Captain John Smith first recorded the area now called Aquia Landing in 1608.  In 1815, daily steamship runs were established between D. C. and the landing.  From here, a stagecoach transported travelers to Richmond, the entire trip taking 38 hours.  In 1842, the  R F & P Railroad extended its tracks to the landing, shortening the trip to just 9 hours.  In 1861, the first naval engagement of the Civil War took place here.  From 1862 through 1864, the Union Army used the landing to help supply over 130,000 troops with food, uniforms, armaments, supplies, and feed for horses and mules.  Large warehouses were built.  The train tracks followed what’s now Brooke Road, eventually ending at the Stafford Train Depot (today’s Eagle Lodge) delivering supplies along its route.  President Lincoln, Clara Barton, and Walt Whitman were some of the famous people who were at Aquia Landing during the war.