USA > Washington > Standard history of the city of Washington from a study of the original sources > Part 25
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History of the City of Washington.
The Act of June 11, 1878, is commonly referred to as the "Organic Act" or "Constitution" of the District. In the case of Eckloff v. D. C. (135 U. S. 240) Mr. Justice Brewer, speaking for the Supreme Court of the United States, applies both of those terms to it, saying :
"The Court below placed its decision on what we conceive to be the true significance of the Act of 1878. As said by that court, it is to be regarded as an organic act, intended to dispose of the whole question of a government for this District. It is declared by its title to be an Act to prove 'a permanent form of government for the District.' The work permanent is suggestive. It implies that prior systems have been temporary and provisional. As permanent it is com- plete in itself. It is the system of government. The powers which are conferred are organic powers. We look to the Act itself for their extent and limitations. It is not one act in a series of legislation, and to be made to fit into the provisions of the prior legislation, but it is a single complete Act, the outcome of previous experiments, and the final judgment of Congress as to the system of government which should obtain. It is the constitution of the District, and its grants of power are to be taken as new and independent grants, and expressing in themselves both their extent and limitations. Such was the view taken by the court below, and such we believe is the true view to be taken of the statute."
When the "Organic Act" went into effect on July 1, 1878, President Grant re-appointed Commissioner Seth L. Phelps, who had been a member of the temporary Commission, and added Josiah Dent, as civil Commissioner and Major William J. Twin- ing, as Engineer Commissioner, to complete the Board.
Commissioner Dent was a native of Maryland who removed to the District after the war and married the daughter of Mr. E. M. Linthicum, taking up his residence in Georgetown. He was a lawyer by profession and served actively as a member of the Citizens' Committee of One Hundred to secure legislative justice from Congress. His term as Commissioner extended from July 1, 1878, to July 17, 1882.
Commissioner Twining was born at Indianapolis, Ind., and was graduated from the Military Academy July 1, 1859. He
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was brevetted Captain on December 16, 1864, for gallant and meritorious services in action during the siege of Nashville, Major and Lieutenant Colonel of Volunteers on January 26, 1865, for gallant and meritorious services in the campaign in Georgia and Tennessee, and Major General on March 3, 1865, for gallant and meritorious services during the war. He resigned his volunteer commission August 30, 1865, was made Captain of Engineers, December 28, 1865, and Major, October 16, 1877. The service of Commissioner Twining, the first of the Engineer Commissioners, terminated with his death on May 5, 1892.
He was succeeded by Major Garrett J. Lydecker who served from May 11, 1882 to April 1, 1886. Commissioner Lydecker was born in "English Neighborhood," New Jersey, November 15, 1843. He was graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1864 and was brevetted captain on April 2, 1865, for gallant and meritorious services in the seige of Petersburg, and after the Civil War he was engaged in river and harbor work at Galveston, Michigan City, New Orleans, Chicago and Detroit.
Major Lydecker was succeeded by Col. Wm. Ludlow whose term commenced April 1, 1886 and terminated January 27, 1888.
Commissioner Phelps served until November 29, 1879, on which date he was succeeded by Thomas P. Morgan, who served until March 8, 1883, and was in turn succeeded by James B. Edmunds, who served from March 3, 1883, to April 1, 1886. Commissioner Edmunds was succeeded by Samuel E. Wheatley whose term began on April 1, 1886, and ended May 21, 1889.
Commissioner Morgan who succeeded Commissioner Phelps was born near Alexandria, Virginia, then a part of the District, on November 2, 1812. He was elected to the Common Council of the City of Washington in 1847 and to the Board of Alder- men in 1851, and again to the Common Council from 1859 to 1861. During the Civil War he held the position of Quarter- master's Agent in charge of transportation, having been fitted for that duty by his previous connection with the business of water transportation. From March 21, 1873, to March 22, 1878, he served on the Board of Fire Commissioners as the representa-
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tive of the United States Government under appointment by the President. He was appointed Major of Police February 2, 1878, and held that office until November 29, 1879, when he resigned to take the office of District Commissioner.
Commissioner Edmunds was born in Saratoga County, New York, in 1833. He practised law a short time in Oswego, New York, and then moved to Iowa City, Iowa, where he practised law for twenty years. He came to Washington in 1878.
