This is the one chart I’ve managed how to figure out to do. I could go through the training course to figure out Access 2007, but right now I’m going to fool around with it and hope for the best. So in fooling around with the data I present the above. It is the level of ownership and renting for blacks, whites and one Chinese guy, divided by gender. Just going by heads of households, blacks outnumbered whites in the northern (1st, O St, NJ, FL & RI Aves) portion of the Truxton Circle study area, and most households rented. There were two types of ownership shown here, mortgage and free. Free, meaning free and clear, meaning no mortgage and the heads owned the house outright.
Now given that most housing is rental housing it would stand to take it that people where a bit mobile, as renting a house doesn’t tie one to a place for any longer than the lease. It will be interesting to see if I can get to the 1910 census how many people remained in the same spot for 10 years or more. I’m gonna bet very few, less than 5-10%. Looking through I know that at some point there is a large influx of North Carolina and South Carolina Afro-Americans who show up in later censuses, so far I see a lot of District natives, and people from Maryland and Virginia. And just as a note, so far no Italian borns, I’m guessing all those Italians who were around to support the Catania were living in an enumeration district we haven’t gotten to, or had not arrived. Well when I get the eastern TC data I’ll play with that too.
Tag: neighborhood history
SQUEEEE!!!! Census data
Ah, the best use of an unemployed college graduate and a spare room. I hired my cousin to do some data entry on the 1900 census and she has just completed enumeration district 64, which is the northern part of the TC. Enumeration District 64 (ED64)goes from the 1400 block (odd #) of NJ to the 1700 block, Florida and Rhode Island Aves, 1st St, to Q and O Streets. I immediately tossed the Excel worksheet into an Access database and created a query about working women. Now I’m still getting used to the updated MS Access program and can’t seem to figure out how to exclude women “at school”. Women over the age of 15, 595 of them had some occupation. Of those 595 women, 473 were black. In 1900 the TC north African American women were laundresses, nurses (child and sick), house servants, and cooks. White working women were saleswomen, teachers, house keepers, landladies, office workers, and seamstresses.
Disclaimer-
To clarify, my census project is sponsored personally by me. I get moral and other minimal support from my employer, as it sort of falls under professional development. Secondly, this is NOT a building or house history project. Things like houses are secondary, people are more interesting. I have no intention of putting the raw data on-line. For one, it’s too much. ED 64 is over 2,500 names alone, and there are 3 other EDs to go. I do hope to go on to census years 1910-1930. However the rate we’re going I’ll probably get through to 1910 or 1920.
Anyone wanna take bets on the WD/Shaw Library Windows?
If you walk or ride by the corner of Rhode Island and 7th you’ll see the skeleton of the Waltha Daniels Library going up. When it is all done it will be all modern looking with glass sides. But here’s the thing, we’ve had an unfortunate spate of shootings near the Shaw/ Howard University metro entrance, including one incident yesterday. Worse yet those last few shootings occurred around rush hour. What is this? Are the shooters getting off work or school thinking, “3:30 leave. 4:00 shoot at Quay-Quay. 4:05 run over to the 7-11 and pick up a Coke and some Ding Dongs.” So you mix people with questionable aim, guns and a glass library. I’m sure the library designers are putting in bullet-proof/ shatter-proof glass, but even still.
Guess the problems that used to be at Kelsey Gardens have mosied on down to Lincoln-Westmoreland. Lincoln-Westmoreland had problems on its own before, but was just one of several problem spots up and down 7th Street.
Lincoln-Westmoreland was one of those church sponsored housing buildings that went up in the early 70s. It is named for the two churches involved, the Westmoreland Congregational Church (white) and the Lincoln Memorial Congregational Temple (black), both could be described as being predominately middle class. Apparently these were built to fight poverty. Though it concentrates poverty (a popular thing to do back then) it does provide housing. I should say the Feds chipped in money into the building and was completed in 1971.
Schools and Rec 1968
Okay, not as exciting as the segregation map, but this is of the neighborhood. The actual map is bigger but there is only so much that will fit on a photocopy machine or scanner, so deal. This is a National Capital Planning Commission map from 1968. Please take care to look at where Bundy is. That shading that is on its western and northern sides is recreational land. The land the school building sits on is school land.
I also uploaded some maps of the elementary, ,junior high, and senior high school borders in Shaw in 1968 on to Flickr. Just look in my DC maps set.
1236 New Jersey Ave NW, late 19th century
I found something today and I’m all excited. There was a Navy file where the applicant threw in his home address, though it wasn’t required….
Albert W. Evans lived at 1236 New Jersey Avenue in 1898 with his wife and child, applied to become a Hospital Apprentice First Class in late 1898 at the age of 26. He was born in Alexandria, VA. Wore glasses (according to other paperwork in his file) and had not so great vision even with them. Of his education he wrote that he went to, “the public High School, and was graduated in Medicine in 1894, from the National Medical College [in] this city.”
