Setting the Record Straight ...

The Real History of Emmitsburg's Founding

Preamble

Any reflective reader of the exacting historical research that follows will undoubtedly realize with a certainty substantiated by their own life's experiences that "history repeats itself". That observation may be perceived to be a cliché, but doesn't our own experiential knowledge prove this to be true. History does repeat itself.

Over the course of Emmitsburg's history we will see a cyclic effort to redefine who we are, an effort to document events as they've truly happened, a determination to set the story straight.

That is where we are again today. We find ourselves at an important milestone node of that historic cycle, a node that presents itself as an opportunity to set things straight. Ours is not only a window of opportunity. What we have before us now is a responsibility to finally quell a cyclic error in the history that is ours. And if we don't respond, it will return to haunt us.

Several months ago, after detailed research, the Emmitsburg Historical Society was able to uncover the real history of the founding of Emmitsburg. Contrary to the signs greeting visitors to this quant little town, Emmitsburg was not founded in 1757, but in 1785. And contrary to folklore. Emmitsburg was never call Poplar Fields or Silver Fancy, and its name was did not come about as a result of a get together in a bar. It was called Emmitsburg from the beginning.

While we wish we had the time to sit down with everyone and walk you through the original legal documents which prove our findings beyond a reasonable doubt, we unfortunately do not. However, thanks to the Internet, we can provide them to you on-line in hopes that once you see them for yourself, you’ll join the call to have the town’s elected leaders join with the members of Emmitsburg Historical Society to again, and hopefully for the last time, set the record straight on Emmitsburg founding.

Please note, we scanned as the documents in as images, allowing you to see exactly what we see.  To ensure readability, we resample then to medium level JPG's, as result, some of them are over 100K in size so it may take a few moments to download them.  Each document will open up in a new window.

To minimize download times, we only included the applicable sections of the documents. If you would like a complete copy of any of these documents, please send us an e-mail we would be more then happy to scan the full document for you.

The first document is a copy of the bicentennial supplement published in the June 21, 1957 edition of the Emmitsburg Chronicle. It is in this newspaper supplement where the sentiment that the town began in 1757 was confused to be a fact of history and not the picturesque folklore that it simply is. Specifically:

"The Picture in 1757, when Emmit bought his tract, was one of a circle of new farms ... and in the center of the circle the beginning of a new village. Surrounded as it was by farmland, it was natural that merchants and craftsman should gather and build to serve the farmers on all sides..

Seven families composed the tiny community of Silver Fancy. It was impossible to say which was first; all we know is that they built around the site of the square. ... Richard Jennings ... Hughes ... Adam Hoffman ... John Rodgers ... Frederick Baird ... Michael Smith ..."

These where the families already living here in 1785 when Emmit decided to lay out his town in numbered lots ... "

Aside from this curious folklore, there exists a wealth of legal, court, and other newspaper documents that simply do not support this version of the town's history. To the contrary, a detailed and exacting review of these documents will conclusively prove that until 1785, Emmitsburg was undeveloped land.

The first document is a copy of a page from the official deed index book located in the Frederick County Court House Record Room covering all deed transfers from 1748 to 1778. Of particular interest on this page are the deeds to and from Samuel Emmit, starting with his acquisition of the 2250-acre Carrollsburg tract in 1757. Note the absence on this deed index of any deeds from Samuel Emmit to the families listed in the 1957 Chronicle story and who, by that colorful newspaper account, were supposedly the first settlers on Samuel's land. Most certainly, if they had lived on any part of that land in this period of time, records of their deeds would be in the 1748 - 1778 indexes.

The second document is a copy of a page from the official deed index book covering a time period between 1778 to 1803, which again is located in the Frederick County Court House Record Room. Of particular focus on this page are the three entries related to Samuel Emmit on August 18, 1785, May 30, 1786, and June 19, 1787 where he conveys land to his son William. These are the three deeds that define with certainty the founding and initial expansion of Emmitsburg.

The third document is yet another copy of a page from the official deed index book covering a time period between 1778 to 1803. Of interest on this page are those entries related to William Emmit, specifically the transfers of land from his father Samuel on August 18, 1785, May 30, 1786, and June 19, 1787.

