Two Truths and a Lie about Washington College

In celebration of April Fool’s Day, we present to our readers two truths and a lie about Washington College history and tradition. See if you can guess which are which! Just for fun, the lie will contain a grain of truth!

1. Pigs: Pigs belonging to Chestertown citizens were once allowed to wallow freely on the lower part of the campus green, and our archival collection includes antique pig bones that were found during the construction of Cater Walk, which was once called ‘Pig Alley.’
2. Fights: During the early 19^th century, public fistfights were a popular spectacle among the young college men, occurring several times a week.  Pistol duels also occurred between students, although not on campus.  One “loser” survived a duel with a shattered forearm, only to be eaten by wolves in the Ohio wilderness later in life.
3. The Water Tower: There was once a water tower at the center of campus, and when poet Allen Ginsberg visited campus in the 1980s, he climbed the tower and tried to make it temporarily disappear with the use of crystals and group chanting.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Answers:

1. True! And why did the college keep pigs in Pig Lane, behind Middle Hall?  To feed the students, of course. 
2. TRUE!  Dr. Peregrine Wroth, an 1803 graduate of WC, wrote about these events in his memoir.  He was involved in one particular fight wherein his ponytail (or ‘queue’ as they were called in days of old) was completely ripped from his head.
3. FALSE! Although there was once a water tower at the center of campus, Allen Ginsberg never climbed it or tried to make it disappear. He did, however, attempt to levitate William Smith Hall during his visit to WC.