Evening star., 1899-03-04

chusettS avenue, west of 9th street, there
was some mar5hy ground, and west Of Nc
Kendree small run, whose head was north
of NJ street and east of 10Th street and
Franklin Square, which it intersected on
10th street south of H street.
Progress of improvements.
K street had not been opened, but New
York avenue to 10Th street had, and in the
middle part Of the 30's Mr.. Joseph Bryan
erected two houses on 1t, near the corner of
10th street. Shortly after this Mr.. John c.
Harkness erected two or three houses, to
which others were subsequently added, on
the south side of New York avenue west of
9th street, and the name Harkness' row
was more of guide to the old timers than
the name of the street. On the east side Of
9th street, where a drug store Is now To-
Gated, was the pioneer shoemaker of the
section, Edward French, father of the late
Michael French. His two-story frame,
was in good condition. Eastward we're two
three-story brick dwellings, owned by Har-
vey CrUttenden and w. H. Ward, and near
the corner of Sth street was brick dwell
ing owned by Anthony Preston. On the
southeast corner of Sth and K streets there
was vacant lot, south of which Mr.. John
Williams, popular volunteer fireman, re-
sided. Fronting the space, back from the
the neighborhood, owned by Messrs. John
Wilson and Ward, respectively, bricklayer
and mason. One of these was occupied by
a free woman of color named Ford, and is
now the back building of a business house.
One of the earliest settlers near where
there is now shoe store was family
named Elliot, who followed saddle making
the father making the trees, one son, a
blacksmith, putting on the irons, another
fitting the ieather, while a daughter as
sisted in the sewing. large family named
Martin, occupying the dwelling, some of the
number being singers, was the occasion of
the name "Marten box" being given to the
house by the boys. Mr.. James Shreve who
subsequently established a livery stable on
Ith street south of / street, lived a short
distance south of K street. Adjoining him
wa was the blacksmith and junk shop of Mr..
Ihomas Conner, known in contradistinction
OF one OF the same name as Tin Conner.
What is now business corner on the east
side or 1th street near Massachusetts ave-
nue. was vacant ground, and when the Post
ONCE Department ceased to use + street be-
tween 9th and 7th streets as the crematory
for the burning of dead letters and refuse
paper the condemned material was hauled
there and destroyed. Afterward the letter
fires took place on the triangular square
north of the corner mentioned
The west end of the two angular squares
fronting the east side of the space was not
improved until after the 40's, and was not
susceptible of Improvement for a stream
which had it's head in the commons north
of the space crossed 7th street near the
center of the square north of X street and
New York avenue, east of 9TH street, and
made it's way in the gully of 9th street to
the Judiciary Square, the waters joining
those from Willow Tree spring on New
York avenue between 4th and 9TH streets.
A small arch spanned this stream at 7th
street, and there was narrow bridge at
the roadway on New York avenue Not far
east of the square there had been a brick
yard. What was known as Spignurs cor
ner northwest, at 7th and K streets, was
then vacant. but the owner of the land
w. T. Griffith, had erected two brick dwell
ings a short distance westward and lived
there over thirty years.
Near the northeast corner of Sth and X
streets there were two old-fas shioned brick
houses setting back-a Mr.. De Kraft living
In one and Mr.. Land Washington resided
for time in the other. The northwest cor
ner of Sth and X streets was vacant prior
to 40 as was, in fact, most of the square
Mr.. Daniel Gold, a son-in-law of Amos
Kendall. and a well-known correspondent
owned nearly, If not quite, all the south
front of this square. living in three
storied brick house near the corner of 9th
street. This ground was in the 4O's held
first at and subsequently at 10 and Is
cents per foot.
Walkers Row.
The eastern portion was purchased by
Mr.. Jonathan T. Walker, and soon what
has been since known as Walkers Row
was feature of that section. Among the
early occupants were John T. Towers SUBJ
sequently mayor of the city; VIM. Towers
and Col. Lem. Towers, all well-known
printers, and the latter, having purchased
one of the buildings, has lived in the same
place for nearly half century on the
same ground he was wont to hunt over as
a boy and young man. On the east side of
9th street, south Of L street, about the
same time the row of three-storfed dwell
tngs long known as Doughty's row-the