Commissioner Wheatley was born in Washington City, March 29, 1844. He was educated at Hallowell's High School in Alexandria, Virginia. At the age of twenty he went into the lumber business with his father and with his three brothers took charge of the business on his father's retirement in 1866. He was for some time President of the Potomac Boat Club and active in the Episcopal Church.
Commissioner Dent served one term of one year and a second term of three years, his last term expiring July 17, 1882. He was succeeded by Joseph R. West, who held office from July 17, 1882, to July 22, 1885. Commissioner West was succeeded by William B. Webb whose term began on July 22, 1885, and ended with that of Commissioner Wheatley on May 21, 1889.
Commissioner West was born at New Orleans, La., Septem- ber 19, 1822. He attended the University of Pennsylvania, served in the Mexican War as Captain of Volunteers and moved to California where he engaged in newspaper work in San Francisco. At the outbreak of the Civil War he entered the Union Army as Lieutenant Colonel of the 1st California Infan- try. He was brevetted Major General January 4, 1866, for faithful and meritorious service. After the War he moved to Texas and later to New Orleans. He was elected to the U. S. Senate as a Republican, serving from March 4, 1871, to March 3, 1877. He held office as District Commissioner from July 17, 1882, to July 22, 1885. He died in Washington City October 31, 1898.
Commissioner Webb was born in Washington City in 1825. He was graduated from Columbian (now George Washington) University in 1844, and three years later, at the age of twenty-
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two, he was admitted to the bar. In 1861 he became Superin- tendent of Police and devoted some years to organizing the police force of the city.
On May 21, 1889, Commissioners Webb and Wheatley were succeeded by John W. Douglass, whose term expired February 28, 1893, and Lemon G. Hine, whose term expired September 30, 1890.
Commissioner Douglass was born in Philadelphia, October 25, 1827. He was admitted to the bar at Erie, Penn., about 1850. From 1862 to 1869 he was Collector of Internal Revenue for the 19th Pennsylvania District. During the years of 1869 to 1875 he was First Deputy and Commissioner of Internal Reve- nue. Thereafter he engaged in practice of law in Washington until taking office as Commissioner.
Commissioner Hine was born at Berlin Heights, Ohio, April 14, 1832. He studied law at Ann Arbor, Michigan, until the outbreak of the Civil War when he enlisted in the Northwest Rifle Regiment, afterwards 44th Illinois, and served through the War. After the War he came to Washington and formed a law partnership with former governor of Ohio Ford and later with Mr. Sidney T. Thomas. He served in the City Council for several terms. Later he became interested in typesetting machinery and in 1887 retired from practice to take the presi- dency of the National Typographic Association.
Commissioner Ludlow was born on Long Island, New York, November 27, 1843, and was graduated from the Military Acad- emy June 13, 1864. On July 20, 1864, he was brevetted Captain for gallant and meritorious services in laying a bridge over Peach Tree Creek, Georgia, under severe fire. He was brevetted Major, December 21, 1864, for gallant and meritorious service in the campaign through Georgia and Lieutenant Colonel March 13, 1865, for gallant and meritorious service in the campaign in the Carolinas. He took a conspicuous part in the Cuban Campaign of 1898, being promoted to the rank of Major General of Volunteers for gallant services at Santiago. He died August 30, 1901, of illness contracted in the line of duty in the Philip- pine Islands.
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Col. Ludlow was succeeded by Major Charles W. Raymond who served from January 27, 1888 until February 3, 1890, and who was succeeded by Lieut. Colonel Henry M. Robert whose term extended from February 14, 1890 to October 14, 1891.
Commissioner Raymond was born at Hartford, Connecticut, January 14, 1842. He was graduated from the United States Military Academy June 23, 1865. He was active in various river and harbor improvement undertakings in various parts of the country previous to his appointment as Engineer Commissioner of the District.
Lieut. Col. Henry Martyn Robert was born in South Caro- lina. He was graduated from the Military Academy July 1, 1857, and served throughout the Civil War in the Union Army. He was retired March 2, 1901, being then Brigadier General and Chief of Engineers. He has been justly accorded a large degree of prominence as the author of "Robert's Rules of Order."
