Evening star., 1943-08-15
Southwest Washington and Its Early Families
BY John Clagett Proctor

There are many persons today who
stu call Southwest Washington the
Island men and women who were,
Of course, probably born in this section
of the city In the days when the Wash
ington canal occupied the thoroughfare
now called Constitution avenue.
For many years prior to the placing
of railroad tracks on Maryland avenue
in the early 70s this part of Washing
ton was quite a nice residential area,
and some of the foremost people of the
District resided here. From the first
after the Federal Government moved
here in 1800-there were few houses
hereabout, and, indeed much of the area
south of the Mall was still under culti
walton and remained SO for number
of years, as one may judge after read
ing what Mr.. Lambert Tree, one of the
most highly respected citizens of his
Gay, said in 1880. going back, as he did
to- 1920 when he came to this city
and found farming still going on in that
part Of the Capital. Il have often heard
in that section the Negroes singing
while engaged in shucking corn or strip
ping tobacco" is the statement made
by this worthy resident who knew
Washington in embryo and when it was
a real city of magnificent distances.
Early Recollections
Nearly a half century ago another old
resident, singing himself AN Officer"
in giving his recolleccions of this part
of Washington, probably around 184o,
said
When l first knew South Washington
It was termed The Island" cut off
as it was from the rest of the city by
the Tiber and its extension eastward to
the Anacostia River. The designation
Island was popularity confined to that
part west of the James Creek Valley.
1t was place of gardens fields culti-
waited in wheat. corn, clover, etc, with
winding roads and but few we'll defined
streets. There were but three ap-
peaches to the Potomac-Sixth, Eleventh
and Thirteen-and-a-half streets.
The rest was high banks, clothed with
locust trees entwined with trumpet fow-
er creepers, and the river at high water
leaving the banks.
The river banks on Sundays was
popular resort. where one might watch
the arrival and departure of the various
steamers Powhatan, Osceola, Columbia,
Phoenix Joseph johnson and others.
The social conditions prevailing at
the period of which l write were much
different from those prevailing now.
Then the rich and the poor lived to-
gether and there was tacit admission
that the Lord was Father of them all.
The humblest man was not beneath the
notice of his rich neighbor nor was he
permitted to suffer when overtaken with
adversely.
Cooking Done in Open
Cooking was done IN the fireplace by
open fires. These we're kindled by bor
rowing a shovslful of Goals from neigh
Dor, kept overnight by covering with
ashes or made afresh with tinder, by
means of steel and flint, the latter re-
ouiring both skill and patience in their
use. For evening light we used whale oil
in lamps or else candles. The poorest
people could afford neither, and used the
fire light by which to knit stockings and
seines, to pick oakum, ETC.
These were the days of minor indus
tries, which have been crowded out by
machinery. Many kept a hog or two and
cured their own bacon, kept few chick
ems. cured their own herring and shad
and raised a few vegetables.
ice was luxury unknown to the null
titude, but instead we had public pumps,
furnishing good and cool water.
Matches were first introduced into
our neighborhood by some Germans, who
settled down on E street near Tenth.
They made them themselves and sold
them mainly in the Mash market.
hadn't heard this term for many years
until recently-going through the Agri-
cultural grounds I met two boys inquir-
ing the way thither. 1t was odd that
they should have inquired of the only
person, perhaps, who could have in
formed them if they had searched the
whole day. I think these boys hailed
from Virginia.
I'VE had no street lamps, no water
service and but few sidewalks except
those made of gravel and raised above
the level of the streets.
Our amusements, as boys we're simple
and REQUIRED no outlay. We made our
H1 IL -