Manuscript DS, signed “Go: Washington,” one page, 7.5 x 6, May 25, 1787. Pay order directed to William Hartshorne, treasurer of the Potomac Company. In full: "Please pay to Colo. William Darke or order One Thousand Dollars for acco. of the Potomac Company." Signed at the conclusion by George Washington, John Fitzgerald, and George Gilpin as directors of the Potomac Company. Endorsed on the reverse by Darke, "Wm. Darke," to confirm receipt of £300. In fine condition, with light toning, and nicely done repairs to small tears and fold splits.
One of George Washington's greatest interests in the period between the end of the 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. He appointed Col. Darke—himself a hero of the Revolution—as the company’s key upriver agent at Shepherdstown.
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.' The project was beset by constant difficulty: insufficient funding and constant legal trouble contributed to the company's ineffectiveness and eventual failure.
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