Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1911-06-30
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tional capital, was dedicated in the
National Cemetery at Arlington. The
beauty of Washington, which is among
the best laid out cities in the world,
is due to the genius of L'Enfant. He
came to this country from France in
1777 and took part in the struggle for
American Independence After the
war, when congress decided to select
the site of a national capital and
chose the spot on the Potomac river,
LEnfant was asked to lay out the
model city. His genius enabled him
to look ahead and plan for nation
of the tremendous growth and power
of today rather than for the strug-
Cling Is colonies which had just
emerged into Independent life. After
ward he was discharged from the
government service and had a claim
against it when he died. In his old
age he was penniless and was main
tanned by two wealthy men living near
Washington. After his death, in
1926, his body was buried in a coun-
try cemetery at Green Hill, in Prince
Georges county, Maryland. Two
years ago congress made an appro-
priation for the removal of the re-
mains to Arlington and now the fur
Their and long-delayed honor OF erect
ing a suitable monument over hts
ashes has been carried out.
Mai Pierre Charles L'Enfant arriv-
ed in America in 1777, soon after the
Revolutionary war broke out. Though
but lad of %, he had been a soldier in
France, from which country he came.
His family was aristocratic, his dispoe
sition was yenturesome, his nature
artistic. Major L'Enfant served his
country well for an entire decade. His
blood was spilled on number of bat
tie fields, he was taken prisoner and
transferred, he planned Notifications.
built defenses. Fort Washington It
self is a monument Of his skill. In
the end he settled down to live out
quiet life in the land of his adoption.
When congress, assembled in Phila-
delphia. decided that another site
should be selected as the Nations per-
manent capital, and when, under the
advice of Washington and those leg
islators who wanted to remove it from
the influence of the financial centers.
the site on the Potomac was chosen,
I,Enfant was asked to lay out the
model city.
These were the days of the Nations
great good fortune, for two geniuses
appeared in that emergency and left
the imprint of their hands on the ma
ton forever. The greater of these
was the Frenchman, L'Enfant, and
the second was DR.. William Thornton,
a West Indian, who designed the Capt.
toll. The work of each stands in this
day of many critics with no man to
dispute its mastery.
LEnfant went into the wilderness
and laid out the capital of the future.
He chose the spot on which Congress
House." the Capitol, was to stand He
chose a site for the Presidents Pal
ace " the White House of today. With
the Capitol as the city's center he
crossed broad streets that ran with
Tho compass. Then he added diagon-
ais that were to be known as avenues
and to be named after the states. This
gave sixteen streets that led tc the
Capitol. For miles down any of these
streets the dome of the Capitol has
been. visible ever since its erection.
The grandeur of its architecture aris-
ing from its hilltop and visible above
surrounding objects impresses all who
cross one of these sixteen streets AID
Glance toward 1.-The hill" This view
Of the Capitol is the best known pic
t,re in America. 1t deserves its re-
nown.