Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-01-27

IRON the beginning Of the Dis
triot of Columbia until almost
n recent days undoubtedly there
Il have been several places in and
around Washington called cow
town: but of all the settlements bear
ing this euphOnious title l care say
there never was within the Dlstrlct puI
one real place worthy OF the name.
In 1871 Hells Bottom was IN full
blast Murder and other crimes here
we're Of frequent occurrence. and the
police were kept busy Suppresslng as
order of all kinds, The center OF TINS
disorderly section was about at Elev-
enth and r streets northwest. ana II
was no peat for timid or weaK-Kneeo
poIiceman to patrol. for here assembled
for their nightly brawls the toughest
residents of the city.
Bloodfeld. in South Washington. even
in its worst days. was not half as PAD
as. was Hell's Bottom. The wrlters
father had. purchased a residence on
Twelfth street not far from Iowa Cir-
Gle, when in the year mentioned cohul-
tions became so desperate that ne was
forced to sacrifice his holdlngs ana
seek a residence elsewhere, and from
a financial standpoint at ieasC ne olu
not make a good move.
Accordingly in November. 1871, our
family took up residence in neat put
unpretentiouS cottage surrounded by
grounds at the southwest corner OF
Florida avenue and w street northwest
to the northeast CT which, only Two
blocks away, lay Cowtown. This was
during the administration of Gov. Hen
ry. d, Cooke, Washingtons hrst COVER
nor. who served from February 20,
1871, to September ID, 1873, when ne
was succeeded by Alexander X. Shep-
herd. who mainly as president OF the
BOARD of Public Works did more for
Washington in a few years than many
of the city heads had done In previous
years all put together
Florida avenue was then and hao
been for many years before. ana even
afterward, known as Boundary street
AS such 1t separated the City Of WASH
inpton from the County of Washington.
Our home was Just within the city
limits. where restrictions prevented the
keeping of COWS, hogs, geese, etc. but
lust across the street. where the county
commenced, all such animals could pc
kept at the pleasure OF the tenants.
many Of whom had moved tnere from
O Street alley, now Neale place, locateo
between N and o and Fourth ana
Fifth streets northwest and from what
is now Ridge street, in the block to
the south. because of the restrictions
referred to. Driving through theSe
streets recently disclosed several ola
houses which might have been occu-
MED bv some of those who afterWard
moved farther to the northwest.
X X y
TN 1877 Cowtown and the adjacent
territory was indeed suburban WASH
ington. In block .358, into which my
folks moved, recall at that date but
three other houses, one on Tenth street
between v and w streets, occupied py
John w. RightStine; one on Street
between Vermont avenue and Tenth
street, occupied by a coiored man
named William H. Wilson, who kept an
eating stand in the Northern Liberty
Market and later conducted a lunch
table in the Treasury Building for the
clerks. He was an unusually good COOK
and sold many of the things he baked
at his v street store. where he also re.
sized. I well remember the wonderful
mincemeat and pumpkin pies he baked
for nv mother on New Year day and
CHRISTMAS.
I,he other house stood at the north
west corner. of -:Sermont avenue and
street, and here lived a colored woman
named Copeland, with her son, How
ard. During-a heavy storm few years
later the upper part of this house was
blown about 200 feet to the far side OF
Florida avenue, and the building was
never replaced. A gasoline station now
occupies the spot, The three other
homes referred to are still standing.
The block between U and v and ver-
mont avenue and Tenth street; where
q handsome new school building ior
colored children has Just been CON-