1752

• Virginia planter George Washington inherits his brother's Mount Vernon plantation in the Virginia colony. Washington builds flour mills and will become the largest flour producer in the colonies. He also establishes some of the Potomac's first shad and striped bass fisheries.

1759

• The Anacostia River has become so clogged with rubbish and dead trees that it is useless as a source of water or as a water route.

1785

• Representatives from Maryland and Virginia meet at Mt. Vernon to resolve disputes about the use of the Chesapeake Bay and the Potomac River for commerce and trade. They call for navigation rules and a uniform currency.

1809

• A bridge over the Potomac is completed in the location of the current 14th Street Bridge.

1810

• The first sewer system in Washington, D.C. is constructed, carrying wastes to the nearest stream.