Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1951-01-29

os"s
Ohio Canal, built to bring coal
from Cumberland, Md. In 1887
the new link from a basin in Rock
Creek to the Anacostia was COM
pleted with a channel nearly six
feet deep. and with stone sides.
But the c. & o. Canal had been
built only as far west as Harper's
Ferry and it's Washington link,
despite the stone sides. kept filling
up with deposits of silt, and sand
bars kept piling up at the mouth.
Toll House Still Stands.
The old channel paralleling the
Potomac in Georgetown is still to
be seen. The stone toll house still
stands at Constitution avenue and
Seventeenth street NV. next to
the Navy Department Building.
1t was there that the barges en-
tered the Washington City Canal
and continued on the line of Con-
stitution avenue to Sixth street,
where the channel swung to the
right to hook up with the James
Creek Canal, which followed The
line of Canal street down to the
Anacostia. That is what made
Southwest an island"
Filling in the canals did not al
together do away with South
vests insular character. For
long time the railroad tracks, the
north-south link of the eastern
seaboard States. crossed the
streets on grade and cut the Sec
ton off. 1t became the most neg
lected part of the city in the
matter of public improvements.
1t had the oldest schools and
the worst paved streets. 1t became
the butt of jokes. -Four and a
Half street" became a term to
suggest everything no self respect
ing community should put up with.
Section Gets a Champion.
Then the section found a
champion in a young lawyer,
Harry Wender, who felt that his
turning to professional career
was due to the reading he had
done in the branch library at
Barney Neighborhood House. AL
though he was living in Columbia
Heights he was asked to become
the delegate of the Southwest
Citizens Association to the Fede-
ration of Citizens Associations.
He made a civic career of demand
ing Improvements for South
west, and his efforts led to his.
election as president of the FEEDER
alton.
One Of the things Mr.. Wender
takes pride IN is the bill he wrote
changing the name Four and
Half street to Fourth street. That
seems to have made big differ
ence. He prevailed on the police
to raid the houses of prostitu-
ton in the area and accompanied
them on their raids.
The Southwest citizens con-
tinued the fight for a new build
ing for jefferson Junior High
School, and won it. The school has
fine plant under the direction
of remarkable school teacher,
Hugh Smith, a bachelor who de-
votes his entire day to the boys
and girls in his care.
Mr.. Wender moved back into a
Southwest apartment with his
bride to help in the school fight.
AS his law business increased, he
purchased Southwest properties
to show his confidence in the area.
Now due to an increase in pros
perity and family, he lives in
Barnaby Woods, Northwest, but he
still enters any civic fight for
Southwest cause at the drop of
hat.
improvements Gained.
Among the improvements the
association obtained for the area
are the Hoover playground, the
Municipal fish wharf, the widen
ing of Fourth and Seventh streets
and the new steamship docks
along Maine avenue, formerly
called Water street.
Mr.. Wender is now expectantly
waiting for the change to come
that the new facilities make pos
sible:: new houses aid new people
for Southwest. But among the
Governments plans is one to
make another Federal Triangle,
this one south of the Mall in the
area between independence and
Maryland avenues. That would
replace many of the best houses
in Southwest and make it an area
in which more people would be
sitting at desks by day than by
f1resides at night.