1934-04-22 [P

ANALOSTAN ISLAND WAS NOTED RESORT Picnic Ground Was Popular Place for Many Washing- tonians—Oldest Inhabitants Ran Races and Played Leap Frog—Ear- ly Owners, George Mason of Gunston Hall an d Gen. j Mason. John Introduction of the knights to the queen. A feature of the Analostan Island tournaments. Island" Is the one that is near and dear to ington, presenting a beautiful site for a mag- THOSE who are practically newcomers BY JOHM CL.4GETT PROCTOR. the hearts of the natives of the District of nificent city extending its whole length. The TOto Washington this old island might mean Columbia and one they cannot, and will not little, for they could not recall it when it re- western side forms the same regular graduation J J ■ T IS easy to lead a horse to water, but soon forget. tained any of its early beauty of a hundred or to ‘Back River.’ formerly an arm of the Poto- 4 4 1 it is hard to make him drink," is a more years ago as the magnificent estate of I very old expression, and to one who mac River, and affords beautiful sites for the Gen. John Mason, who married Anna Maria I knows his a true one as horses, very houses and workshops of artisans, laborers, etc., Murray, the daughter of Dr. James Murray of ■ well. Indeed, it is often applied to Md. Gen. Mason was the son of required in various manufactories, through the Annapolis. other things besides animals. In other George Mason of Gunston Hall, author of the entire ■words, the thought we would convey is, that length. Fairfax County resolves, which were indorsed although the name of Analostan Island has "The permanent stone dam connecting the and signed by the "freeholders and inhabitants’* been changed to Roosevelt Island, yet a hun- island with the Virginia shore, erected at a cost of that county July 18, 1774. dred years from now, and even longer, the de- of or ‘Back $30,000 more, protects effectually Gen. Mason lived on this island for a num- scendants of the present Washingtonians will River’ from ice or any Interruption by water, ber of years, ar.d here his son. James Murray still be calling the island by its old Indian at all time and for sufficiently deep capacious Mason, the Confederate commissioner, was bom, name, which, after all. seems to have been the safe accommodation of hundreds of square- and quite likely his other children as well. His changed for no very good reason—at least, not vessels in the rigged transporting coal, pro- mansion was one of the most imposing around accordnig to the best judgment of many peo- tected from winds by the surrounding woodland the District of Columbia and here distinguished ple of the District of Columbia. of an heights the west and north. There is Americans and royalty were frequently enter- Of this was not due to excellent read over the course, opposition dam, leading through tained. The grounds were laid out into walks lack of a for our former beloved the viaduct in front of it, under the proper respect directly and no pains or expense were spared to make for there are who would show Alexandria Canal, to all of Ex- President, many parts Virginia. it one of the most attractive spots in the the famous even a honor if tend this road from the east of the dam across “Teddy” greater country. Science, however, had not found a they could, but they do feel that the same the island to a on the Potomac River point way to rid the lowlands of the Potomac of the for him could have high regard easily opposite P street in the City of Washington malaria-breeding mosquito, with which the been shown without resorting to the chang- and establish a modern steam splendid ferry- place at times became infested, and so, after ing of the name of an old landmark that boat, and have a first-rate road from the you living there for nearly half a century, the gen- means as much to the of Washington as General Post Office to desirable in people any point eral is said to have given up the place and to does the name Blackwells Island to the people Virginia and farthest South at a less distance have moved back farther into Fairfax County, of New York, or Catalina Island to the resi- than now in use from any Washington. where he probably died in 1849. dents of San Francisco. In truth, from its peculiar location, saving Prior to this, in 1842, we find Richard Smith, For many years. Analostan Island—as we time and distance, it will assuredly become a as trustee, transferring title to John Carter old-timers will always call It—has been a popular mail route. The dam affords great and later John Marbury. as executor for Car- dreary place, overgrown with briars, bushes facility in the establishment of manufactories ter. conveyed the property to William A. Brad- and scrub trees, and about as wild as it was and coal deposits on the island. It supersedes in 1851. In 1834 Mr. Bradley became when the Necochtank Indians, from whom it the crossing, ‘Back Creek,’ by water. Its height ley of the and served until he waa took its name, had their home where is now and that of the intervening ground to the mayor city 1836. His admin- the Federal seat of Government. Of course, canal is, I conjecture, above 18 feet below the succeeded by Peter Force in some this island has been known for, when water line of the canal, upon which to erect istration was an unusually interesting one, at that “Analostan” is not the only name by which iron pillars for the support of a wooden aque- of the events occurring in Washington this island has been known for, when duct (of sufficient elevation for the road below) time being of a tragic nature, such as the at- Capt. Randolph Brunett took possession through which to conduct an ample volume of tempted shooting of President Jackscn by A of this land, through a patent granted water to the island; thence parallel (at about deranged painter. But an event of an entirely him by Lord Baltimore, and it was sur- Gen. John Mason, son of George Mason 10 feet) with the shore of ‘Back River’ to any different nature took place in June, 1835, and veyed by the Colonial authorities of Maryland desirable point below. Prom the west side to use a street expression, it must have been of Gunston Hall. An early miner and for him on it was called “Barba- boats can, by chutes, discharge the coal into a scream. April 29, 1682, Analostan Island. does.” But even at an earlier date (at least occupant of the vessels, and from the east side ore and all other raw materials into the doors of the as early as 1669) it was called “My Lord's District Militia, it seems, bad been Island.” “Anacostian one of its manufactories, and thence passing into the Island,” early AN EARLY description of the island haa THEcriticized for not taking a more active part river means two locks at its to names, became in time "Analostan Island,” • (by of terminus) this to say: in suppressing race riots, which were then not and, subsequent to August 28, 1777, when the Georgetown take in other lading, enter the "The island contains of uncommon. The private soldiers resented the title was transferred to George Mason of Gun- upward 100 acres. Chesapeake & Ohio Canal at the mouth of unfavorable comments, and claimed that any ston Hall, it became known as “Mason’s The eastern front slopes gradually from its Rock Creek and pass up uninterruptedly to the on their was due to the miser- Island,” but the designation “Analostan center to the shore opposite the City of Wash- coal deposits at Cumberland." inefficiency part able equipment furnished the companies and to the lack of proper instruction. They “would frequently be called to headquarters, kept loaf- ing for hours and then dismissed; if they did not appear for drill or Instruction, they were subject to fines that became a burden,” and, altogether, their grievances were many. A meeting was held, Nathan Edmonston was made president and J. Adams MacDuell, sec- retary. and it was decided to have a burlesque parade, the kind that Washington had never witnessed before and surely not since. An idea may be had as to how ridiculous it must have been from the description in the National In- telligencer of July ., 1835, which says: “Last Saturday will long be remembered by our humorous and laughter-loving citizens as a day especially dedicated to Com us, and the votaries of fun, frolic and fantasy. Had Herec- litis himself witnessed the Fantasticals as they paraded in front of the City Hall, or as they marched along Pennsylvania avenue, he must have left off caterwauling and joined in the general laughter which pervaded all charac- ters, conditions, classes and colors, when the redoubtable Maj. Gen. Edmonston assumed the command of the Independent Thunderbolt Volunteers and led forth his motley band, amidst the repeated roar, not of angry and thundering cannon, but of laughter from thou- sands of eager spectators who assembled to witness the long-expected military carnival. “As the Fantasticals honored us with a rear view by passing under our window, we observed first and foremost, Maj. Gen. Edmonston, com- mander in chief. He was mounted on a tre- mendous Rosin ante of black color and bony appearance.

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