We now come to the closing words of the history of our venerable city, and what we shall add in closing will be of Fredericksburg as it is at present, without going into tiresome details, but before proceeding with that interesting topic we must turn aside to mention some useful and honored organizations of the ladies of the town, which failed to receive attention in a former chapter, after which our subject. “Fredericksburg at Present,” will be resumed.

DAUGHTERS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION.[91]

The Betty Washington Lewis Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution, was organized in 1899 at the Exchange Hotel. Several prominent members of the National Society were present and explained the scope and work of the association. Mrs. Wm. Key Howard, of Kenmore, was appointed regent, by Mrs. Hugh N. Page, State regent, and twelve charter members were obtained. At the end of the first year Mrs. Howard resigned, and, in February, 1900, at a meeting at Kenmore, once the home of the sister of Washington, whose name the chapter adopted, Mrs. John T. Goolrick was elected regent; Mrs. H. M. D. Martin, vice-regent; Mrs. B. C. Chancellor, registrar; Mrs. V. S. F. Doggett, treasurer; Miss Sallie N. Gravatt, secretary, and Mrs. V. M. Fleming, historian. In addition to these officers the following charter members were present: Mrs. Marion Maria Mason Daniel, Mrs. Kate Tichenor Dill, Mrs. C. R. Howard, Mrs. Florence C. Richards, Mrs. Lettie M. Spencer and Mrs. Florence F. Weir.

In the preliminary work of organization, which was undertaken by Mrs. John T. Goolrick, one of her warmest supporters was Mrs. Martin. She actively interested herself in the cause, her house was always open for meetings and through her several members were added to the chapter. The work of Mrs. V. S. F. Doggett was valuable and effective, and to the time of her death her zeal and interest were unabated. Mrs. Lucilla S. Bradley, a “real daughter,” and Mrs. Maria Jefferson Carr Mason, a great granddaughter of Thomas Jefferson, were honorary members.

This chapter has aided many worthy causes outside and inside of the society, both local and foreign. Colonial balls and other entertainments have, at different intervals, been given, among the handsomest being a reception at Kenmore, where an address on John Paul Jones was delivered by Capt. S. J. Quinn, before a large and appreciative audience.

In 1904 the State Conference was entertained by the Fredericksburg Chapter, and the guests were unstinted in their praises of the hospitality accorded them here. The chapter is at present as vital a force as when organized, and prepared to use opportunities when found to do work along historical and helpful lines. The officers elected at a recent meeting are Mrs. John T. Goolrick, regent; Mrs. W. H. Richards, vice-regent; Mrs. B. C. Chancellor, registrar; Mrs. H. M. Eckenrode, treasurer, and Miss Sallie N. Gravatt, secretary.

DAUGHTERS OF THE CONFEDERACY.

The Daughters of the Confederacy was organized on the 28th of February, 1896, with the following officers: Mrs. Joseph Nicholas Barney, president; Mrs. J. Horace Lacy, vice-president; Mrs. Vivian M. Fleming, secretary, and Miss Sallie Nelson Gravatt, treasurer, and an executive committee of fourteen ex-Confederates. The chapter rapidly grew in numbers and at one time had upon the roll nearly two hundred names. This society has been quite active since its organization and has done much good in the way of helping destitute veterans, looking after and administering to the sick and burying the dead. It has been the channel of distributing the Confederate crosses, and if any cross has been bestowed upon the unworthy, it was because of the ability of the unworthy to obtain vouchers from genuine Confederates. This chapter has done a good work in looking after the remains of Confederate soldiers, when found upon the battle-fields or elsewhere, and having them interred in the Confederate cemetery. One of the praiseworthy acts of the society, a few years ago, was to disinter the remains of the brave Gen. Abner Perrin, killed at the “Bloody Angle” while gallantly leading his brigade, and buried on the Hicks farm near the courthouse, and Lieut. Wm. H. Richardson, of Alabama, killed at the same time, and buried by the General, and to place them side by side in the Confederate cemetery. And yet there is other work for these self-sacrificing ladies to do. By annual elections Mrs. Barney has remained at the head of the chapter and is the present presiding officer, with Miss Sallie M. Lacy as secretary, who is an active support to the president.

ASSOCIATION FOR THE PRESERVATION OF VIRGINIA ANTIQUITIES.[92]

The Fredericksburg Branch of the Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities is a small but active band. They have acquired the Mary Washington House and “Rising Sun Tavern.” The “Tavern” has been recently repaired, but retains in all respects its original style of architecture. Both buildings are furnished in “ye olden style,” and are centers of great interest to visitors. The officers of this branch are Mrs. Vivian M. Fleming, directress; Miss Rebecca C. Mander, secretary, and Mrs. Charles Wallace, treasurer.

