Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-04-25
EARLY LAND SPECULATIONS.
in District Real Estate Nearly
Century Ago.

WHY WASHINGTON SELECTED THIS SITE FOR
THE FEDERAL CITY-soME OF THE ORIGINAL
PROPERTY OWNERS AND WHO THEY WERE
STREETS AND AVENUES THROUGH WOODS AND
swAMPS. ..ft
Somewhat of q sensation was created in this
city about a year ago by the announcement
OF the filing of a suit, laying claim to a large
tract of land in the northwest section of the
city. Lorin Blodgett, descendant of Samuel
Blodgett, one of the early real estate specula-
tors In this District, was the complainant in the
case. This action called to the recollection of a
number of lawyers the fact that some four or
five years before Lorin Blodgett had appeared
in the city and made known his claim, but had
failed 1t was said, to get a lawyer to take it up
for him. Nothing was heard of the claim until
this suit was filed. The land covered by the
claim was formerly known as the Jamaica
tract, and lay north of Rhode Island
the bounds being indicated in the map accom-
panying this article, the tract being marked
with the name of Samuel Blodgett It covered
section OF the city which is most thickly built
up and improved with valuable houses. 1.-The
owners and residents were naturally somewhat
disturbed by this unexpected claim, and at
once thorough investigation was made of the
titles. All the titles to property in that section
OF the city had been passed by the best lawyers
and titles examiners, and the owners after in
quiry, received such ample assurance that the
claim made had no genuine basis; that the un-
easiness at first experienced was at once dis
PEELED, and as not single quit claim has been
put on record, apparently, not much import
ance has been attached to the suit. The
n1sh further evidence OF the worthlessness
OF the claim. As originally filed Gen. Grant,
Mr. w. W. Corcoran, Thomas p; Waggaman,
Senator Don Cameron, John B. Alley, and other
large property holders and prominent citizens
were made parties to the suit but when an
swers were made by some of the parties the
suits were dismissed, the com nlainapt
either unable or unwilling to make the deposit
of 5000 required of nOn-residents. Recently
another bill has been filed in which the name Of
Robert Morrison, trustee, who is described as a
citizen of the District, has been substituted for
Of bat the E Sniy made
whom as trustee of the Washington association
and United States Insurance company this
property was decided by Samuel Blodgett in
1901. 1t is claimed that the deed of trust was
made to Caldwell for certain purposes
which, not having been carried out, his
heirs are now asked to account for the property.
MIR. Mahlon Ashford, who is as well posted on
District land titles, perhaps, any other
person says that the title of Caldwell to the land
In question is purely fictitious one, for the
reason that prior deed of trust was executed
by Samuel Blodgett in 1874 to secure the COM
missioners appointed to divide tine land on
which this city is founded between the land
owners and the government, from any liability
which they might incur from a lottery which
they had authorized and which Blodgett man.
aged. As 1t turned out Biodgett was unable to
pay the capital prize and the winner, r. S.
d u
the court, all the land possessed by Blodgett in
the District was sold to satisfy the Judgment
Buckley himself became the purchaser, and
from him the parties now occupying this land
derive and claim title. The sales covered all
the land to which claim has been made in this
suit. The present proceedings being against
the heirs of Caldwell, to whom a second and
subsequent deed of trust was given upon this
property, they are founded upon fictitious
was swallowed up in prior trust, and there
fore he can not be asked to account for that
which had no legal existence.
THE sPECULATORs EARLY ON THE SCENE
This suit has a certain interest, but purely of
historical feature from the fact that it goes
back to the period wien this city was founded,
and brings up from the shadowy past the men
and the events which played such an import
ant part in the early history of the capital of
the nation. Samuel Blodgett was one of the
crowd OF spectators who locked here from all
parts OF the country to avail themselves of the
opportunities afforded for speculation in the
location OF the federal city. These enterprising
spirits were neither few in numbers nor lacking
In character or financial ability, and as an evi-
dence that the men of a century ago were on the
alert to see and avail themselves of chances
tnat promised golden returns the records show
that In a few months after the site of the city
was determined upon the land proprietors had
increased In number from ten to over thirty.
Inc act which authorized the selection of a site
FOR the federal city which became law on July
10th, 1890, gave the President power to select
or eastern Side of the Potomac n M raey bel
tween the mouths of the Eastern Branch
ana the Conogocheague, the latter being stream
wnlcn enters the Potomac at Williamsport Md
not far from Hagerstown. The region of conn,
try thus left to the discretion of the President
Tor the selection of a location was some eighty
miles in extent President Washington as a
landowner along the Potomac, had taken an
active interest in the improvement of the river
ior navigation purposes. and in 1855, four years
before he became President of the United States
he made tour OF the upper Potomac to ascer.
tain the practicability of navigation above tide
undertaken ia int Nt
the fotomac improvement company. which
soon after surmounted the obstacles to navi-
CATION presented by the Great and Little
fe cSssapeake ndf oh series esna Of locks
was begun in 1S25, fell heir to these and other
improvements made by this pioneer company.
washington In this way had gained a very
complete and accurate acquaintance with the
region along the upper Potomac and therefOre
1t did not require very lengthy investigation
upon his part to select site for the new federal
| city within the specified limits In six months
after he had affixed his signature to the bfll he
| announced the bounds Of the ten-miIe square.
Columbia TO this day, with the exception of the
| strip OF land on the Virginia shore, INCLUDING
Arlington and Alexandria: This part, origin,
| ally included within the District, was coded
| back to Virginia in 1S46.
WHY THIS LOCATION WAS SELECTED
Washington, in some OF his letters, states that
he selected this particular locality as the site OF
the capital city because it was at "the junction
OF the inland and tide navigation Of the river. /,
| He adds: From the advantages given to II by
Nature and its proximity to q rich tnterio,
country and the western territory it will be
| come the emporium of the United States" The
| first President had great faith in the future de
| velopment Of the Potomac river for navigation
purposes, but he probably lived long enough to
from the dangers and difficulties which arose
from the irregular volume OF water and thS