Evening star., 1935-08-04
Corduroy Road, Once the Main Stem Of the
City, Led to Nearby WIharOes, W|here Steam
eyy Took the OM-FMhioned Geuty ON Excw-
sion Trips Dozcw the Lo70er Potomac
WaShwgt0n and Marshall Hall Recalled.

likes the water it Is q delightful trip
all the way to the bay and then on
to Norfolk.
THOUSANDS of washingtonians will
recall Lower Cedar Point for its
excellent saltwater bathing. Not as
salty as the bay or the ocean, but
sufficiently close to the former to be
quite brackish, especially when the
tide is running in. Around the lat
ter part of the seventies and the
early part of the eighties this resort
was crowded in Summer with excur-
sionists, and the boat that made the
trip to this place was always filled
to capacity.
But it was not an ideal place, for
it was quite sunny, and the bath
houses were built of rough, knotty
lumber which might have 1T in well
with a nudist colony, but the meals
served there were delicious, and the
ride down the Potomac and back, and
the sociability of the outing, and the
lasting friendships made will never
be forgotten. Colonial Beach had
not come into its own at that time,
though many excursion parties went
as far down the river as Blackstone
Island. Piney Point, q very old Sum-
mer resort, was just q little too far
away to be made in one day, and
for this reason large crowds usually
went there on Fridays and Saturdays
and made of it week end trip. For
a number Of years the George Leary
made this trip, and in the early
eighties this steamer and the resort
belonged to the late Wash. B. VIII
iams, well known in his day as a
furniture dealer, whose store was at
the southeast corner Of Seventh and
D streets northwest.
When Mr.. Williams took over Piney
Point he determined to do away with
any rowdyism that might have pre-
vailed there prior to this time. Every
thing in the saloon business then was
as wide open as 1t Is now, and he
naturally had his troubles with those
who imbibed too freely and frequent
ly, but, being man Of q very high
type, he conducted his place on strict
lines and would not permit gambling
on the premises. nor would he per-
init a professional gambler to get on
the boat If he knew him to be such.
NATURALLY, when Washington
was in its infancy there was lit
tie need for river resorts far from
the city. and Rock Greek, the Tiber
and its tributaries and the backwaters
of the Potomac, as well as that ma
jestic stream itself, furnished o suf-
ficient number Of pretty, shady spots
for picnic parties, where bathing, too
though probably not as popular
then aS now-could be indulged In.
And George Warrington Park Gusts,
owner Of Arlington and father Of Mrs.
Robert e. Lee, was always glad to
throw open his grounds to the people
Of washington and Georgetown, 50
long as they did not drink booze on
his property. Two little steamboats,
the G. w. p. Gusts and the Arling-
ton Belle-carried picnickers to this
place.
One Of the nearest picnic places to
the center of the city in the early
days was in the vicinity of First and
N streets northwest. Here, according
to DR.. Samuel Clagett Busey in his
"City Of Washington In the Past"
was Logan's mill, (which was favor
ite picnic place for the military, fire-
men and school CHILDREN" The mill
was supplied with w4ter power from