On This Day in Alexandria: October 21, 1669: The Land That Would Become Alexandria Changes Hands — On this date, Virginia’s colonial governor Sir William Berkeley granted Welsh sea captain Robert Howson a sprawling 6,000-acre land patent along the Potomac River. The tract stretched from Hunting Creek in the south to Little Falls in the north—land that overlapped a 700-acre plot previously awarded to Dame Margaret Brent in 1654. Less than a month later, Howson sold the entire parcel to Scotsman John Alexander, whose name would eventually grace the city. Eight decades would pass before a portion of this land was formally established as the town of Alexandria in the 1740s, situated just south of Hugh West’s tobacco inspection station that had operated since 1732.

On This Day in Alexandria: October 21, 1907: A Night School Opens Doors to Adult Learners — At 1401 Duke Street, the Alexandria Institute welcomed its first students at Shiloh Baptist Church. This pioneering night school was established to serve adult learners, with dedicated educators like Samuel W. Madden and John F. Parker volunteering their time to teach English and other subjects. The institute represented a crucial educational opportunity for Alexandria’s working adults seeking to advance their knowledge and skills. [Historic Alexandria]