Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-06-07
THE OLDEST. INHABITANTS
MEETING OF THE ASSOCIATION HELD
LAST EVENING.
"Reminiscences of the Early Days of
the City Supplied by w.
w. Birth.


ants Association was held last evening in
the Corcoran building. Mr.. B. c. Wright,
vice president. was in the chair. and Mr..
Benz Reiss served as secretary.
A letter was received from Mr.. w. W.
Pirth the oldest member of the aSSocia-
ton giving some interesting "reminiscences
o: the city. with description of locality.
Mr.. Birth writes that Columbia road COM
menced at the ford of Rock creek, adjoin-
ing the site of the street bridge; passed
along what is now Florida avenue, by the
gates of Kalorama and the residence of T.
W. Pairo. the triangular square bounded
by 21st r and Boundary streets dhen a cock
piD. being on the right, to the head Oh
Connecticut avenue, then included in Doug
lass vegetable garden. Then 1t detected 10
the left and passed what is now Washing
ton Heights, then famous blackberry
field. with Michael Nourse's handsome
place, Thornton's woods and Meridian aiii
Commodore Porter's) and Columbian Col
lcge property: directly north was the Hol-
mead property, the race course where IN
1925, was the great contest between Eagle,
a New York horse. and Eclipse OF Viz
ginia for s2O.OOO. Opposite the race course
was the cemetery of the college.
Mr.. Birth was inclined to the belief that
the road passed on to the 7th street pike.
now Brightwood avenue. Boundary street
to 9Th street part of the travel way to
Bladensburg. the route from It'll street be-
ing through Peters woods, north of LIE Droit
Park Mr. Birth says he has but limited
knowledge of the country east of the Ana
costa river, and after speaking OF the
Burnt bridge. saws ferry owned by a
Mr.. Boo;he was run from Smiths lumber
yard near the terminus of New Jersey ave-
nue. and Poplar Point, where there was
fishing landing. yielding fairly good catches
OF shad and herring.
Mr.. Birth describes the stream which had
its rise near Boundary and 18th streets,
running southeasterly to near Massachu-
sets avenue and 10Th street, thence west
ward to ODD street and by a zigzag course
reached Rock creek at the great bend
where the sewer which traversed almost
technically the route of the branch enters
the creek
Good Place to Fish.
When he was from six to eight years old
- I'm 80 - o,,,,.
NIL Dill gays ne eausi' iiah' 100
roach or mullet In the stream between 2oth
and 22d streets, and he describes 1t as a
pretty little stream. whose banks were
-. ,a .toa,, ,o.h s,aos +h,ok,, ,oy-
aorupt anu s.eep, po.n sui ..,1, an,.. Wv
eie9 Win shI upotiy anu wu ho"en 49, ~
cLuolls .ie n1 e. o T VIZ oa
me Sheep ~" as .l on Ei;t Pc
for song BIRDS including the Engilsh mock
ing bird
ROCK creek is described ana MT. blrth
says that from It's mouth 10 tne dam sup
plying the power 10 lyon mil In season ,s
nastfne ana snaLe bnntinp and there were
many snakes killed. the species being the
copperhead. moccasin. viper and others AT
tne junction OF ,he Greer anu .oau Oh .hs
e. tI, sue va ~ Wv. NJ p.,tarso .nd r,,n nv
water mower from the dam $40 feet above
The tide flowed up to this paper mill dam,
and in the height of the fishing season he
had seen the mill employees land with dip net
thousands of herring at the ford. OF course
this was before the construction of the out
let lock at the mouth of the creek.
Mr. Birth states that few of the streets
were then opened-21st to Kalorama and
Pairo's; Goth to Holmead's cemetery and
Nourse's: 18th 7th. North Capitol and I'd
street east being the principal ones. Much
of the ground in the northern part of the
city was subject to overflow, and there were
sections lannon's for Woodcock and other
eanoe
From his earliest recollection 27th street
be,waen x and &; streets was in use At the
terminus Of Z, street was the wharf of
house IS yet standing and 1t was then
known by his name. The river at this point
was famous as swimming place ana IN the
- rA..ly civ