Founding of The City of Pretoria
In an endeavour to establish a new town, he bought two farms named Elandspoort en Daspoort between 1854 and 1855, on which he founded the city of Pretoria in 1855.
He originally named the town Pretoria Philadelphia, in honour of his father and his father's brothers, but the name of the town was later shortened to just Pretoria.
Five years later the capital of the ZAR (South African Republic) was moved from Potchefstroom to Pretoria.
Read more about this topic: Marthinus Wessel Pretorius
Famous quotes containing the words founding and/or city:
“The responsible business men of this country put their shoulders to the wheel. It is in response to this universal demand that we are founding today, All-American Airways.”
—John Dos Passos (18961970)
“The farmhouse lingers, though averse to square
With the new city street it has to wear
A number in. But what about the brook
That held the house as in an elbow-crook?”
—Robert Frost (18741963)