Evening star., 1951-01-28
When Cows Roamed
Cowtown and SwompoodIe Days Recalled When
Poundmoster Was Busy Municipal Agent
By John CIoqett Proctor

Dy JONI Slc
Bloodfield in South Washington,
even in its worse days. was not
half as bad as was Hell's Bottom.
The writer's father had a resi-
dence on Twelfth street not fe-.
from Iowa Circle. when condi-
tions became 50 desperate that
he was forced to sacrifice his
holdings and seek a residence else
where, and from a financial stand
point at least did not make a
good move.
In November. 1871. our family
took up a residence in q neat
but unpretentious cottage sur
rounded by grounds at the south
west corner Of Florida avenue and
w street NV. Only two blocks
away was Cowtown. This was
during the administration Of Gov
Henry D. Cooke. Washington s
first Governor, who served from
February %, 1871, to September
13, 1873. when he was succeeded
by Alexander r. Shepherd.
Florida avenue was then and
for many years had been known
as Boundary street. AS such 1t
separated the City Of Washington
from the County of Washington.
Our home was just within the
city limits, where restrictions pre-
vented the keeping of COWS, hogs,
geese. etc. But just across the
street, where the county COM
menced, such animals could be
kept at the pleasure Of the ten
ants. Many had moved there
from o street alley, later Neale
place, located between N and o
and Fourth and Fifth streets
NV, and from what is now Ridge
street, in the block to the south,
because Of the restrictions re-
ferred to.
DOGS and Goats Numerous
Cowtown was not large place
at all. being Of rather limited
area, extending only from Seventh
Street road, now dignif1ed with
the name Georgia avenue, west
ward to Sherman avenue, and
from Grant avenue-now Barry
place - northward for several
blocks. Here everybody had one
or more cows and as many pigs
and geese as they could afford tc
keep. and as for dogs and goats
it would have taken some one
with a tabulating machine to have
arrived at the correct number
There were many horses, too. ir
this community.
Before Sherman avenue wa:
brought to it's present grade. II
was rather a steep hill, as one
can see by the cut made alongside
the hospital property. This ave-
nue. then began at Barry place ant
did not run through to Florida
as it does now. In wet weather II
was very muddy and teams hac
much difficulty in negotiating the
grade. Upon one occasion I recall
seeing a wagon, with a load o1
hay. stuck to the hubs at the
bottom of this hill.
Ninth street was not then cut
through above Barry place and
Eighth street was called Wrights
street. and down this street, Oh
parallel to it in places ran Reedy
Branch, along which a number of
slaughterhouses were located. This
stream had its source somewhere
to the north and flowed down the
east side Of Sherman avenue in a
narrow deep cut it had made. AT
about Euclid street it turned al
most abruptly into Eighth street,
passing close to the National
Home for Destitute Colored
Women and Children. which in
stitution I remember as being here
from my earliest days.
Heyday of Slaughterhouses
One of the sights one will never
forget is the great droves of hogs,
sheep and cattle which were
driven through the streets of
Washington to these slaughter
houses, sometimes even spreading
out beyond the curb line onto the
sidewalks. Legislation finally
cured this evil and everybody was
better of and happier.
One Of the sights, however
which some will recall while these
slaughterhouses were in operation
was the large number of oxtails
commonly seen thrown over the
shoulders Of the colored men who
helped to do the killing.
The writer went to both private
and public schools with some OF
the boys and girls OF this place
and he always found them to be
the. best of friends. Many later
filled the most prominent posi-
tions in the city and were re-