Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-06-22
Story of the Movement for Its Es-
adjustment.
OVER TWENTY YEARS Tn CONGRESS
Efforts of Local Citizens Finally
Crowned With Success.
INTERESTING PUBLIC PAPER

body and Of the expert commission serv-
ing under its auspices toward the develop
ment Of the park lands of the District. has
recently been issued 1t contains his
tory of the movement for the establish
rnept Of a national park in the District
and the requirement and Improvement of
the Rock creek valley for that purpose 1t
was prepared for the committee by Mr.
William V. Cox who, secretary OF the
Board Of Trade committee parks and
reservations has become familiar with this
and other park Improvement projects in
the District
The first mention in legislative records.
says Mr. Cox that find Of any effort be-
ing made to acquire national park in the
District of Columbia after the close
or the war. in the Thirty-ninth Congress.
when on June Il. 1868. Mr. Benjamin
Wade of Ohio offered resolution instruct
ing the Senate committee on public build
ings and grounds TO inquire into the expe-
dianCy Of the United States acquiring title
t. the land between Maryland avenue and
PENNSYLVANIA avenue, east of the Capitol, to
18th street. for the purpose of a national
p-rk in which to erect a presidential man.
sion and report by bill or otherwise.
\ few days later, according to Mr. CoX'S
history two other resolution with the same
end in view were introduced and referred
u the committee public buildings ana
grounds Of the Senate The committee
made a report July IL. through Senator
Thomas \. Hendricks. at which time the
Senate authorized the committee to en-
lloy a landscape gardener or Typographical
engineer to examine different tracts OF
lend Major N MichIer of the Corps of
Engineers was selected for this work and
spent much time examining the various
sites offered the committee. and through
his report, which was made on January
- 1871. the Rock Creek Park project was
first formulated
Major MichIers report included maps of
Rock creek region and proposed two plans
one for a park of 2.54o acres. the other for
one Of 500 acres. This report was as
picturesque as the Rock creek valley or
which it treats remarks Mr.. Cox. A Sem
ate bill along these lines was at once for
INFLATED. the park TO include ZOO acres
General Meigs, General Wright and Major
MiChler were named a committee to
negotiate for the land and report to Con-
gress. The beauty of the Rock creek
region had made many friends for the
measure. and they expressed great disap-
pOintment when the bin failed
Sixteen years elapsed before another eff
fort was made to revive the Rock Creek
Park project. In 1870 there was consider
able public agitation of the project. which
at that time revived by Capt, Hoxie
who suggested the idea OF turning the
Rock creek valley into park ornamented
with a lake and reservoir, connected with
system Of dams Six years later Judge
Ord offered TO donate twenty-five acres of
land in this valley for a geological park
and public baths. but Congress did not
favor the proposition June - of the same
made a report to Congress strongly urging
the acquisition of at least a narrow strip of
ground each side of Rock creek.
Favorable Action in the senate.
As a result Of this report bill passed
the Senate July 30 following, authorizing
the Commissioners to plat for cOndemna-
ton a tract of land not exceeding 1000
feet in width on both sides of Rock creek
beginning at the intersection of Massachu-
Sssrt= VT r11a md ToIlp u-Jv1 tLa
creek TO the boundary line Of the District
The bill was reported from the House COM
mlttee on the District of Columbia January
u. 1S>I. but failed to become a law. The
following December Mr.. Ingalls, introduced
the bill again in the Senate, and January g.
lsSS. Mr.. Rowell introduced ii in the House
Two other bills were introduced in the
Senate that year, one by Senator Beck,
providing for the establishment of a ZOO
logical park under the regents OF the Smith
S0nidn Institution, and one by Senator
Morrill, for the same purpose. only provid-
ing that its location should be between
WOOdIey and klingie roads.
The possibility Of the creation of public
park on Rock creek was again taken into
consideration, there being a provision in
the bills for the cooperation of the re-
gents and the park commissioners.
Geological Park Established
There was no aItagonism between the
two park projects, and the sentiment for
the establishment Of the Rock Creek Park
ment Of the Geological Park for when ii
was proposed to attach the Rock Creek
Park bill amendment the Geological
Park. with smaller appropriation. was
accepted as compromise and became
law.
The establishment of the Geological
Park Was most Opportune, continues Mr.
Cox. for attention having been SO fire.
guently called to the beauty OF the region
b. the agitation of the park question in
Congress, and Dy the press and public
spirited citizens generally. real estate syn
dlcates began TO invade this region and
suggested subdivisions were seriously
threatening the destruction of the land for
park purposes. The region also
threatened by proposed invasion OF rail-
roads that were said 10 be coming down
the beautiful valley to Georgetown, and
the outlook for saving the valley at one
time was most iiscouraging"
On Thanksgiving morning of 1855" Mr..
Cox writes, Mr.. Charles c. Glover. the
wel-known banker. invited Captain I. w.
SymOns. Mr.. Calderon Carlisle and Mr.. J.
M johnson to ride with him through the
Rock Creek valley. As result of that
ride these gentlemen pledged each other TO
work from that time on for the establish
ment of a great national park in Rock
Creek valley. Mr.. Johnson and Mr.. Carlisle
framed a bill and a few evenings later Mr..
Glover invited these gentlemen and others
10 meet at his residence. The project was
talked over at length. the bill was read,
and the plan as outlined by Mr.. Glover
was approved Mr. Crosby s. Noyes. that
philosophical citizen. ever foremost in
champiOning every measure for the i'm
provement or the identifying OF Washing
ton. presided over this historic meeting
Among those present were Washington Nc
Lean, Crosby 8 Noyes s. H Kauffm ann.
General H V. BoyDton Henry Wise Gar
nett, A 7. BrittOn, George E Lemon,
Charles NOrdhoH, b, II. Warner Stilson
Hutchins F. A. Richardson NJ NJ Parker
Lewis J. Davis, Charles J. Bell. - p b.
Sands. William COrcoran HiIl Duncan s.
Walker, o c. Green. Hallet Kilbo Irn
James y. Bates and Z. w Fox
When the proceedings OF this meeting
were known. all public-spirited citizens
realized that the time for decided action
had come. The work as mapped out by
the committee under Mr.. Glover was ac-
lively pushed forward in every direction.
for a master hand was at the helm. Adj
vocates for the Rock Creek Park measure
were now found every side and the
progress from this time was steadily for
ward On January IL. 1889, a meeting OF
the citizens was held in the Atlantic build
Ing. at which a resolution was adopted in
SfrNcy MIA sNfz -