Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1900-04-02
FISHTOWN'S OLDEN DAYS.


river antedste the foundations of the
Capital of the United States. Wash.
ipgtoD and Mason were the owners OF
fishing shores and carried on the busi-
ness. Tue Alexandria fish wharf be-
came, early 10 this century, the main
l,pdiog place of the Potomac fisheries.
scores Of wagons from all the counties
of the neiglborhood. even as far as the
Blue Ridge, were driven 10 during
March, April and early May to secure
he supplies of herring, which was the
food fish OF the slaves on the planta.
ions. This pen picture OF Fishtown Is
IN ade by an old newspaper man who
was familiar with it's sigh.s and scenes
for many years. The change. which,
early 10 March, came over the north
east Coz ner of the city was as great as
that which sits the fields and forests
when the magic of spring replaces snow
with green grass and covers the naked
limos OF the trees with luxuriant
!ollage.
From q deserted suburb, Fisht0wn
sprsug in few days to ba crowded
mart, full of business and fish. One OF
the peculalities Of the place, which was
made up every year Of new booths
alongside The old warehouses, was the
rpIuguaDce everywhere exhibited TO
crt board in twain or even
10 chop of pre- acting timber. The
timber OF which Fishtown was built
was nearly all hired, and the temper
ary houses which spraug up 10 March
with the wheat disappeared In June
before the harvest. Throughout Its
length and breadth whole plsnks were
the fashion. This gave some OF the
residences an architecture rather ur-
slightly, and mapy bulging planks that
were stuck in where they did not tit
gave a varied style to the temporary
residences,
Altogether it was unique city. 1t
gathered not only fish from the waters,
ant made a gathering from the land
kn ,wn perhaps nowhere else in Amer
ice. In the heighth OF the season oi
lS45-'46 Fishtown was q medley and
combination of the older New York
Five Points, London 81. Giles, and the
later Washington Blood6eld, with
Iarge tinee of the still later Jackson
CITY. The wagopers from the up coun-
try came 10 with well lined purses; the
fishermen were also flush in pocket,
.nd even the lower grade OF workers
being paid good wages for their wors'
we're much more able to spend. and
quite as free in spending oil the money
thew D. d. as similar Glass anywhere.
30 pamesters came; notorious women
keut bagnios, and the morals OF Fish-
town we're those that afterward pre-
vailed in disreputable locations in
Washington. The idle and the vicious
visited there, and with games and
business by day, and with song
and dance at night, slternated with
the buying and cutting, and salt
ing of fish. Saloons, warehouses,
bayujos. and fsh offices, places for little
game and vats for striking or curing
fish. made up the edifices OF the town,
and alongside great storehouses tnere
| clustered little booths of houses which
were occupied two hours after they
were erected and which we're carted
away as soon as the season closed.
The houses which appeared In the
| earlv spring disappeared before the tall
and the uncut planks and timbers all
went back to the lumber yards OF the
citv. about one-fifth of the value OF the
material being paid In rent. A further
novelty in the way Of first hiring me
site of the house and then ootsin'ng tne
building material on lesso was the
shane of Fishtown windows and doors
As the plank could not be cut. necessity
became the mother Of invention, ano
the architect in erecting the building 81
yays left out plank in the weather.
boarding about four feet from the
ground. The plank thus left ouf was
afterwards hinged on, and IN tnls way
most of The old FishtOwD windows enc
doors we're about one foot high and ter
or fifteen feet long. Some OF these
houses we're used for sslting houses and
ONE for the sale Of fish. and some fo'
purposes far less reputable 10 charac'
ter,
The greater number, however, o
,bese house were eating booths. drink
ing houses, or dance halle. Of TOT
wenty or thirty houses which made ul
Fisbtown, two-,hirds OF those built II
March disappeared before July, leavinl
only the old County warehouses that
intended originally to store tobacco
had come down. with their heavy ston
bases and immense timbers, from colo
isl days.
The revelry, which for sixty or sew
entv nights gave the :o|n q reputation