Page:History of Cumberland, Maryland 2.djvu/277

1785.] below Ihe mouth of Will's creek, near the river side." "Walnut Bottom" was surveyed by Thomas Cresap on the Ist of June, 1745, for Governor Thomas Bladen, who took up several large tracts of land in this section of the State, which was at that time em- braced in Prince George's county. Governor Bladen sold his right to "Walnut Bottom" to George Mason, of Fairfax county, Virginia, who obtained a grant for the same on the 25th of March, 1756. On the 25th of October, 1783, Mason sold "Walnut Bottom" and another tract, in close proximity, called "Lime Stone Rock," (which he had bought of Daniel Cresap,) to Thomas Beall of Samuel, for the sum of £1,407.10 current money. "Walnut Bottom" embraced all the bottom land lying along the river from Mr. F. Mertens' boat yard to Mr. J. G. Lynn's residence, and extending back to Maryland Avenue, Front Street to Valley Street, and thence by a line through the Will's Creek Tannery across to the river. Immediately after purchasing this land, Beall went to work clearing that part of "Walnut Bottom" lying west of Will's Creek, and erected several build- ings. In 1785 he laid out a town, which was commonly called Washington Town, and sold a number of lots to settlers. Two years later the inhabitants of the place petitioned the Legislature for authority to establish a town, which they wished to name after the old Fort, as being more appropriate and distinct than any other title that could be given it. On the 20th of January, 1787, the following act was passed by the Legislature, authorizing the erection of the town of Cumberland :