The Washington herald., 1922-01-01
.RzIoHN cLAeErT PROCTOR

.RyJoHN cLAGETT PROCTOR
The Brightwood Citizens Asso-
-FlatiOn Is the oldest in the North
west section Of the District, having
heen organized March II, 1891,
when that region was COMPARE
lively a wilderness.
Few associations have so definite
an object for existence as did this
body Of progressive citizens. Their
particular purpose was to obtain
satisfactory and adequate transpor-
20 tation facilities for this place ana
the surrounding territory.
Horse Car Line.
On October IS, 1888, the Bright
wood Railway Company of the Dis
trict was chartered by Congress
and during the following year
through the assistance OF a VEN
Iuresome capitalist, the street rail-
way which then terminated at
Rock Creek Church road was ex-
tended out what was then Bright
WOOD avenue to Brightwood. I'm
fortunately this was equipped with
the discarded horses and the obso-
lete bobtail cars of the Metropolt-
ian line.
Prior to this the people living so
far out in the country were COM
PEELED to depend on a rickety con-
veyanCe. known as the Red Bird,
which was drawn by two ancient
and faded horses and driven by a
gOOd-natured cOlOred man named
. GERRY. He was a picturesque
A~yNsp. however, and his unusual
Outi> with the bus tapping cur
taIns and his Mutt and Jeff" type
II animals are still indelibly hxeo
on the minds of those who were
compelled to either walk or adopt
this -and-awhile mode OF
travel Fortunate were those who
survived without becoming affected
with spinal meningitis, or some
other form of afflictiOn Of the YER
tebrae Verify, the ancient oxcari
had little on Cherry's chariot
which ran about as fast as water
in the old James Creek Canal dur
ing a draught.
Hard on Shoes.
of and on the passengers would
become exasperated and would
"hoof II" for days at a time, re-
fusinE to patronize the driver OF
this homogeneous outfit. In the
summer, when walking was per
MISSILE, It was not an uncommon
sight to see even venerable men,
hers of the community almost
syeltsring from the heat, with
ShsiP coats thrown over theil
VAoulasTS, preceding the "has-been'
NrotterS into the village after their
days labor in the city was finished
In an address delivered in 1897
at Brightwood, by William Var
Zandt Cox. he speaks very enter
Is rainingly of this phase. AL
though" he says, there was nc
certainty Of reaching our destina'
ton. we all loyalty patronized tht
improved method OF transportation
claiming 1t to be superior to the
Red Bird At first, being humani'
tarians. it was a pleasure to alight
and help the fearless driver to lift
the car on the track and assist him
push it and the balky horses VI
the hills; but as time rolled on anC
the roads grew muddy it became q
trifie monotonous and irksome, ant
cur sympathy gradually disap'
-peared, until we finally became Sc
caflous that when the car got of
the track (Which it did on the least
,proyocation) 1t was allowed to re-
.smaIn on and run IN the middle OF
the road Disgust then took the
piGes of sympathy and rapidly in
. creased against cars, horses and
company. Finally, unable to stand
any longer what was facetiously
called the C. o. P (get out anc
rush) line, we organized on March
II. 1891. this association for thu
purpose Of securing better trans
bortation facilities to and from
Washington.
Needed Money Secured.
Men were found who were will
ling 70 furnish the necessary capt.
tai to build an electric road. A
bill was gotten through the House
OF Representatives and was about
TO pass the Senate. when some
shrewd business men of Washing
ton came TO us one day when we
were at the Capitol urging legis'
lation and offered to save us all tht
trouble and worry OF construction
and eQuipping the road. This We
nermitted them to do, and, might
add, although they have extended
me road several miles beyond us.
have failed to hear, thus far. thai
they regret having come to oul
rescue"
At the time the association was
formed what Is now Georgia aV'
enue was known as Brightwooc
avenue, and the association adopt
ed the name of the Brightwood Av'
anue Citizens Association, which
was later changed to its present
name.
James L Norris was the first
president, being followed after q
brief while by N. E. Robinson
william V. Cox. the only living
former president. became the third
president and served as such fol
upward Of nve years. He was sue
ceeded by Louis P. Shoemaker. who
was the presiding officer nearly
seventeen years, until his death IL
1916. Charles W. Ray is the pres
ent president, having been annually
elected since the death Of Mr.
Shoemaker.
Many of the earliest members
have either died or moved away
from Brightwood and only a few
Of the original roster are still
members Of the association. An in
teresting list of twenty-five years
ago includes the following names
Irving Ashby, E. T. Bates, VIM. C.
Bates, Mai T. w. Baxter, Fred
Bex, Thomas Blagden, Otto Brod.
son, Austin P. Brown, l. VIM. Bur.
ket, VIM. Clayton, VIM. Clayton
jr.. Albert E. Cont, w. ]. Cook
W. V. Cox. DR.. H. Darling. DR.. Al.
fred DeCarre, Claas Denekas, Au-
gust Detterer. John Joy Edison
Chas. Ebel. T II. Felter, Geo