THE CITY MISSION.

The City Mission was organized on the 14th of March, 1901, mainly through the efforts of Rev. W. D. Smith, rector of St. George’s church, and Mrs. J. B. Ficklen. It has been quite an active society and much good has resulted from its labors. The main object of the society is to afford relief to the destitute of the town, especially the sick, and as it is composed altogether of benevolent and kind hearted ladies, we know, from this and their splendid labors in the past, that their mission will be well performed. They do more than look after the sick. These ladies gather up secondhand clothing from those who can spare it and sell the same at a cheap rate to those able to purchase and give to the destitute. The society is composed of ladies from all religious denominations, and the city is laid out in districts, each of which is placed in charge of three ladies, to whom applications for assistance by parties living therein are referred. By this method impositions are rare and needy persons are not overlooked. The present officers of the society are Mrs. J. B. Ficklen, president; Mrs. B. B. Montgomery and Miss Jennie Hurkamp vice-presidents; Miss Rebecca C. Mander, secretary; Miss Annie Myer, treasurer, and Mrs. Isaac Hirsh, purchasing agent.

THE FREDERICKSBURG TEACHERS’ ASSOCIATION.[93]

The faculty of the public schools of Fredericksburg met and organized the Fredericksburg Teachers’ Association in September, 1906. The officers elected at that meeting were as follows: Miss Kate James Mander, president; Miss Clarice Crittenden Davis, vice-president; Miss Jennie M. Goolrick, secretary, and Miss Maggie L. Honey, treasurer. The president of the School Board, Mr. A. B. Bowering, after the teachers were organized, was requested to outline a plan for a library, which he did, and the teachers commenced the work. After obstacles and delays, by solicitation, and dessert sales, a sufficient amount of money was raised to commence the purchase of books, and quite a nice collection of the best publications was secured. Since that additions have been made as the means of the association would justify, and now the library is an institution formed on a solid basis. It is popular with the children, and from it they derive much pleasure and instruction. The present officers are Miss Kate James Mander, president; Miss Mary Page Waller, vice-president; Miss Agnes P. Roach, secretary, and Miss Maggie L. Honey, treasurer.

FREDERICKSBURG AT PRESENT.

Fredericksburg is a healthy town—a true Virginia city—almost free from the fevers and diseases that visit other cities of the coast or even of tidewater. It is beautifully situated on the west bank of the Rappahannock river, at the head of tidewater, where its inhabitants escape the malaria of the lowlands and the fevers peculiar to the mountains. Therefore, when we compare the death rate of Fredericksburg, which is made every month by Dr. J. N. Barney, our health officer, with that of other neighboring cities, we find it quite favorable to our town.

PURE WATER SUPPLY.

Our main source of water supply, the Rappahannock river, has no city or town of any size above us, and for that reason the water is almost free from foreign substances, and as pure as are the mountain springs from which it flows. The analysis of this water, which has often been made in the years gone by, and repeatedly in the past few years, shows ninety-eight per cent., which probably more nearly approaches absolute purity than any other stream of its size in the country. Besides this aid to health, the sanitary condition of the town is carefully looked after by the Board of Health, and everything that threatens the introduction of disease is at once removed or reduced to a healthy condition. In addition to this, as a convenience for the citizens, and an aid to health conditions, the main part of the city has been sewered within the past four years, and laterals are in course of construction to reach those portions of the town not now sewered. With these aids to health and our lynx-eyed Board of Health, who are always on the alert, we may hope for and confidently expect, as we now have, an unusually healthy city.

FINANCIAL CONDITION OF THE CITY.

The financial condition of Fredericksburg is good, and her credit is undoubted. It is true that the debt of the city is large, but for every bond issued there is something substantial standing for it, except nearly $120,000 of ante-bellum bonds, issued by our forefathers in an honest and earnest endeavor to secure for our people improvements of a permanent and profitable character. But the improvements proved worthless to the town. Those who voted for them have passed over the river of death, leaving this indebtedness as a legacy to their descendants, and we take great pleasure in providing for it. The other bonds were issued for improvements the town needed and was compelled to have. They are all in use at present, successfully operated, and are valued far in advance of the price paid for them by the city, and it is only a question of private or corporation ownership, as to whether it was a wise policy for the city to erect and operate them. The City Council thinks it acted for the best interests of the town and the people back it up in that opinion. Nearly all of the bonds issued by the city bear four per cent., were sold at or above par and purchased mostly by our own citizens. This, it would appear, is a strong indication that our financial affairs are in a satisfactory condition.

