This bridge has been destroyed several times, some times by floods and at other times by fire, and has been rebuilt, but the dates of its destruction have passed from the minds of our oldest citizens. The only dates that can be given, with anything like accuracy, are, that in 1820 it was destroyed by a great flood, in 1861 by fire, in accordance with military orders, and in 1889 by another great flood. In 1890 the city purchased the site and constructed the present iron bridge, which is about one thousand feet long. On its completion it was opened to free travel and has been continued such to the present time. It was at first a toll-bridge and owned by private parties for nearly a century, and yet so far as we can discover there have been but three owners up to the time it was purchased by the city. These three were William Fitzhugh, Esq., Judge John Coulter and Charles S. Scott. Near the beginning of the nineteenth century a covered bridge spanned the river at the foot of Wolfe street, landing on the farm on the opposite side of the Rappahannock. The farm was then owned by a Mr. Thompson. No one knows when this bridge was built or to whom it belonged. It was known as the Stafford bridge, as the one above it was known as the Chatham bridge, until it was purchased by Mr. Scott, after which it was known as Scott's bridge. The two bridges were destroyed in the flood of 1820 and the Stafford bridge was never rebuilt. CARE OF THE DEPENDENT POOR. The first move made by the Common Council, or any other town organization, to provide for the dependent poor of the town was on the 25th of January, 1805, when the hustings court appointed five commissioners--Elisha Thatcher, James Smock, Wm. Benson, Benjamin Botts and Wm. Taylor--to "enquire into the probable and comparative expense of erecting or renting a poor and work house for the reception of the poor of the corporation, and ascertain the probable salary of a steward for such poor and work house and the annual expense of supporting the same." These commissioners were empowered to receive propositions from persons desiring to rent suitable houses for the purpose, and to ascertain who would be willing to act as steward and report at the next session of the court. The report was submitted at the March term of the court and was approved and filed; when another commission was appointed, with Dr. George French as chairman, to "rent a house for a term of one or more years," at a cost not exceeding fifty pounds, and John F. Gaullier was appointed steward of the poor and work house.