In addition, please note the entries for each of the individuals below, all of whom were listed in the opening document (the 1957 Chronicle) as supposedly living in the town starting back in 1757. Notice that their deeds are all dated well after 1757 when William received his first parcel of land from his father and upon which he laid out the town. In addition, each of these and other initial deeds for the town stipulated that the lot holder build a house on the lot they purchased

• The January 12th, 1786 entry from William Emmitt to John Rodgers
• The January 12th, 1786 entry from William Emmitt to Adam Hoffman
• The January 12th, 1786 entry from William Emmitt to Michael Smith
• The May 30th, 1786 entry from William Emmitt to James Hughes
• The July 7th, 1789 entry from William Emmitt to Frederick Baird
• The March 20th, 1789 entry from William Emmitt to Richard Jennings

Clearly, if these individuals acquired their land from William Emmit, and as each of their deeds refer to it as being in Emmitsburg as noted above, then each was required to build a house on the lot, a condition expressly written into each of the deeds. They could not have been living on the land prior to purchasing their lots. They could not have been part of a preexisting community "near the square" known as Poplar Fields, albeit a delightful and folksy story.

The forth document is a copy of the actual August 18, 1785 deed where Samuel transferred 35 acres to William "wherein the lots of a new town called Emmitsburg are laid out." This statement clearly establishes that the town was called Emmitsburg from its very beginning in 1785, and it name was not changed after the fact. .

While the above fact is important, it pales in comparison to the statement beginning at the bottom of the document and continued on the second page that says:

"...provided he the said William Emmit  shall perform that part which the said Samuel Emmit was to perform according to Articles of Agreement made the fifth day of March last with Purchasers, ..."

This statement by Samuel Emmit clearly implies that an piece of paper was signed on March 5th, 1785, between Samuel Emmit and the subscribers for the lots, to form a town.  Without a copy of the actual agreement, we are unsure of the role Samuel Emmit was to have taken that he passed onto his son, nor do we have any knowledge of the the actual role, if any, William Emmit played in negotiating this agreement.  As such, taking Samuel Emmits' statement at face value, it would not be unreasonable provide him the title of 'Founder of Emmitsburg."

Within the fifth set of documents are copies of the first deeds issued for lots in Emmitsburg. Of particular significance in these deeds is the fact that each lot is referred to as being in "Emmitsburg," not Poplar Fields. In addition, each deed requires the purchaser to build a house on the said lot.

In the sixth set of documents are copies of Adam Hoffman and John Rogers' deeds for their lots in Emmitsburg in 1786. Of particular curiosity is the fact that these are the same men listed in the aforementioned Chronicle as being two of the seven founding families in 1757, 29 years before they even bought their land. Most importantly, their deeds, as well as all other initial deeds, required them to build a house on their lot. This clearly shows they did not have a house on the land prior to their deed from William Emmit in 1786.

The seventh document is a copy of the May 30, 1786, deed from Samuel Emmit to his son William where the size of William's new town was increased from 35 acres to 55 acres. Of particular significance in this deed is the wording used to describe the status of the town: "for the use of a town which was then begun on said small parcel of land."

The eighth document is the last deed from Samuel Emmit to his son William for land in the newly founded Emmitsburg. In it, Samuel once again increased the amount of land given to his son, this time from 55 to 80 acres. Again and of interesting consequence in this deed is the wording used in reference to the purpose of the original 35 acre deed dated in 1785, "for the use of a town which was then begun thereon."

The first document is a map depicting the boundaries resulting from a 1797 survey to correct the boundaries of the Carrollsburg tract. Of particular interest is the fact that the Silver Fancy tract overlaps the tract boundaries of Carrollsburg. As the Dulany family was not a party to this agreement, this did not resolve the confusion over the sale of lots that was on land also claimed by the Dulanys.

The second document, while out of chronological order, helps to clarify the overlap of the Silver Fancy tract and Emmitsburg. Originally published in the May 10, 1958 Emmitsburg Chronicle, it details the research done by noted Carroll County Historian Dr. Tracey. It was in this article that Dr. Tracey publicized her attempt to set the record straight over the real founding date of Emmitsburg.

The third document is a copy of the Daniel Dulany's original deed for Silver Fancy dated June 13, 1744, 12 years after the Carrolls took title of the Carrollsburg tract, and 12 years before Samuel Emmit took title to his smaller portion of Carrollsburg.

The third document, dated March 30th, 1798, is the deed where the descendants of Daniel Dulany transferred ownership of the 100 acre Silver Fancy tract of land to William Emmit - 13 years after William Emmit began selling lots for his new town 'Emmitsburg.'

The forth document is a deed from William Emmit to Sarah Thompson. Noteworthy here is its reference to the confusion made by the overlapping ownership of Emmitsburg and the Silver Fancy tract: "Whereas the said William Emmit did convey a lot of ground in Emmitsburg as being a part of a tract of land called Carrollsburg which appears to a part of a track of land called Silver Fancy." What was then a legal requirement to list both tract names undoubtedly led to the later mistaken belief that Emmitsburg was once called Silver Fancy.

