Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-12-16


some of our popu-
lation then looked upon the government
as an experiment, with more or less faith
in its stability, others were sausned
that with or without the government we
would have here for all time at least
respectable town. 1t must be confessed,
however, that few had any idea that it
would ever cover half of the area laid out.
At that period perhaps one-third OF the
plated avenues and streets had not been
iunroved and not one-fourth of the building
lots: and of the reservations it may be said
they existed only on paper. The lines of
the latter had just then been marked. linen
the greater portion of the area was wild
waste and land. which included street
beds was fenced in and cultivated. Rhode
Island avenue was practically unknown,
as was also New Hampshire avenue, north
of the Round Tops, as the nelghborhood
of Washington Circle was then called Inc
short cut to Holmeads graveyard was
known as the Road to Holmeads,' not as
Connecticut avenue. Twentieth l4th ana
9TH streets were the only streets cut
through to the Boundary, now FLORIDA avenue.
The first was used as road to Holmead
and Kalorama; the second, to Columbia
College. the race course and cockpit, and
the third connected with the turnpike to
Montgomery county, near the old Cross
KEYS tavern. New York avenue had been
opened from 9TH street to North Capltol
street and II street from 4th street west
to the Benning and Bladensburg roads at
18th street east. The entire northeastern
norton of the city and much of the Navy
Yard section were commons. In fact, Penn
svlvania avenue east of 18th street was
fTFt1 Oib1cr
with E street route to Congressional Gem
terry.
The Unsettled Portions of the City.
In the unsettled portions were to be found
brick kins, slaughter houses, graVeyards
and few market gardens, with not hi go
ouently a horse heaven where the bodies
of dead animals We're left unburied to FUR
nish prey to carriOn birds. Two squares
northeast of the court house were the brick
kilns and yards where had been made the
bricks for the patent office building, and
two squares north of the latter were the
potteries of Mr.. Burnet and two others
were on the line of 18th street one at l.
street Mich cows were allowed to run
at large and many old residents kept them
with profit, not being obliged to pay any
thing for their pasturage. The only
mark of Improvement in these parts, other
than those mentioned was to be found by
stumbling over, now and then, a cube of
stone marked with number, at the south
east corner of the square Just beyond the
city limits We're to be found the primeval
forests broken by farming land. Indeed
few knew where the city ended and country
commenced.
The shores of Virginia and Maryland
were well wooded to the water line, and
there was good hunting close at hand Even
closer, for we did not have to go outside
the city for small animals and birds, as
within a few hundred yards of the Pres
dents house, along the shores of the river,
on what was known IS "Penitentiary
marsh" the mouth of James creek, east
of the Arsenal grounds and along the East
ern branch. hunters had good sport. There
was game bagged through all the northern
part of the city, and sometimes possum
and coon dogs, as well fox hounds, were
kept for short hunts in the country. The
river, and even the canal, afforded good
fair fishing.
The general government had then under
way the extension of the Capitol and
grounds; the erection of the additions to
the patent office building; the grounds about
the Executive Mansion were being i'm
proved; the statue of Jackson had been