PRESENT COMMERCIAL CONDITION.

The commercial prosperity of the town is probably far in advance of what it ever was before. We have now about one hundred and fifteen wholesale and retail stores, each one doing a thriving business. In these stores the customer will be able to find any article of merchandise he may need and at as low price as he could find it in the larger cities. In the last few years there has been a spirit of improvement in business houses, and at present there are to be found store-houses that would be a credit to a city of larger pretentions. So changed is the business portion of Main street by reason of this enlargement and ornamentation that citizens of the town have often had to inquire for the places they wished to visit. In addition to this, our manufactures have increased and are still increasing, and in them hundreds of persons find employment at living wages. Among the manufacturing institutions may be mentioned two large flouring mills, one woolen mill, one pants factory, one silk mill, two sumac mills, three excelsior mills, one mattress factory, two pickle factories, one canning factory, one shoe factory, one shirt factory, one spoke factory and six repair shops. The assessed taxable value of property in town is, personal property $703,782, real estate $1,676,133, making a total of $2,379,915. Besides this, our several banks, in their periodical statements, made to the Government, show largely over a million dollars on deposit, subject to individual checks. In view of these facts truly it may be said that Fredericksburg is in a prosperous commercial condition and is rapidly adding to that prosperity.

LINES OF TRANSPORTATION.

The lines of transportation running to and from Fredericksburg are sufficient for all the requirements of the town, both as to freight and passenger travel, yet our citizens would not object to the construction of another road, starting at some deep water point on the coast, crossing the Rappahannock river at this place and connecting north of us with the great trunk lines, traversing this extensive country in all directions. But for this important improvement we must patiently wait.

The great line of travel and traffic through Fredericksburg, north and south, at present, is the Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac railroad. This road is probably one of the best conducted roads in the country and seldom has an accident. Not until a few years ago did it share its track with any other road, but now three or more companies are running their cars over this line and the carrying business is immense. This large increase in business necessitated a double track of the entire line—from Richmond to Washington—which was done with great rapidity. The present service on this road that passes through town is nine passenger trains north and ten south each twenty-four hours. In addition to this, the increase in freight has also increased the number of freight trains, and so we now have fifty to pass through in a day and night, and yet it is more than probable that this large number will soon be further increased. This road has a new iron bridge spanning the Rappahannock river at this point.

The Piedmont, Fredericksburg and Potomac railroad—Narrow Gauge—runs daily from Fredericksburg to Orange, a distance of forty miles. It connects Fredericksburg and intermediate points, with that great trunk line, the Southern, at that point, which is an accommodation to the travelling public along its entire line. Although a narrow gauge road, it does quite a large business and it has been rumored that it may be extended beyond the mountains some day, in which event it will become a line of greater importance than at present.

The Office of the Fredericksburg Water Power Company.
(See page 330)

“Marye Mansion,” Gen. Longstreet’s headquarters at Battle of Fredericksburg,
December 13, 1862; now the residence of Capt. M. B. Rowe.
(See page 91)

The former citizen, who went out from us even a few years ago, on his return to his old home now, would find, among other changes, that the Weems Line of steamers from Fredericksburg to Baltimore, had transferred its business to another company, and the old familiar name of Weems, of more than a half century standing, whose line was so intimately interwoven with all the interests of Fredericksburg, was a name of the past. But he would also find a line—The Maryland, Delaware and Virginia railroad, not that their steam boats run upon railroad tracks—had taken its place, and, by its splendid steamers, so well adapted to the river trade, had brought us into rapid and easy communication with Norfolk and Baltimore, by the Rappahannock river and Chesapeake bay, and thence with the whole busy world beyond.

A SPLENDID WATER POWER.

