backward in buying with all cash, but as Colonel Deakins is again in cash the price still keeps at a guinea ... fro

ge W

rote in 1791 that George Town ranked as the greate

314,864.00. They went even higher in 1792 and 1793, but in 1794 and the following years decreased considerably, which was attributed to

formed in 1783. Uriah Forrest was born in St. Mary's County, Maryland, in 1756. He served with distincti

rd Congress from March 4, 1793 to November 8, 1794, when he resigne

Government at his own expense, but returned to ent

Stoddert had joined the Continental Army as a captain of cavalry and was in active service until the Battle of Brandywine where, after holding the rank of major, he was so severely wounded as to

ving in George Town where his fathe

eal to Georgetown. Colonel Deakins, Jr., was prominent, for on his tomb was inscribed: "George Town, by the blow, has lost her m

bordering on the Potomac. It ran northward, and the present sites of Georgetown College and Convent are on part of this land. He seems

o died in March, 1812, when only fifty-eight yea

was the first collector of the port ... "1790 and befor

a thriving business between the Virginia shore

ful coastwise trade with the East Indies, his younger brother, Francis, c

much in evidence

hant; also, William King, whose na

ere Philip Barton K

ain. He seems to have been "the doctor" at th

aken this note in regard to a project much in the m

1, 1774, Thomas Johnson, Jr., Attorney at Law, Wm. Deakins, Adam Steuart, Thomas Johns, Thomas Richardson

domestic service. A delightful story is told of how one of the shipowners sent a "likely" young negress back to Scotland on one of his vessels, as a present to his mother. Many weeks later when the vess

er, says: "There were then in harbor ten square-rigged vessels, two of them being ships and a small brig from Amsterdam taking in tobacco from a warehouse on Ro

stories high, the first story built of stone. Just beyond was Parrott's Mill, called the George Town Wool and Cotton Manufactory. Parrott also had a Rope Wa

nd after the Revolution there was a great

iend in England on the subject of the first campaign made by the British forces in Amer

p and having heard of this opportunity can onl

out our firmness that America is determined and unanimous, a very few

nds a head, and at Bunker's Hill she gained one mile of ground, half of which she lost again b

rtly before coming to Georgetown, gives, I think, a very vivi

as

ry 31

Merchant, New York

r S

but we have reason to believe upon the whole it is as reasonable as could well be expected unless we had made another campaign in the West Indies with the Troops from America and our present great superiority at sea. We had reason

irst place Britain declared the Independence of America, would have alarmed you or at least prevented you from exceeding the Company's limits so very much especially for so large a quantity. I suppose what made you so very sanguine that we should have another Campaign was the Rockingham party going out and Lord Shelbourne coming and on his first appearance declaring against American inde

hich we now expect in three or four days, as they were to be laid before Parliment two days ago. I suppose in a short time after the receipt of this you will be going to visit our old friends in Virginia. It is very probable I may have the pleasure of seeing you there in a few mont

our Sisters all week-several n

s and with compliments to al

t humble

s An

isoner in a camp at Lancaster, Pennsylvania who was trying to get to Petersburg, Virg

. informing me of a passport being procured for my g

nt after many trials to at las

in New York to forward to Virginia "by the safest, spediest conveyance.

called, on the far side of Analostan Island, where the depth of the water was from

when a causeway was built across from the island to the Virginia shore, and

reat river to its wharves, piled high with hogsheads of tobacc

r, Captain James Bu

ig Bro

, bringing rum, cof

Ritson and

m the North were laden with whale oil to be used for the lamps which, in 1810, were pl

l Toby, master, for London, which on September 6, 1792

passage in said ship may depend on being genteelly accommodated. For

ug away, stood in those days a tremendous oak tree which was used by the pilots coming up the river to guide them on their way.