Evening star., 1955-06-05

OuIc A1U bypass Was Uullt
village. Now it is q grow
stores spreading westward
nue) is high on the 12-year
program Of the Maryland Roads
Commission.
In addition. business and In
dustrial expansion II creating
new nongovernment Jobs In the
area.
Commercial development -
going on steadily. On Washing-
ton street, stores are spreading
eastward from the established
business section.
On Wisconsin avenue. for Q
mile south Of the center. new
businesses are springing up
monthly. A big furniture store
Of the P. J. Nee Co., Q lumber
yard Of the Eisinger Co.. and O
Food Fair supermarket set the
pace In this stretch.
viers Mill road win get q new SO
million shopping plaza at Attain
tic avenue. This project Is the
work of william r. Hannah and
Mr.. Gingery. Construction is un-
der way.
Facilities Curb Expansion
Only two factors slow the un-
limited growth Of Rockville.
It needs more water and sewer
facilities.
The sewer problem will be
remedied when the Washington
Suburban Sanitary Commission
builds q line linking Rockville
to the District Of Columbia's
sewage treatment plant by way
of the Cabin John Valley. The
city will pay about two-thirds
Of the cost Of the 100000
project.
The city Is under a long
standing order by the Maryland
State Board Of Health 10 aug
ment its treatment plant and to
stop pollution Of small streams.
For water, the city is relying
on purchases from the sanitary
agency until 1t can develop q
long term plan 10 insure ade-
quats water. Gilbert Asso-
cistes, an engineering con-
sulting firm, 10 studying the
comparative costs Of . city
owned filtration plant. using
water from the Potomac, or the
purchase Of water from the Dis
trict.
The city till now has relied
principally on wells for water.
but in 1853 and 1854 water
shortages caused curtailment Of
usage.
vestiges Of Past Fade
In the high-powered expan-
sion program, the vestiges Of
"old Rockville" dwindle.
The west end Of the city still
retains some Of the flavor Of by
gone days. its big. roomy houses
reminders of the era when Rock
vile harbored summer residents
from Washington, who could
commute by way Of . trolley line.
News accounts Of Rockville
doings these days are full Of ur-
gency and significance. but they
lack the color Of yesteryear.
There was the day In 1899, for
example, when the Post Once
dedication was disrupted by o
pair of determined women who
stuck mo trespassing" signs in
the lawn. maintaining the Gov
never acquired q clear
title to the land.
The same year, mass meetings
were held to prevent q gift clock
from being placed on the little
triangular greensward in front Of
the court house. the traditional
site Of q Confederate monument.
The monument stiil stands
alone. The clock was placed In .
traffic island Q hundred yards
up the street.
The Mayors Revolt
There was the day. too. back
In 1885. when Mayor Douglas M.
placed q chair in the
Of the trolley tracks, sat
down, and refused to bulge until
the Capital Transit Co. repaired
holes in It's right-of-way.
In the Pest once today is
evidence that the oldtimers could
too. The murals de-
pict nearby Sugar Loaf Noun
tain. painted in pleasant semi
Photographic style. This came
about because the residents told
The Post once Department they
wanted none Of the futuristic
artistry that marked WPA mu-
rails during the SOS.
A big story back In 1899 was
The placing Of Q bronze plaque
In the old court house. The
plaque bears the wording Of the
Ten Commandments.
The residents who remember
these events with pleasure sre
watching the present transfor-
nation Of the town and It's new
government with few misgivings.
One native Rockville resident,
whose family has been active In
public life for two decades, sums
Up the transition this way:
ut was time for q change.
Lots Of older residents went
along 30 that fresh blood could
be- nut, In charge nj thinrs Now