Some one writing of our water-power some years ago said: “The water-power of the Rappahannock river at Fredericksburg, made available by the erection of a magnificent dam, has been harnessed for work to some extent, but not yet to its full capacity.” That this is true is a pity, but that it will not long be true is a blessing. The old dam, which gave us only five thousand horse-power, is rapidly yielding to the touch of time, and already another is in course of construction that will be more substantial and give us more power than the present dam gives at its best. A gentleman, well informed as to the plans of the present company, says: “The dam now in process of construction will be built just below the present dam and will be of reinforced concrete. It will be about twenty-two feet above the present water level below the old dam, and will husband the entire plan of the river; or rather, will render the entire plan available for power purposes, but will not, strictly speaking, husband the entire plan, because the pond behind the dam will be rather limited in capacity owing to the closeness of the hills on either side of the river and the abrupt fall of the stream. This dam will afford about eight thousand horse-power, utilized in the city, and at a power-house of the company to be built near the silk mill, but to the east of the main Falmouth road. Just above Taylor’s quarry it is planned to build another dam seventy-six feet high, or about one hundred and thirty-eight feet above the sea, with quite a large pond or storage reservoir behind it, reaching up the river some ten miles or more. And then above this reach, and at or about the junction of the two rivers, the large dam, about eighty-four feet high, or two hundred and twenty-two feet above sea level, will complete the development so far as the Fredericksburg Power Company is concerned. This last level reaches to about Germanna. The whole contemplated scheme will yield about thirty thousand horse-power.” This will be such an enormous increase of power over what we now have that we cannot realize it. But the question is, what is to be done with this immense power? Shall it be used in Fredericksburg or transmitted to neighboring cities to increase their facilities for manufactures? Capitalists and manufacturers must answer this question.

It will thus be seen that Fredericksburg, with its quiet ways and want of bustling activity, is a manufacturing center of considerable importance, and lying, as it does, on the line of travel from north to south, there is no good reason, as we have intimated, why it may not be a manufacturing center of much greater importance.

It is true that those who estimate a place solely by the number of industrial enterprises which it encourages, or the amount of traffic which comes to it, would not rank Fredericksburg as highly as some of the more busy or bustling towns of other parts of the country, but those who recognize other agencies besides water wheels and steam engines, and other earthly products, besides dry goods, groceries and general merchandise, will find much here to admire and interest them.

It is also true that with the manufacturing facilities that we possess we would gladly see them greatly enlarged and more fully developed, also new ones erected and operated, but with this accomplished we would not forget that there are better fabrics than those that are manufactured by mechanical appliances. With a climate unsurpassed, an immunity from epidemics, a situation enviable because of its surroundings, water as pure as ever came from mountain springs, with all the advantages as we have before said of tidewater, without its malaria, with all the benefits of the mountains, without the mountain fevers, together with a refined and elevated society—if these, with the additions of home virtues and home joys, be regarded as valuable in life, then Fredericksburg must rank much higher than many a place that has more outward show of prosperity.

The pursuit of gain and the exacting cares of business have not engaged altogether the thoughts and attentions of our people, to the exclusion of those things which tend to the pleasure, comfort and health of the community, and to its intellectual development. For the benefit of the first mentioned of these classes, Hurkamp Park has been located, Washington Avenue and the National Boulevard have been laid out, completed and adorned, and the Free Bridge has been constructed, while “Lovers’ Lane” remains the same that it was in the century past.

For those who would derive comfort from inhaling the pure, fresh air of the morning or evening in a drive, on horse-back or on a bicycle, can find on the avenue and boulevard beautifully graded drives, and a variety of scenes which are ever pleasing to the eye, while the beautiful sun risings and settings, and the deep blue sky above rival in grandeur and sublimity those of far-off Italy.

For those who would spend the twilight hours in a pleasant walk with her who “claims his thoughts by day and dreams by night,” in search of health the Free Bridge and the enchanting walks beyond are equal to the far-famed “Lovers’ Lane,” which in olden times was so attractive, even enchanting, as it is now, to the belles and beaux, where words were spoken and vows made that led to unions of hands and hearts that nothing earthly could weaken or sever.

For those whose tastes and inclinations lead them to intellectual enjoyment, the Library and Reading Room, located in the north wing of the Courthouse and the Wallace Library, soon to be in operation, afford excellent facilities. The Library at the Courthouse is furnished with splendid books—historical, biographical, religious and miscellaneous, and the number is added to as the funds at the command of the association will allow. It is conducted by the ladies of the town, who are always ready to give, toil and even sacrifice to benefit, elevate and make more useful the masses of the people.

All of these advantages belong to Fredericksburg, with many others that we have probably inadvertently omitted, that make it one of the most desirable residential cities in the country; and we can readily agree with Captain John Smith, the great explorer, “that Heaven and earth never agreed better to frame a place for man’s habitation,” than the beautiful valley of the Rappahannock, and Fredericksburg is located on the most beautiful, picturesque and healthy spot of that far-famed valley.

And yet, with all these advantages, pointing out Fredericksburg as a most desirable place for her educational, industrial, commercial and residential advantages, its prosperity is not what it should be; but with a full development of all her varied facilities which we trust will be done in the near future and which can be done if our people will work harmoniously, we may hope for more prosperous days; for

“Reason’s whole pleasure—all the joys of sense—
Lie in three words—Health, Peace and Competence.”