Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-02-21
THIRTY-SEvEN YEARS AGO.
How the City OF Washington Look ed
When the Corner Stone Of the wouu-
ment was Laid-The Northwest n
Tramping Ground for Guuuers-Veue.
tian scenes Along the Old Canal. Ac.

Washington at the time OF LAYING Of the cor.
ner.stone OF the monument was indeed n "city
OF magnificent distances" The city did not
then number 10000 inhabitants. So plain and
unpretentious were most OF the residences, and
so little had been done towards the permanent
improvement OF the streets that those who then
knew the city can scarcely realize that IL Is now
the same place.
Some OF our streets and avenues were covered
with a coat OF gravel dug from banks found in
various localities and many OF the avenues now
with concerted carriageways had then the orig.
fnal soil between the curb lines which were
imaginary lines, and in some vehicles were SO
little used that there hot even the SEM
blance OF road. While few OF the streets and
avenues down town had been improved with
graveled carriageways and brick footwalks
many instead OF brick for sidewalks had what
were called gravel walks made OF coarse red
sand, one load dumped after another, which I'm
TIME made a passable walk.
The Capitol then comprised only what IS now
known as the old building. and the new dome
haa not been thought or II was crowned with
S, uolIie squauy compared with the present
uhhenSlohs OF the building, rising TO n height OF
put l42 feet. Two years later the extension was
p 1s put II was not till il wears afterwards
bI;it the present dome. double the height of the
OLD one, was finished. Then PennsvlVania ave-
nue. was not paved even with cobple stones but
Inacadanlzed. The only railroad station WAS
that OF the Baltimore and Ohio at the corner OF
"a street and the Avenue. "A Wrrtrhed dihvy
a hat
point being crossed by wooden bridge with
Drlck walls. The fare from Baltimore was So 5o
ana -; aud baggage extra The principal hotels
were the National; the Indian Queen now
Metropolitan: Fuller-s at the corner OF Ilth
street Appler's, 18th street; Baker's at Sth and
ID streets. and CaspariS', on Capitol Hin ON the
site OF the Washington marked we're two long
rows of sheds known as
THE MARSH MARKET
the Perseverance engine-house and the police
station being located between them. The addi-
tionaf wings of the Treasury had not been con-
structed. The State, War and Navy depart
ments were housed in plain structures contain
ing 12 rooms on each OF the two floors The
State department was Just north of the Treas
ury, and the War and Navy departments west
OF the Executive mansion. None of the statues
oil Oh bupllc men now adjoining the public grounds
mad been erected then, except Grecnough's
statue OF Washington at the Capitol. Then the
triangular spaces on the avenues were not en-
crossed. one at 18th street and PENNSYLVANIA
avenue was occupied by the Franklin en-
glne-house, and another at both street and Penn
sylyania avenue by the West market and
watch-house. The portion of the Post Office de-
nartment building fronting on l. street had
then been erected, and the old portion OF the
fatent oi1ce building had been completed. In
inns square the Maryland Cadets, Capt. Harris
Inc crack military organization of this section,
encamped for several days on the occasion OF
me monument ceremonies. Up to a year be-
lore this time the tract known as the mall, en-
tending from Sd street TO the river, separated
rom the main portion OF the city by the WASH
lngton city canal, had been a waste, broken only
by ~, 9TH, 18th, and 18th streets, at which
wooden bridges spanned the stream OF filth that
ran through the mail.
BOATS IN THE HEART OF THE CITY.
Along the banks of the old canal down 10 Sd
street were long piles OF wood brought up by
boats, and near the market hat-bottomed boats
delivered cargoes of vegetables and fruits. The
building of the Smithsonian Institution, the
cornerstone of which was laid May LIST, 1s4.,
was then in progress: The Armory and Agri-
dIs4 1a4,fl.
erected. The streets south of the mall had no
pavement or carriage-wayS, and but few OF them
had brick ioot-walks. Walks for foot passengers
were then made OF gravel. The streets from the
canal bridges were open to the river. llth
street at the foot OF which the steamers then
landed, was the principal thoroul-hfare north
and south. and Maryland avenue and l. street
the otherprincipal streets OF South Washington.
The fare by steamer being cheaper than by rail
some of the Baltimore organizations, including
the Eagle artillersts with their guns came by
the old steamer Columbia. Capt. George T..
Kane, afterwards prominent as collector of the
port OF Baltimore and marshal of police of that
city and subsequently sheriff OF Baltimore,
commanded the Eagle artillery. The Freder-
lcksburg company, Capt. jackson, came up on
the southern steamers by way OF Aqua
creek, and the old steamers Joe Johnson. Phae-
nix and Salem brought up the AleXandrans.
A few of the streets in the neighborhood OF the
City Hall and east of the Treasury, as far north
of the Avenue as III street, were macadarnzed
and had brick sidewalks. So had some of the
streets adiacentto the Avenue in the western
PARROT the city. Northward. however, most OF the
mon TO see
cows AND HOGS
disputing the right TO use foot path through
the grass and weeds. Although at that period
the dignified w. w. Seaton was mayor having
succeeded Peter Force, there were at times what
appears some ridiculous issues In local politics.
The citizens were allowed to keep cows, espe-
cfally In those sections sparsely built upon,
and the city councils annually appropriated
So for the hire of a bull In each ward deemed
sne onsct,o 1 ss on inc mru me
| favored the bull or opposed him.
THE NORTHWEST.
What is now considered the finest portion OF
Washington-the northwest-was then not i'm
proved at ALL In fact, the whole northern,
well as northeast and eastern sections had no
public improvements North of NJ street there
were some graveyards, gardens and slaughter
houses. There was dense growth of bushes In
that section, and the common name OF Ii was
.'the slashes." Here there was good cunning
for small game.
The police force at that time was composed OF
thirty men, known as the Auxiliary Guard,
then under the command of Capt. John III.
Potomac water had not been introduced and
the reliance of the public was mostly on pumps,
few of which still remain. The Capitol was
supplied with spring water from spring known
as Smiths, east OF Howard University; the
Presidents house and executive departments
from one In Franklin Square, wooden pipes
being used.
THE VOLUNTEER FIREMEN.
Then the old volunteer fire department was
In existence, the companies being the Anacos-
tia, at the navy yard; Columbia, on Capitol
Hill; Perseverance, at the Center Market: Frank
lin, at I4th and Pennsylvania avenue, the
Union, in the first ward, and Northern Liber-
ties, at Sth and X streets northwest. There was
much rivalry among these companies TO
which would make the best show. With the Wis.
iting companies the hremens display on the oo-
casion ofthe laying Oft the cornerstone about
the finest ever seen here. Each company had
in the line piece of apparatus decorated with
flowers and flags, some OF them with boys at
tired as firemen at the brakes and others hav-
ing young ladies representing Liberty and the
original thirteen states enthroned upon them.
The fire companies here, as In other c0mmuni-
ties, were not always on friendly terms with
each other, and the hangers on often brought
about bloody riots Sometimes there was more
effort made to throw water on a rival company
than to put out a fire.
Some idea may be obtained as to the growth
of the city by comparing the appropriation Of
S21 1888 made for the four years ending 1S4S
made i'm the past few years. There were then
less than 20 public schools in the city, and they
were arranged in four divisions. The Northern
Liberties section and English Hill were just then
becoming known. Other localities were known
as "Twenty Buildings" "Old Sugar House."
| "Foggy Bottom" "Frogtown," ant Etna,"
"Paddy Magee Town, ~ Gun Battery" and by
other classical names which have gone out Of
memory.
SAVING THE CORNERSTONE.