The Washington herald., 1921-12-11
CITIZENS RECALL
PERSISTENT FIGHT
FOR TROLLEY Line
Six Sturdy Residents in
1889 Began Battle for
Improvement.
BOAST OF STREETS
Executive Committee Tells of
Effort to Get Senior In
stead of Junior High.
By MARY Med. HAMPTON.

by MARH Med. HAMPTON.
Necessity is more than the
mother Of invention, she is the
mother of the North Capitol and
lexington Citizens Association.
When that association first found
ltselt a living thing in this city.
Its home was different from that
which it is today. Eckinglpn
proper was the beautiful suburb
known to old Washingtonians, and
the rest of the Bloomingdale dis
trict was a vast field or meadow.
The community was wholly I'M
conscious of the hard pavements
which so soon should replace this
charming spot \ few scattered
houses skirting one little district
made up that section. Even these
residents felt their needs. They
wanted what every new settlement
wants-a school for their children
and street car service to carry
them to work. And being the kind
of men who act when they want,
and achieve when they act, they
formed themselves into a little
group and called themselves the
North Capitol and lexington Cit
liens Association.
First Meeting in 1889.
1t was back in 1889" reminisced
William C. Henderson. a founder
of the association, as he fondled
in his mind thoughts of those early
days. There were six of us who
felt the needs of our community
then. We met at Servants house to
talk il over. Abram r Servan, w.
j. Fowler. w. ]. Hughes, T. r.
Crane. r. B. Nixson and myself
were there and we decided to form
a citizens association"
The first meeting stirred up by
those originators OF the association
was held in the Washington Col
leEe. the lexington Ladies' Sem
mary" as they say. where hand
full Of charter members gathered to
pledge themselves to the protection
and development OF their commun-
ity. Ey the end of that first year
between twenty and thirty persons
had been reused to active partici-
patton in the association.
schools and trolleys were the
spur to creation, and the continual
occupation as well, for several
years.
stirred by "Horse-Cars.-
The first electric trolley line in
Washington was running through
lexington at that time, the old
line beginning at Seventh street and
New York avenue. A ruling Of
Congress in that year. however, de-
cIared that there should be no over
head trolley lines in the District.
The wires were taken DOWN within
the District lines. and the Transport
tation facilities Of horse-drawn cars
were substituted. which were a
nuisance and an annoyance to
everyone" one member of that
period said.
The municipal authorities came
20 realize this, perhaps through the
loud protests Of the association. At
any rate. the horses were unhitched
and a compressed air motor trolley
installed. The new idea proved
much less reliable than the horses.
IN that the horses did arrive some
time. even though not as speedily
as might be wished. soon the
citizens decided the lesser of the
evils was the old horse car and IT
was reinstated.
All this time the association was
pleading for an underground trolley
wire system such as had been in
stalled in many other parts OF
Washington. Finally in about 1898
the long hoped for and fought for
underground system was Installed
a 5 far Is Florida avenue.
Insured Its Extension.
still the Commissioner could not
carry the line north as far as Eek
fnEton. The representatives of the
association renewed their fight
A-sNn ri q
bfr1 providing for construction Of
underground wiring. so that II
cs1Ied for the complete system
through lexington. with the addi-
+io,al provision that the same sys
tor1 should he continually added to,
a. the pavement Of that street was
I,t5 northward. Continued eN-
tension Of the system with the
r-ov-tb Of the city was thereby in
The washington Railway and
Electric Company had exclusive
,,,oroDDIv in that territory. and the
proomincdalc district suffered. as
many other districts did then. from
,,.baf the members called tyranny"
Tho association set about remedy
ing this through the Introduction OF
n rival company. They fought their
1fttIe fight. as usual. and in the end
obtained the introduction Of Capt.
tai Traction Company lines into
their district.
They did not expect any trade.
hut their cars were full from the
start. and have been full ever
since" exclaimed one Of the pres
ont executive committee, who
helped h=ht for that Improvement.
school Question Biggest.
Part Of this transportation pro-
cram was the fight made by the
North Capitol and lexington CitI-
lrus' Association on the location Of
the present Union Station. They
considered the presence Of tracks
~o near menace to the value Of
propcrty. But we lost" laughed