The period covered by the terms of the Commissioners who have just been enumerated extended from the establishment of the permanent Commission Government, roughly to the begin- ning of the decade from 1890 to 1900.
To these early Boards of Commissioners fell the task of carrying to completion the work of improvement which had been so vigorously begun by the Board of Public Works, and prac- tically the replacement of all the wood pavements laid by that Board, with more durable material.
Chief among the notable public works undertaken during the early years of the permanent Commission government were the extensions of the sewer and water systems of the city.
In 1879 work was begun on the New York Avenue sewer. This sewer, starting at Seventh Street and New York Avenue, follows New York Avenue to 15th Street; thence down 15th Street to Pennsylvania Avenue, and from there cuts diagonally across the White Lot to 17th and B Streets, where it empties into the Tiber sewer.
In 1880 the Northeast Boundary sewer was commenced. Beginning at 7th Street and Florida Avenue this sewer follows Florida Avenue to 15th Street, northeast; thence down 15th
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Street to G Street, northeast; thence eastward to the neighbor- hood of 18th and E Streets, northeast, where it empties into the Eastern Branch. This sewer occupied about six years in its construction.
The Q Street sewer was constructed in 1885 and runs from 17th and Q Streets, northwest, westwardly along Q Street to Rock Creek.
The Northwest Boundary sewer was constructed in 1887 and runs from 14th Street and Florida Avenue, northwest, west- wardly along Florida Avenue to a point on Rock Creek near the P Street bridge.
The execution of this extensive sewer extension work in so short a period of time was rendered possible by an appropriation of $500,000 by Congress in 1884. This appropriation was in the nature of an advance conditioned upon the repayment by the District of its one-half, with interest, in annual instalments of not less than $50,000 each. Its procurement was chiefly due to the influence which Commissioner Edmunds had acquired with Congress. Under this appropriation a total of seventeen miles of sewers, large and small were constructed.
The extension of the water system of the city had been made the subject of an investigation by Lieutenant Hoxie under the temporary Commissioners. On May 27, 1878, he made a report recommending the construction of an accumulating reser- voir to be located on the heights north of the city, which should be connected by tunnel with the distributing reservoir at George- town. As a temporary expedient to increase the water supply of Capitol Hill, Lieutenant Hoxie recommended the erection of an iron stand pipe of 120,000 gallons capacity in the middle of 16th Street extended, upon the brow of Meridian Hill, to be supplied by means of a pumping station to be located on U Street between 16th and 17th Streets, northwest.
Both of these recommendations were adopted. The stand pipe and U Street pumping station were established in the spring and summer of 1878. This stand pipe was removed on Febru- ary 8, 1894.
Work on the construction of the Seventh Street reservoir
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History of the City of Washington.
back of Howard University and the tunnel connecting it with the Distributing reservoir in Georgetown was begun under the supervision of Engineer Commissioner Lydecker. The tunnel was cut mainly through solid rock and the muffled detonations of the blasting operations incident to its construction were for a long time a feature of life in the then suburban portions of the northwest section of the city.
A matter of pressing importance with which the permanent Commissioners were required to deal was the replacing of the old wooden pavements with permanent paving of an improved character. Of the original area of 1,005,231 square yards of wooden paving, about 480,000 square yards remained, but this for the most part was impassable. So urgent was the need for new pavements that it was made the subject of a special report to Congress by the first permanent Board.
In 1885, the Commissioners, in view of the success of the $500,000 sewer appropriation of the previous year and of the fact that the District then had a large sum to its credit in the United States Treasury, asked in their report for a similar advance of one million dollars for street improvements which were then urgently needed. An appropriation of this character would have meant much to the city at that time, but Congress could not be prevailed upon to grant it.
The first permanent Board in its annual report for the fiscal year 1878 included an interesting statement of the amounts contributed by the several municipalities in the District of Columbia for their expenses as compared with the amounts con- tributed by the National Government, from 1800 to 1876. This statement shows :
Aggregate amount (of assessments on property
in the City of Washington) as reported .$32,007,255.70
Add collections for licenses, rents, etc 4,078,626.12
Add water department rents. 626,838.92
Add expenditures by Georgetown 3,500,000.00 Add expenditures by county 2,000,000.00
Add expenditures by Alexandria prior to 1846,
.
