Evening star., 1952-06-15


his other business interests, had
a mill which carried his name,
though equally well known as
Argyle Mills from ths land pat
ent name. The late MIR. Louis
p. Shoemaker refers to the old
mill in writing Of Rock Creek. and
Allen c. Clark gives a picture and
refers to it in his story of the old
mills in the records of the Co.
lumbia Historical Society.
Mr.. Shoemaker was born in this
vicinity and loved it's old land
marks. and did all he could to
preserve them. and his love for
the scenes Of his youth is clearly
indicated by what he has said of
the Blagden mill:
The Blagden flour mill and the
bone mill have been obliterated.
If this devastation Of relics con-
tinues, the last evidence of the
once thrifty commerce. business
and utilization of water power
along the line of this stream will
have forever disappeared"
Milk House lane Is practically
lost, though it quite likely followed
the course of what is now ontario
road. which runs from Columbia
road to near the creek.
Milk House Lone
It's significant name, no doubt.
had Its origin from the fact that
along about where Adams Mill
road intercepts Ontario road-or
rather. about where Ontario road
reaches the Geological Park
there was an old but unpretentious
house, in which a family lived and
kept cows-and dogs and other
things. In order to get to Big
Rock by the road it was necessary
to pass close to the house and
dairy buildings, and because the
cattle and dogs always looked sort
of offended at intruders, boys
ordinarily avoided this route. Be-
fore and during the early '70s
there was no other house on Milk
House lane and but one on Quarry
road.
Beginning about 1887 other
houses were built facing the road.
Duane c. Turner erected a cottage
on the spring lot. where he formed
q lake with the water from the
spring, stocking 1t with fish and
pond lilies. Many a man will re-
call having quenched his thirst
from this old spring in the
days when he wore knee
breeches and when rheuma-
tism and gout and similar all
ments were to him unknown. In
deed, it was for a while depended
upon by the early settlers of this
neighborhood as their only supply
of drinking water. The home of
William A. Fry, a civil engineer,
also faced Quarry road. as did the
home Of a family named Bucking-
ham.
EorIy Lonier Heights
Among the early residents of
Lanier Heights. which is bounded
by Columbia road. Quarry road
and Adams Mill road. was the
family Of Archibald M. McLach-
len, who, I believe, laid out this
subdivision and whose residence
occupied the site where the On
tario Apartment now stands. The
home Of DR.. G. Brown Goode, late
secretary Of the Smithsonian In
stitution. stood near the top of
the stone quarry and overlooked
the Geological Park. The residents
here also included several other
Smithsonian employees. among
them being Randolph I. Geare, DR..
Fred P. Dewey and DR.. j. B.
Smith. There were also living in
this group of scientific people
Otto Heideman and his wife. Mrs.
Mica Heideman. the artist; Rich
ard u. Goode Of the Geological
Survey. De Lancey Gill and a
Mr.. Hayden. Frank Faust built
the first house facing Columbia
road. in Lanier Heights.
Quarry road does not appear
on the map Of 1870, and was
probably not made a thoroughfare
until the District, under the old
Board Of Public Works which
functioned from 1871 to 1874, be-
gan to work the stone quarries
for constructing macadam roads
in the District. Blasting was COM
mon here at this period as was
the sight Of massive machinery
employed in crushing the stone
into the different sizes needed.
Boundary street-now Florida
avenue-waS one Of the first, if
not the first street to be macad-
amized.
Roods to Rock Creek
There were few roads running
from Columbia road toward Rock
Greek. according to the early
maps. Woodley road. which, on
the eastern side of the creek, is
now. in part. Belmont road, is no
doubt one Of the oldest roads. The
million Dollar Bridge" now spans
Thoeo \A/o~o -