As to the missing cornerstone, this is a fascinating and little known part of history. Together with the cornerstone of the Capital, which is thought to have gone missing as well, the answer for this mystery has to do with the growth of the United States as it pertains to the relocation of the nation's capital. Major stuff!
Just a little bit of early American history will help fill in the blank as to how this strangely unique question of why the cornerstones went missing has held significance throughout the years. Presidents have tried to answer this.
Again, the destiny of the United States when it pertained to land was a hot topic at the founding of the nation.
Following up on earlier explorations, particularly by Robert Rogers, conducted earlier in the 1700's, the United States was following along the ancient line of Westward Expansion.
During the First War for Independence, the older brother of William Clark, General George Rogers Clark, won the title "Conqueror of the Old Northwest" for the Battle of Kaskaskia. This opened the door to the Pacific Coast, commemorated across the Mississippi River by the St. Luis Arch. This was the event which directly led to the Louisiana Purchase.
Now in 1787, only days after the Constitution became law, a two part series of voyages were commissioned and undertaken by the U.S. These are the voyages of Captain Gray.
His orders were to sail to Oregon, and then onto establish relations with China.
He arrived back to Boston in 1790, the year the capital of Washington DC. began to be established.
He set out again that same year and sailed up the "Oregon River" in 1792 renaming it Columbia. Shortly thereafter, the cornerstone to the White House was laid. He arrived back in Boston in 1793, when shortly thereafter, the cornerstone to the Capital was laid as well.
The name of the ship he sailed on was the Columbia Redevida, which means Columbia Revived. Columbia being a blending of the same name meanings of Columbus and America.
Columbia was an early reference known throughout the world as America.
The Columbia Redevida was accompanied by the Tender ship Lady Washington.
With the Lewis and Clark Corps. of Discovery following within a decade, the Oregon Trail opened up to migrations.
In 1843, a dispute arose between Canadian and U.S. settlers. After a series of meetings held by U. S. Settlers called the "Wolf Meetings", which was conducted in the house of a man named Grey, the decision to cast a democratic vote to decide whether an independent provisional government should be set up within the Oregon Country. The question was whether the land would be under British or U. S. control. The Vote was in favor of the U. S. by only one vote.
A provisional government was created, and in 1846 the Oregon Boundary Dispute took place in international court, between Great Britain and the United States. Having used the earlier voyages of Gray, the U. S. proved original intent, by showing that it planned on claiming the land all along, even to the extent of the location of its future capital.
Thus the timing, placing and removing of the cornerstones.
The most logical reason why Washington was sacked during the Second War of Independence, and the White House and Capital burned by the British, is likely connected to the question of Oregon.
Why? What significance did it have?
It is no mistake that historians consider the Lewis and Clark Expedition as an off-shoot of Columbuses Voyage of Discovery, because the strategic location and leverage it would give the U. S. in the world when it comes to it's relations with China.
The Old Silk Road had been cut- off by the Arabs, leading to Columbus. The Oregon Land claim would become it's future catalyst, to bridging that great divide.
It is reported that after the cornerstone laying ceremony to the White House, that the recipients went to a tavern to celebrate the event. While they were there they made several toasts, two of those toasts have been tied into the question about what was really going on.
One toast I am referring to was " To the Fair Daughters of America"" which partly may have been a reference to the First Lady Washington.
The other toast was " May peace, liberty, and order extend from pole to pole"This then would have been in reference to the establishing of a connection with China, and then from there throughout the world.
- If anyone is interesteld or has any questions and would like to chat, l can be reached at
Chaplainmattchappell@gmail.com