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History of the City of Washington.
date of retrocession to Virginia. .......... 1,250,000.00
Add outstanding District funded debt 8,363,400.00
Add outstanding 3.65 bonds. 13,743,250.00
Total expended by the people of the District ...... $65,569,370.74
Deducting the amount of the bonded debt above stated from $65,569,370.74 there still remains an absolute paid-up expendi- ture, as follows :
By the people of the District of Columbia $43,462,720.74
Expended by the United States. 27,311,950.00
During the years 1878, 1879, 1880 and 1881, the Commis- sioners under authority of special acts of Congress, spent approximately $80,000 in filling the old Washington Canal from Third Street, west, to its mouth on the Eastern Branch, the canal from Third Street to its western mouth having been con- verted into a sewer by the Board of Public Works. The filling of the eastern end by the Commissioners was done largely to give employment to the large number of unemployed persons resulting from the financial depression then prevailing through- out the country.
A matter of importance which came to the attention of the early Commissioners was the establishment of a station so located as to permit both branches of the Baltimore and Ohio Rail- road to enter the city over one line. Looking with an almost prophetic vision some thirty years into the future, the report for 1878 says: "It is entirely practicable to unite these two lines outside the city and bring them in upon one line of street to a station somewhere north of Massachusetts Avenue." The same report advocated the removal of the Baltimore and Potomac Depot from its old location on 6th and B Streets to a position south of the Mall. The idea of a union station for all steam railroad lines seems to have been first suggested in the report for 1885.
The most important legislative measure affecting the Dis- trict adopted during the decade from 1880 to 1890, was an Act of Congress approved August 27, 1888, to regulate the sub- division of land within the District of Columbia, which provided
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History of the City of Washington.
that "No future subdivision of land in the District, without the limits of the Cities of Washington and Georgetown, should be recorded in the Surveyor's Office of the District, unless made in conformity with the general plan of the City of Washington." This law also prescribed that the Commissioners should make and publish general orders to regulate the platting and sub- dividing of all lands in the District, and that no plats should be admitted to record in the Surveyor's Office without the Com- missioners' written order to that effect.
This legislation was especially due to the efforts of Mr. Joseph Paul and Senator John Sherman.
Several efforts were later made to obtain legislation to correct the irregular subdivisions, which had been made in the near environs of the city. While their attempts were not suc- cessful, they so directed attention in the need of such action, that the Washington Board of Trade appointed a committee to secure legislation on the general subject of Street Extensions over the entire District outside of Washington and Georgetown. The labors of this committee resulted in the enactment of the Act "to provide a permanent system of highways in that portion of the District of Columbia, lying outside of the city," approved March 2, 1893, and subsequent germane legislation.
On January 14, 1889, Mr. Taulbee introduced in the House of Representatives, the following Resolution which was passed the same day :
"Whereas, It is stated in certain newspapers that the commissioners of the District of Columbia have in recent purchases of real estate within and for the use of the Dis- trict of Columbia paid to and through certain agents appointed or employed by them prices above that asked or received by the vendors or owners of such property, contrary to law : Therefore,
"Resolved, That the Speaker of the House of Represen- tatives appoint a special committee of five members to investigate the matter of the purchases of real estate by the commissioners of the District, and report to the House in writing, at any time, by bill or otherwise; and that said committee be furnished a stenographer by assignment by the Speaker from the roll of stenographers now in the
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employ of the House, and that they be authorized to employ a clerk at a compensation of $6 per day, and that said committee be authorized to sit during the sessions of the House and authorized to administer oaths and send for persons and papers. That the expenses of said investigation be paid out of the contingent fund of the House."
The investigation which was conducted pursuant to this resolution resulted in the following legislation in the District of Columbia appropriation act approved March 2 of the same year :
"That hereafter the Commissioners in making purchases of sites for schools or other public buildings shall do so without the employment of agents or through other persons not regular dealers in real estate in the District of Columbia, or through such regular dealers who have not had the property for sale continuously from the date of the passage of this act, and in no case shall commission be paid to more than one person or firm greater than the usual commission."
