Manuscript DS, signed “Go: Washington,” one page both sides, 6 x 15, September 26, 1785. Potomac Company payroll document for workers at Seneca Falls from August 20-September 3, 1785, overseen by John Ball and Thomas Boylan, listing the names of over fifty men along with their occupations and amount owed—three suffered pay deductions for being "Drunk." Notably, a blacksmith by the name of “Negro Joe” received £3.2 for his 10 hours of work; by contrast, other employees who worked around 10 hours consistently earned over £10. Boldly endorsed on the reverse to order payment of £33.18.8 by George Washington, George Gilpin, and John Fitzgerald as directors of the Potomac Company. In fine condition, with complete separation along its central horizontal fold.
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. The company's 1785 charter provided 'liberal wages' for 'any Number not exceeding one hundred good Hands with provisions and a reasonable Quantity of Spirits.' These laborers led a difficult life, being required to remove a certain amount of rock and debris before receiving their rations of spirits—remuneration evident in the drunkenness of some of the laborers here listed.
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. A significant document associated with a major early American infrastructure project.
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