Magnificent manuscript DS, signed “G:o Washington,” one page, 8 x 3, August 1, 1785. Bold Patowmack Navigation Company financial document, in part: “£6:0:0…This was deducted by the Treasurer of Virg from the State Dividend of £500…Geo: Town 1st Aug 1785. The above acct allowed.” Boldly signed at the conclusion by company directors George Washington, George Gilpin, John Fitzgerald, Thomas Sim Lee, and Thomas Johnson. In fine condition, with a small repaired split along the top fold and trimmed edges.
One of Washington's greatest interests in the period between the end of Revolutionary War and the start of his presidency was the development of the picturesque Potomac River as a navigable inland transportation route. The Potowmack Company, formed to accomplish this task using a series of locks and canals, was formed in 1785 and Washington was named the company’s president; its board of directors included the other signers of this document. Lee and Johnson were both influential former governors of Maryland, while Gilpin and Fitzgerald were veterans of the Revolution. With an eye toward the greater good of the nation, Washington’s ambitions surpassed those of the ordinary businessman. He believed that improved infrastructure would strengthen the fledgling United States, with the Potomac Canal forming a literal link from east to west and binding together territories in a ‘chain which could never be broken.’ A spectacular, crisply signed document from one of Washington’s important endeavors. Pre-certified PSA/DNA.
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