October 1, 1890, John W. Ross took office as successor to Commissioner Hine. Commissioner Ross was three times re- appointed, his term continuing until the date of his death, which occurred on July 29, 1902. With him as civil members of the Board were associated Myron M. Parker, who served as successor to Commissioner Douglass from February 20, 1893, to March 9, 1894; George Truesdell, who succeeded Commissioner Parker and served from March 10, 1894, to May 7, 1897; John B. Wight, who succeeded Commissioner Truesdell on May 8, 1897, and served until May 8, 1900; and Henry B. F. Macfar- land, whose first term, as successor to Commissioner Wight, began on May 9, 1900.
Commissioner Ross was born at Lewiston, Ill., June 23, 1841. He attended Illinois College and was graduated in law from Harvard University, being admitted to the Board in 1866. In 1869 he was elected to the Illinois Legislature for two terms. In 1873 he came to Washington where he practised law until appointed Postmaster of that city, in which capacity he served from February 1, 1888, to October 1, 1890, resigning to accept the position of District Commissioner.
Commissioner Parker was born at Fairfax, Vermont, No- vember 7, 1843. He served through the Civil War in the 1st
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Vermont cavalry. In 1876 he came to Washington and later was graduated from the law department of Columbian (now George Washington) University. For several years he was assistant postmaster of Washington City. He is a prominent mason, and has displayed a leading interest in almost every phase of bus- iness enterprise and civil progress in the National Capital during his residence there.
Commissioner Truesdell was born in New York City. He was educated as a civil engineer at the University of Michigan. At the outbreak of the Civil War he enlisted as private in the 12th New York Volunteers and was promoted to Lieutenant and Captain in 1862, being badly wounded at the battle of Gaines Mill and imprisoned in Libbey Prison. When the regiment was mustered out in 1863 he was appointed Major and Paymaster in the regular army and served as such until 1869. He was brevetted Lieutenant Colonel for meritorious services. He practised his profession in New Jersey for two years after leaving the army and removed to Washington in 1872. In 1888 he organized the Eckington and Soldiers Home Railway Company whose line was the first street railroad operated by electric power in the District, of which he was president for five years. He has been prominent in all measures for civic betterment in the District for many years, and was especially active and efficient in efforts to secure the enactment of the law for the extension of the highway system.
Commissioner Wight was born in Washington City, March 3, 1853. He entered the employ of Leo C. Campbell, a hardware merchant in 1867, resigning after nine years to take charge of the business affairs of the Deaf and Dumb Institute at Kendall Green which position he held until February, 1890, when he resigned and went into the real estate and insurance business. From 1893 until appointed Commissioner he held the position of Secretary of the Washington Board of Trade.
During the period covered by the terms of the civil Com- missioners who have just been mentioned, the Engineer members of the Board were Captain William T. Rossell, who succeeded Commissioner Robert on October 15, 1891, and served to May 8,
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1893; Major Charles F. Powell, who served from May 8, 1893, to March 1, 1897; Captain William M. Black, who served from March 2, 1897, to May 31, 1898; Captain Lansing H. Beach, who served from June 1, 1898, to October 31, 1901; and Colonel John Biddle, who served from November 1, 1901, to May 1, 1907.
Commissioner Rossell was born in Alabama and was gradu- ated from West Point in 1873. He became chief of Engineers.
Commissioner Powell was born in Jacksonville, Illinois, August 13, 1843. At the outbreak of the Civil War he enlisted in the 5th Wisconsin Volunteers and served with that regiment until September 28, 1863, when he was appointed to the Military Academy from South Carolina.
Commissioner Black was born at Lancaster, Pa., December 8, 1855. He attended Franklin and Marshall College from 1870 to 1873 and was graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1877. During the Spanish-American War he served as Chief of Engineers of the Porto Rican Campaign and later as Chief Engineer of the Department of Havana; and from 1900 to April, 1901, as Chief Engineer of the Division of Cuba. He was connected with the Isthmian Canal Commission from April, 1903, to July, 1904.
Commissioner Beach was born in Iowa and was graduated from the Military Academy July 1, 1878.
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