Evening star., 1909-05-23
Washington in Early Days.

Within the lines OF the Samuel Blodget
and other tracts. conveyed to the commits
sioners for conversion to city property.
and by L'Enfant and Eliicott plated into
squares. that portion which fell 10 the
east of Tth street. west OF 4th street ana
north of street. skirted by the street
which binds the city" long called 'Boun-
dairy" street and now Florida avenue.
change of conditions required near half q
century In fact. so slow was the prog
/ ress made that hundreds remember when
the first improvements were made on land
which could be had fora song: and. IN
deed. though some men Of prominence had
invested a hundred years ago. yet Vel
down 10 the middle of the century lots
were known only on paper. ana "ha'
sales were made were OF entire squares.
and then for few hundred dollars. the
rate per foot being expressed In mills
There ts recorded transfer OF square
for $525, il being small triangle on
Florida avenue. Even those SQUARES on
7th street, regar rded as the principal thor-
oughfare after PENNSYLVANIA avenue; ~ W.
listed for taxation at the same rates as
the others: in 1902 at fourth OF cent
per foot, soon after at an eighth. ana up
| to 1880 mill per foot was the uhliorni
rate Up to that year but one lmpr.seo .,eo
mont had been listed that being for $HU
value to William Johnson at the corner
Of Rhode Island avenue and 9th street.
There was established on the square o.-
tween 1tA 9th. P and Boundary streets ~
1929 burial ground for coiored peop,e.
| J7ndeveloped for any purpose was .he
rest of the section west of 1t lying IN the
open. IL one or two gardens are eXcepteu;
and the wagon track to the sra.es d.u
was the only semblance or road nii.in. ~ :
the forties. when brickyards neai .ns
head of New Jersey avenue necessita'ed
others. -
The territory was SO little known 10 W
public that in the local municipal cani-
| paigns as late as the civil war ever
candidates for the councils were ignoran'
| that there was such locality as Ger.
/ rnantoWn east Of 7th and nortn or
| streets until they found supporters mere
| And IT may be said that so little progress y,
| had been made before, 1t was not u.
| ;ata In the fifties that an effort was mace
for the upbuilding Of this section. tnoug,
| so convenient to the crossing OF the ur
| street and the old Bladenshurg ROADS
| hundred yards north and the ola Cross
Keys tavern. ,,,,
| ton NV the assessors are not extensive
and indeed until the forties there wer' vel
few marks of pen upon mem. III y,
small triangle. square 44o. Iorihea y.
1th r and Boundary streets, was OF Du
two lots. when, in 1896. it was allotted t
the government, and there was NJ
change till 1S41. when Henry Johnsoi
bought 1t for S46 .. -,
The twenty lots on 5. /, 6tn ana ~
straets formed square AL. This. IN I'94
sras included in the Greenleaf contract
hr+ was decided back to the government
and I'm the division of ground went TO TN
latter After lying idle until ls42 Charle
H. Wiltberger. the city regisuer. pui 'a.
chased it. afterward subdividing int mt
many sites and the wide alley In tn
center took the name OF Wiltberge
The sixteen lots between 9Th and 1T
streets, Rhode Island avenue. X ana
RIodget in 1896, and five years after 7
: Stoddert et all In 1907 r. S. Beckle
hourht them and Mr.. Wiltberger in 1S4
purchased them of Thomas Corcoran.,
Square 444. then being NO. 44a. deserice o..
:. that south of nineteen lots on =, X. 6t
and 7th streets and Rhode Island avenue
which vested in the government In lIg
George Ailer and Paulus Thyson. the
leading grocers, took title in lSi2 an
., three years after Mr.. Thyson owned IT.
Snuare AS of lots on 9Th, 7th. and
streets has similar ancient history to tn
above. From Samuel Blodget the direc
tors OF the Washington Association. Stod
dert ct al, obtained title in 1901. but 81
owner. In 1874? Ailer and Thyson be
came the owners and three years later tn
former took title to the five lots formin
the southeast quarter and Mr.. Thyso
owned the remainder.
* X
East Of square AL the seven lots in til
| lines of 5th. 9Th S and Boundary street
81 formed square 47j, which was vested
the United States in 1906. This lay id
; until January. 1929, when 1t was convey
ed by Col. Egar. commissioner of publ
, buildings, to George Beall, Joseph War
rem and Francis Catcher. agents of tn