Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-03-02

BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN.

founders might hide from pursuit. They
little dreamed of the city they we're
founding. @4
And yet, on the other hand. there
Is Yorktown, Va. The York River af-
fordS one of the finest harbors imagin-
able. Whole fleets may ride there.
There was established the first custom
house in the American colonies. In CO.
lonial days people believed it was des-
tined to become a great port. Then
it boasted 5000 population. Today, al
though the harbor still is there, the
population Is but 500. An occasional
river steamer or fishing boat stops there.
The Pilgrim Fathers landed at Ply
mouth Rock. and while Plymouth is
medium sized and prosperous town. iC
is not a great city. Very shortly after
that landing Salem was founded and
that became whaling port of consider
able Importance and still is pleasant
town. Doubtless, the Pilgrims expected
that either or both would rise to be
great cities. They did not dream OF
Boston, 81 miles north of Plymouth
and a somewhat lesser distance south Of
Salem.
Erratlc Development Within Cities.
The story could be repeated endlesslys
There Is q considerable note of pathoS
and defeated hopes in the finding, out
in the country, half-decayed markers
with street names on them and little
stakes denoting town lots--these telling
the story of how some man felt sure
that there he could build city.
The same uncertainty exists In re-
spect to the direction in which cities,
once firmly established, will grow. Ger
tainly the National Capital disappointed
its founders expectations. The Capitol
Building faces east: that is its principal
facade, its front door, so to say. The
founders were certain that the city
would develop to the eastward. Today
one may go but q few blocks in that
direction and find himself in the coun-
try, while stretching away from the
Capitol's back door the city extends for
miles, its entire business and financial
district, its governmental buildings and
it's most priced residential sections hav-
ing developed in precisely the opposite
direction from that expected.
It took quite q while for Washington
to change its mind about the direction
in which it would grow. As long after
President Washington's founding Of the
Capital as the administration of PreSi-
dent Grant, 1t still was thought that the
best residential section, II not the busi-
ness section, would be on Capitol Hill.
What was for that day the finest group
of houses in the city was erected on
East Capitol street, about two blocks
from the Capitol itself. and called Grant
row. This row of mansions had
dwindled in rank into boarding houses
by the turn Of the century and now
have been pulled down.
Cities do change their minds az TO
the direction of their development, espe-
cially SO far as fashionable residential
sections are concerned. Cleveland Is a
notable example. For years, nearly all
the fashionable residences OF the city
were built to the westward Of the bust
ness center, extending out along Lake
Erie. Now the development has exc
cuted complete about face, and the
eastern suburbs show the houses of the
-millionaires. Only q few years
ago the western side was the fashion,
able suburb: now steel mills roar there
through the night. While only q few
years ago the eastern side was a stray
gle Of mingled cottages and small
farms, now 1t Is q garden spot, with
building land SO costly that few can af-
ford 1t.