Evening star., 1941-01-26
Record Lives
In Memories
OfAnericans
Events of Sadness
And Rejoicing
Reviewed
By John CIaeett Proctor.

Again historic Pennsylvania ave-
nue. has come into worldwide notice
through the third inaugural parade
of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, which
was quite different affair from the
first one on record, which took place
at the time of Jeffersons second in
auguration, for at the time of Presi-
dent Jefferson's first induction into
Office, Pennsylvania avenue was
about the most unattractive and un-
inviting part of Washington, and
even if the author of the Declara-
ton of independence had desired to
reach the White House by this route,
it's condition would have made 1t
impossible to do so.
Indeed. according to John Cotton
Smith, member of the House Of
Representatives, who came to Con-
gress from Connecticut in Novem-
Der, 1900, this thoroughfare for
nearly the entire distance. and par
ticularly from the Capitol to the
White House, was deep morass
covered with elder bushes which
were cut through the width of the
intended avenue during the then en-
suing winter"
DR.. William Gunton. who came
here from Norfolk. England, in 1907,
and who evidently was stuck in
the mud" because he stayed here,
and died here at an advanced age,
says that when he arrived here,
many parts of Pennsylvania avenue
touched the waters edge and that
logs were piled to fill up the mud
holes and miry places along the
route. Once he lost a shoe in the
ooze and recovered it with much
difficulty.
The first improvements to the
Avenue. according to the records of
the early Commissioners, were au-
thorized in 1892, though direct steps
to open the Avenue were not taken
until four years later, when David
Burnes was informed that work
would not be commenced while his
crops were on the ground; which
refers to ground under cultivation in
the vicinity Of the Willard Hotel at
that time.
Jefferson's Interest.
When Mr.. jefferson became Presi-
dent, he began to take an active in
terest in improving the city, and
gave special attention to Pennsyl-
vania avenue, upon which he spent a
considerable sum for those days. OF
this the late DR.. Tindall SAYS:
I'm 1903 Congress spent sl3,466 in
the Improvement of Pennsylvania
avenue, which at the time of the re-
moval of the Government was al
most impossible. This appropriation
was largely due to the interest of
President Jefferson, who was also
responsible for the planting of the
double row of poplars which adorned
Pennsylvania avenue from the foot
OF the Capitol grounds to Fifteenth
street"
AT this time Christian Hines was
22 years old and he tells us: "Mr
Jefferson. who succeeded Mr.. Adams
as President, was a tall, well-pro-
portloned man, 6 feet or upward In
height. He was generally seen on
horseback-seldom riding in his
carriage. He usually wore blue
cloth double-breasted coat with
gllded buttons. and do not recol-
lect ever having seen him with a
round-breasted coat on, as he is
represented in his bronze statue at
the White House. In riding along
he usually wore his hat nearly down
over his eyes, popularity I could
never account for, unless it was be-
cause he sat so erect on his horse
as to enable him to look straight
forward"
According to the late DR.. William
T1ndal, who was secretary to the
Commissioners of the District o1
Columbia for many years, the Ave-
hue was macadamized in 1882, from
First to Fifteenth streets, and re-
manned in this condition until re.
placed by wooden blocks. Elsewhere
~ 40 2S&AabS oVoISo UlldU lllC f1NCllQe
was paved with cobblestones ir
1847, but this probably refers tt
carriageWays and street crossings
But even with these improvement!
the dust at times was Simply sitting
and little relief came until compile
ton of the wooden-block pavement
early in 1871, when the event was
celebrated with Washington's mos
elaborate carnival of all time, helc
on February 20 and 81 of that year
All Houses Decorated.
The Star printed several columns
at the time regarding this notapl,
event, of which the following ex
cerpts will suffice to convey its grea
importance:
1.-The Avenue was as clear as .
parlor floor, and apart from tn
thousands of Chinese lanterns
reaching on both sides from tn
Capitol to the Treasury Building
and the numerous flags, burgess AM
pennants stretched across at brie
intervals, every house along the lin
was decorated with flags and ever
greens and flowers, so that our nobl
thoroughfare never presented