IMPROVEMENTS MADE DURING PRESIDENT GRANT’S ADMINISTRATION
The year 1870 marked the beginning of a new and effective movement for
the development of the National Capital. Washington was then a city of
109,199.
Great efforts to relocate the National Capital in some other city,
preferably farther to the west, were made by some who were familiar
with conditions in Washington. St. Louis offered to spend several
millions of dollars for the erection of public buildings. Congress
settled this agitation by appropriating $500,000 as an initial sum for
the construction of the State, War, and Navy Building.
By an act of Congress approved February 21, 1871, a Territorial form of
government, consisting of a governor, a board of public works, and a
legislative assembly, was created. Alexander R. Shepherd, better known
as “Boss” Shepherd, a native of Washington, was appointed a member of
the board of public works and, later, governor of the new Territory.
[Illustration: VIEW SHOWING HORSE CARS]
[Illustration: WASHINGTON, 1890]
Great projects were placed under way for the development of the city.
One hundred and eighty of the 300 miles of half-made streets and
avenues were improved, and nearly all the thickly settled streets of
the city were paved with wood, concrete, or macadam; 128 miles of
sidewalks were built and 3,000 gas lamps were installed. A general and
costly system of sewers was begun. Old Tiber Creek was filled in, and
the greatest nuisance of Washington thereby put out of sight. Scores of
new parks were graded, fenced, and planted with trees and beautified
by fountains. A special park commission was appointed for this work.
It planted 60,000 trees, and a movement was thus begun which has given
to Washington one of its most characteristic features. To-day there
are 114,000 trees along street curbs because of the custom that has
prevailed to plant trees along curbs when new streets are opened for
traffic. Many of the small triangles for which Washington is noted were
transformed from rubbish heaps into beautiful reservations and planted
with trees. There were soon more paved streets here than in any other
city of the country, and President Grant, in his message to Congress,
said, “Washington is rapidly becoming a city worthy of the Nation’s
Capital.”
[Illustration: GATEPOST DESIGNED BY BULFINCH, NEAR THE CAPITOL]
However, the public took issue with Governor Shepherd, whose drastic
measures paved the way for modern Washington. Bonds were issued to meet
the expenses incurred by these improvements, taxes piled up to the
point of confiscation, and Shepherd was banished from the city. Yet
without the support of President Grant it would have been impossible
for Governor Shepherd to have brought about those civic improvements
for which he is remembered.
The Territorial form of government lasted three years, or until
June 20, 1874, when Congress provided that a new form of municipal
government with three commissioners appointed by the President, with
the consent of the Senate, should be established in the District of
Columbia. This, known as the temporary form of government, lasted until
July 1, 1878, when the present form was established.
[Illustration: VIEW OF THE MALL ABOUT 1890]