Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-03-29

- who become the first settlers of
some particular place. Indeed in this connec-
ton, we have wonderful example in the mag
niflcent courage and fortitude exhibited by those
pioneers Of this country who had to blaze their
way through dense forests inhabited by the
aborigineS, cross mountains still alive with wild
beasts, travel through swanps and build bridges
over streams in order to get to the fertile lands
that nature had provided for those who dared
put up with the most intense privation in order
to succeed.
The history of this country, from jamestown
and Plymouth to the present day, contains
many wonderful examples of turning the forests
into gold, and, besides, of developing many OF
our best characters who have helped to lead
this glorious country into the position OF being
the foremost nation of the earth.
OF course, the worst part of pioneering in this
country was before the District OF Colum-
bia was thought Of, and yet in a smaller way
the City of Washington too was carved out Of
the forest primeval, for, when our ancestors
first came to the Capital CITY, they found only
woods and farmlands and about everything else
that Columbus found except, perhaps, the wild
Indian, and he had gone to the happy hunting
ground ere this, maybe, believing in safety
first, had following the thought, afterward given
vent to by Horace Greeley, and had gone West
to grow up with the country.
Naturally the city was built up first but
while this was taking place, the more stout
hearted residents sought places outside the city
limits where lots were lager and ground was
$3.50
cheaper. Tenleytown, Brightwood and Union
town (now Anacostia) became attractive spots
for the early pioneer, and finally, in the days
still recalled by many, Petworth and Takoma
Park-now cities in Observation-Disclosures favor
tie subdivisions for the city builder who was
willing for the time being to forego urban lux
ury and Improvements for the pleasure OF hav-
ing more open space and to be surrounded
with more Of the things of nature, which after
all, go long way toward producing real happi-
ness.
MANY of the early villages around Washing
ton, like Topsy, just grew, but Takoma
Park, the subject of today's story, had real
and definite beginning, and a wide-awake per-
son. too back of the project, to whom the UNI
disputed glory goes for founding what is today
a beautiful part Of suburban Washington and
Montgomery Countys largest city and Mary
lands eighth largest in size.
Respecting Takoma Park, there is at least one
thing in common between it and the City OF
Washington as originally planned, and that is
that both were laid out in what in each case
was practically a wilderness. Indeed there are
persons who recall just how the neigh
borhood and surrounding country looked around
SO and go years ago. In this connection, just
the other day Mrs. Alcena Lamond, relict of
Angus Lamond told the writer that when her
husband and she in 1875 first settled at what
has for years been known Lamond Station,
just at the lower edge of Takoma, d. c., on
the Metropolitan Branch of the Baltimore &c
Ohio Railroad, the place was all that wilder
ness could be. She said there were then but
three families living anywhere within reach Of
her own home-the Bladens, the Hagens and
the family of DR.. Cockerille whose old home Is
now the Swartzel Methodist Home for Chill
dren, at 201 RittenhouSe street northwest. To
the east Of this old residence still standing
the rows Of cedar trees that lined the carriage
way to what was then a country gentleman's
home but which is now being put to most
worthy use.
When the Lamonds moved into this neigh
borhood there were still standing buildings
nearby which had been erected by the Army for
use during the Civil War-one according to Mrs.
Lamond cottage-like building, occupied by an
Army officer, and another of cheap construc-
ton, occupied by a squatter. Mrs William L.
White, Mrs. Lamond's daughter, showed the
writer two clusters of trees on their place which
had grown from stumps of trees cut down for
military purposes some time from 1851 to 1865
These clusters each consisted Of three or four
good sized trees, and seemed to be In very
healthy state of preservation.
AT this period, and for few years after
ward the Brightwood railroad station on
the Metropolitan Branch bore the name of that
village and much of what is now known as
Takoma Fark was then regarded as in the
underlined area of Brightwood. In this con-
nection, an incident is told regarding the first
Takoma Park station that illustrates just how
rural this neighborhood must have been when
its promoter subdivided his first purchase of
farm property, part of the estate Of George
C. Grammar, a Washington fnancier and
member of the old Grammar family OF
Washington that lived for long while on the
northeast corner of and John Marshall
place now in the Municipal Center. @. G.
Grammar back in 1843 was president Of the
Patriotic Bank, and resided on the corner