Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1878-06-22
THE DISTRICT OF COLUMRTA.
"REMINISCENCES OF THE PAST.
inter- esting Extracts from AN Early
History Of s'the Ten Miles So uare.S


Inter esting Extracts from an Ear,y
History Of ''the Ten Miles square,
1.-THE Historical Sketches of the Ten Miles
Square" published in this city by Jonathan
Elliot, in 1880, is a book of about of $40 pages,
which will repay perusal, but there are few
copies extant, which are owned by old Wash
1ngtOn families and some public libraries.
The following facts taken from its pages will
doubtless be OF interest to the residents of the
Federal Capital as giving them some idea of
the Washington of half a century ago.
THE INDIANS WHO USED TO LIVE HERE
The first attempt to explore the Chesapeake
and It's tributaries was made in 1903, when 40
principal and subordinate tribes of Indians
occupied its shores-the POwhattans, Mana
last named allied and wagfng an almost per-
petual war against the fOrmer-the latter Oc-
cupying the neighborhood of the Patuxent
mac. 1t is stated, on the authority of soma of
the early Maryland settlers, that the valley at
the foot OF the Capitol hill; watered by the
was periodically visited by the Indians, who
called it their fishing ground, and they assem-
LIED here IN great numbers In the spring
the residence of the chiefs, and councils were
held here by the tribes assembled.
OUR CAPITOL NEAR THE SITE OF THE INDIAN
IL
The location of the Capitol is quite near the
site vi the council house of the In iianS.
BIRTH OF THE DISTRICT.
lie bl under which the seat of government
AS located here was passed in July, 1872, the
vote in the Senate being IA TO T. In the House
t'mpts were made to amend it by striking
cut "On the Potomac between the mouths of
e Eastern Branch and Chincoteagup," and
substituting Delaware" "In the State of
Pennsylvania including Germantown" &C.,
and on its passage the vote was 80 TO %.
the District of Columbia was set at Jones
Point, below Alexandra, on the 18th of April.
1871, in the presence of large cOncOurSe of
spectators. and at this time the principal pro-
Potomac were Daniel Carroll, N. Young, All
David Burns.
sEINE-HAULING ON WHAT IS NOW PENNsYL-
yANIA AVENUE.
In the early part of the century SeineS were
hauled in the Iiber on the identical portion of
its course which is now covered by Pennsyl-
wanna avenue between 9th and 10th streets.
AN INDIAN FORT,
Of which nothing now remains, stood on the
banks of the Eastern Branch, not far from
where the powder magazine is now located.
THE WEATHER HUNDRED YEARS AGO.
The weather in days gone by was somewhat
colder than at present. In 1172 the snow was
three feet deep and drtfted from ten to twelve
were also hard and frequent. The most re,
markable of these occurred in Juue, 1911, and
August, 1914. During the former hallstones
NelPHlDS tHTee ana Jour ounces broke every
pane of glass on the north side of the houses
in Alexandria, In the storm of 1914 trees were
laid PROSTATE and many houses blown down,
greatly terrifying the British. who were then
occupying Washington for twenty-four hours.
THE HEALTH OF THE CITY
compared fayOraby with other cities in 1890
According to BlOdget only out of 4S or 30 died
in WASHINGTON, while in New York the death
rate was i out of Al to So in Baltimore out of
43 to 40. and in Charleston out of IS to 40. The
bottoms along che river front were then as now
cause of malaria and fever.
GAME AND FISH
Fish and game were plentiful Canvass
hack ducks could be killed by hundreds
They brought in the market about IS cents per
Potomac were OF great value as a source of
wealth to the owner of the landings. Three
hundred thousand shad were often caught at
one good landing on the Potomac during the
spring fishing commencing about the middle
or March and terminating early in May. and half
a million herring were taken during the sea-
s'n. Sturgeon, rock and other fish we're cor
Iespondingly numerous. Shad brought from
s to $l2 per hundred, herring 81 per thousand,
Sturgeon three cents per pound aud rock from
8 to 81 per thousand. The sturgeon weighed
3 % pounds. All these fish and other market
a BILE wares could be carried by water directly to
enter Market by means OF Tiber creek, which
Then wound through the very heart of the civ
/. nd was nayigable.
THE FIRST SURVEY OF THE POTOMAC
- ascertain the practicabilty of navigation
{, Dove high water, was made by General Wash
I on of Col. Johnson, of Frederick county, Md.
The journey was made in canoe, followed
{ ut OF large poplar tree.
HE SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON SD AS EARLY AS
'artook of all the hues of many colored
ie,, from the highest polish OF polite France,
nd well attended by all who wished to be
lOught fashionable. The amusements during
lie winter were so diversified and the society
( good, that none could feel at loss for the
ne, or dissatisfied with the other.
THE PLAN OF WASHINGTON CITY.
The first public communication on record in
his city, is from the pen OF General Washing
{ on, dated on the 11th of March, 1871, which In
subsequent I letter Of the goth april l79l he
calls the The Federal Se Gity The name which it
adopted about four months afterwards, prob
i bly, without the knowledge of General Wash
lngtOn-ln letter addressed to Major
L'Enfnat by the first commissioners, as fol-
lows:
GEORGETOWN. Sept. g. 1871.
Str:--We have agreed that the Federal Dis
ia" and the Federal City, Tine City Of Wash-
ingtOn," the title OF the map will therefore be
"A map of the City Of Washington in the Ter
tory of Columbia" We have, also agreed
way, and numerically the other; the former
!! ivided into north and south letters, the latter
alto east and west numbers, from the Capitol.
NlajOr EllcOt, with proper assistance, will
Immediately take and soon furnish You with
>OundingS of the Eastern Branch" to be in
,erted in the map. We expect he will also
furnish you with the directions of the proposed
l'Ost road, which we wish to have noticed in
ne map. We are &c, (slgned) ThOs. johnson,
tuart, and Carroll"
THE CAPITOL AND PRESIDENTS HOUSE.
On the l4th of March, 1872, the commission
rs of the city OF Washington offered pre-
MUM, by advertising in the public papers, for
4 plan for the Presidents house, and another
for design for the Capitol, TO be presented on
the 18th July. On the I'd of April, 1872, Presi-
cent Washington approved of the plan of the
Capitol presented by DR.. VIM. Thornton,
which was afterwards modified and made
more easy of execution by Mr.. s. Hallet, and
on the I'd and Sd September the following ap
l'ears on the records of the commissioners
: The Capitol is in progression the southeast
is kept vacant that cornerstone Is to be laid
V it'll the assistance of the brotherhood the
] Sth instant. Those of the craft, however dis
J ersed, are requested to join the work The
sOemnity is expected to equal the occasion"
The south cornerstone of the north wing of
the Capitol was accordingly laid BY General
Washington on the 18th September 1893. the
ceremony was grand and imposing; large
of citizens of the vicinity and num-
| ers from distant parts attended. Gen Wash
inston delivered an impressive aud appropf-
ate speech. The positions for the different edi
fees and for the several squares and areas, as
! id down by Andrew Eicot, were first deter
mined on the most advantageous ground com.