Transcription
Area rich
in history
[9/11/1981]
Dumfries' "pedigree" is traced as
are many of colonial America's
townships, to the origins of the
prominent settlers of the colony.
During the early 1740s, Scottish
merchants were settling throughout
the Potomac region, drawn there by
the developing prosperity in tobacco
trade, flour and grain milling, and a
growing West Indies trade. Among
the Scottish settlers was John
Graham who arrived in the Quantico
area, in 1741, from Dumfries, the
shire town of Dumfrieshire in
Scotland.
On May 11, 1749 the General
Assembly passed an Act for the
erection of a town in the county of
Prince William. "...the said town, so
erected shall be called by the name of
Dumfries," unquestionably so called
as a result of Mr. Graham's influence.
By 1760, Dumfries and the
surrounding area had developed into
a thriving trade center drawing trade
from Fairfax, Loudoun, Fauquier,
Culpepper and as far west as the
Shenandoah Valley.
Ships from England, Scotland and
the northern American colonies
carried out agricultural goods, and
brought in necessities and luxuries.
An extensive trade with the West
Indies provided rum and salt, among
other essentials.
The area now occupied by
"Graham Park Shores" was a part of
the exceptional prosperity experienced
in Dumfries during the
1770s.
As a popular setting for social
activities, Dumfries frequently
hosted such prominent families as the
Lees, Washingtons, Brents, Masons
and Graysons who attended various
teas, balls and the popular theater.
While difficult to imagine today,
- See HISTORY, Page C-7Transcriber
Adam KitchenLanguage
English