Evening star., 1922-12-29
The Anacostia Park.
Early History of Important Civic
DEVELOPMENT.

The parking OF the Anacostia fats
goes on but slowly, yet the compile
ton of the undertaking can be fore
seen. 1t may be said that Potomac
Park was not made In q day or in a
generation. To many persons the ne
cessity Of converting the Anacostia
river into park was regrettable. II
was q river of width, depth and
| shoreline beauty; and rivers are few.
common in the District and the
Maryland counties of Prince Georges
| and Montgomery. But the erosion OF
the hills and sandy shore lands. the
short-sight of man in making sewers
Of rivers. the dredging Of the navy
dredged mud in the shadows of the
| Anacostia made it's reclamation or
hlling in, unavoidable. Due to the
progress OF the reclamation work,
that part o, the District has been
| much changed, and a fair park. with
| a broad. deep strip of water on its
northern side and a number OF clear
lakes. will be a vast improvement:
The beginning Of agitation for NIL
ing in the fats" goes further back
| in our history than many persons
know. Surveys OF various parts Of
! mouth of the Eastern branch. and or
the Eastern branch, or the Anacostia,
from its mouth to the Navy Yard
| bridge. were made in 1887 by Lieut..
Ewing of the Navy. and in 1857 by
r. w. Burgess. civil engineer, and
Capt l. c. Woodruff, corps of topo-
graphical engineers. Surveys were
| also made in 1862 by Carlile Patter-
son of the coast survey. In 1901 py
Charles Fendall of the coast survey,
and in 1871 by J. T.. Weyss and {.
/ Thompson. acting under Maj. w. L.
CraighilI. Corps Of Engineers. L. 5. A:
Under an act of Congress. approved
March ). 1872, a board of survey was
| created to devise a plan for the I'M
provement OF Washington harbor ana
ialthough this board concerned itself
| mainly with the matter of the Poto-
\ mac fats. it gave consideration to the
reclamation of the Anacostia flats.
In 1873 the committee of one hum
dred body of citizens playing a
great role in District affairs. sent
memorial to Congress setting forth
that the marshes which skirt the
entire front of our city are the
growth Of years Of neglect of the
| commercial and sanitary interests or
! the National Capital. and the remedy
| is to be found only in a judicious
| plan for harbor improvement by
which the health and commerce OF
the city will be alike promoted"
| On December 10, 1879. President
hayes sent 70 congress n HlesSd 3
! accompanying and approving bill
submitted by the Commissioners or
the District for the reclamation of
the marshes in the harbors of the
cities of Washington and Georgetown
| and for other purposes The bill
embraced a plan for the reclamation
1 of the marshes of the Potomac river
and the Eastern branch within the
l limits of Washington city.
| On September 10. 1890. 100000 OF
| the appropriation for the improve
ment of the Washington harbor was
| made available for the work OF
| dredging the Anacostia. and in 1891
J Col. Hams reported that "a contract
| has been made for improving the
| Anacostia river from the navy yard
| to Giesborough Point" Since then
i the work has gone forward as money
! has become available. but there have
/ been many interruptions and some OF
| them of considerab bic duration.