The first document is a copy of a front-page portion of the November 6, 1880 Emmitsburg Chronicle. It is in this issue that Samuel Motter published his account of the Emmitsburg founding, an account not completely supported by historical research. By complete I mean, upon thoughtful reflection, one could interpret only part of Motter's portrayal of Emmitsburg's founding as correct. Specifically:

"The first foundation of Emmitsburg dates back to the year 1786, and it was then know by the name Poplar Fields. The original population consisted of ... "

While we use 1785 as a founding date, 1786 is more indicative of when construction of its first homes actually began, so we can concur with that date. If Motter's statement "It was then know as Poplar Fields" was referring to what the town folk may have called the empty land upon which the town was built, we also concur. And we also concur with his list of original inhabitants following the town's founding in 1786. However, Motter's reference to the town ever being called Silver Fancy is clearly in error.

The second document is a copy of a portion of the front page of the January 31, 1908 Emmitsburg Chronicle which expands on both the November 6, 1880 edition of the Chronicle and on James Helmen's History of Emmitsburg, published in 1906. It is in this newspaper account where subtle alterations of Motter's initial description occurred, eventually leading residents to believe that there was a pre-existing town prior to Emmitsburg. Specifically:

"Prior to 1786, Emmitsburg was know as Poplar Fields. It consisted of a few houses in and near the square"

Notice the wording change. In Motter's 1880 version, He clearly stated that the first foundation of Emmitsburg dates back to 1786. In the 1908 Chronicle's version, the foundation of Emmitsburg is described as "prior to 1786."

The third document is a copy of a portion of the June 21, 1957 edition of the Emmitsburg Chronicle, issued as part of the 1957 bicentennial celebration. It is in this news story where the notion that the town began in 1757 was fortified with an embellishment of heretofore unknown "history", specifically:

"The Picture in 1757, when Emmit bought his tract, was one of a circle of new farms ... and in the center of the circle the beginning of a new village. Surrounded as it was by farmland, it was natural that merchants and craftsman should gather and build to serve the farmers on all sides.

Seven families composed the tiny community of Silver Fancy. It was impossible to say which was first; all we know is that they built around the site of the square. ...

These where the families already living here in 1785 when Emmit decided to lay out his town in numbered lots ... "

The top part of the forth document is another page from the June 21, 1957 edition of the Emmitsburg Chronicle, issued as part of the 1957 bicentennial celebration. Of particular interest is the purposeful wording change of its quote from the 1906 Chronicle below it. Notice where the authors of the 1957 Chronicle replaced the original wording "Tom's Creek" with "Poplar Field." This was no mere typographic error. Liberty was taken with this misquote to better substantiate a conjecture of folklore.

The first document is a copy of the letter dated Jan 10, 2003, from the Maryland Historical Trust to Mayor Hoover clarifying that if Emmitsburg chooses to recognize the 1785 date as the official founding date, no additional paper work would be required. "The National Register nomination as it stands already recognizes a period of significance beginning in 1785, based on research which indicated the initial settlement of the town took place in that year."

The second document is a significance summary completed by an independent historical architect under contract by the Maryland Historic Trust. Of particular interest in this report is the wording used to describe Emmitsburg's beginnings: "Most of the town remains architecturally intact with some buildings remaining from the initial development of the town in 1785"
 

Conclusion

History does repeat itself.  Efforts have been made in our past to rectify an ongoing myth, to publicize the true facts of our founding. Today is a critical moment of truth. What we find available to us today is yet another precious opportunity to finally set things straight.

In recent discussions it was observed that "people define history". We do. As we review legal documents of the past, determine the validly of a rich and varied folklore, and attempt to discern conjecture from fact, we define history. More importantly, we become history.

Should we become perpetrators of historic fallacy and conjecture, we do this historic community a disservice. It should be reason and the insights of
detailed historical research that we should strive for.  If we chose the later past, we will be forever immortalized in the history of Emmitsburg as proponents of the real, factual truth.

It's high time to set the record straight on the true founding date of Emmitsburg and get on with rediscovering the forgotten history of this wonderful community.

Additional readings:

• In Defense of Historical Accuracy: Freeing Emmitsburg's Glorious History from the Shackles of Willful Lies & Folklore

• Letter of Support from Gettysburg's College History Department

• Letter of Support form Mount St. Mary's History Department

• Statement by Commissioner Ted Brennan Calling for the Town to Cease using 1757 as its founding date