He was applying to the position because he wrote that the money he was getting in his then current wasn’t enough to support a family.
38-P9-Bx1
From the Pile: Bundy School & Park
The pile knows all, and the pile is very, very disorganized and headed for the recycle bin. I find stuff of interest and it goes into the pile.
Here’s something from the pile, a 1968 report on public facilities. The most interesting stuff is about DC medical clinics in Shaw that are no more. Not counted are non-DC government clinic such as Children’s Hospital (still over in northern Shaw). Anyway amongst that stuff is a listing of DC government land and US Government land in Shaw.
I’m going to cut to the chase, in 1968 Bundy Elementary School and Bundy Playground were understood to be two separate things. When I heard the Director at the meeting mention the post Home Rule land confusion something didn’t sound right. It’s an understandable error, and so I don’t fault the Director on this, and you can say it is all up to interpretation or it doesn’t matter. And even the report I’m looking at seems a little confused at times about the Bundy Playground, which on the map includes the lot were the soccer players play and the vacant lot proposed as the 1968 playground. On several pages it says the 2.40 acre Bundy Playground is owned by the US government and operated by the Recreation Department, but on one page says it is owned by the Recreation Department. A paragraph about Bundy Playground reads, “This property contains 104,595 sq. ft. owned by the U.S. Government, but under the control of the D.C. Recreation Department. The playground contains a multi-purpose playing field, 2 basketball courts and elementary apparatus for small children.”
Of course, this is just a snap shot from 1968. Heavens only knows what understandings, change of responsibilities, etc occurred with Home Rule in 1973 (just 5 years later) or disorganized administrations.
Will do history for food / keyboard
Here’s the thing. I need a new keyboard for the old Mac. The current one is kinda cruddy and it would be a simple task to ride on over to the Apple store in Arlington, but I’ve noticed that I haven’t been across the bridge to Virginia for what seems like a year. And thus, I have discovered this personal record of not going somewhere and would like to extend it to Thanksgiving (I may want to hit up Pentagon City for Christmas).
So what is this to you? Well if you live in Truxton Circle or one block off on the New Jersey side or the New York Avenue side, I will do an address history for you in exchange for a new keyboard. Since I have a lot of data related to the constantly dropped Census project and can hit 3 repositories for DC history on my way walking home, it would be a sort of easy for me. My qualifications? Seriously, if you need to know, is a MA in Early Modern European History from UMASS-Amherst and an MLS (grad degree in Library Science) from UMCP and over 10 years working in libraries and archives. So this is a deal.
But you’ll get what you exchange for, meaning I’ll give about 5-10 hours of work and no more than $10 worth of photocopies. Also no packaging, just raw data. I like to leave interpretation up to the user.
So, who wants to get me a keyboard?
Truxton Circle in Shaw
Shaw and Truxton as a concept
Maps from the mid 19th century do show some settlement in the area presently known as Shaw[1]. But the structures are clustered along a few main roads while other areas, like modern day Truxton Circle, are empty with a few isolated lonely structures.
As time progressed the population of the area grew. However, there is little to no evidence of any particular neighborhood name such as Shaw existing prior to the urban renewal project in the mid 20th century. Despite a circle there is no evidence of Truxton Circle as a neighborhood name, rather it was a landmark that things were “near” [2].
Prior to the Federal government’s National Capital Planning Commission, along with the RLA (Redevelopment Land Agency), creation of the Shaw School Urban Renewal Area, the name Shaw was associated with the Jr. High. It’s application to any particular area could be stretched with the application of that school’s borders which was established in the 50’s [3]. As part of the Redevelopment Act (of 1961?) the National Capitol Planning Commission defined the borders of what is modern Shaw as the Shaw School Urban Renewal Area. See this map from 1970 to see what was and what wasn’t Shaw [4].
Truxton in Shaw
In 1969, a grad student working with MICCO, Model Inner City Community Organization, in Shaw, noticed, “Concentrations and/or differences in land uses, physical conditions and building types, income property ownership and race coupled with identifiable places of community activity, all combine to suggest several communities within the Shaw area (see map 3).” One of the communities Mr. Reginald Wilbert Griffith mapped out in his MIT dissertation, fits the outline of Truxton Circle [5]. Also another smaller community within Shaw acknowledged it was in Shaw. In 1973 in a report submitted to RLA in the introduction, the first sentence reads, ” The Logan Circle Historic District is a unique assemblage of 154 Victorian buildings located in the Shaw School Urban Renewal Area”[6].
Unfortunately Truxton is separated from the rest of Shaw by Ward boundaries. The majority of Shaw is in Ward 2, while Truxton is in Ward 5. These political boundaries also reflect police districts, most of Shaw being in the 3rd district and Truxton in the 5th. So with these political boundaries, determined by census data, like congressional districts, it may give the false appearance that Truxton is it’s own separated neighborhood.
Okay, I’m not really interested in adding anymore footnotes, so I’m stopping. Disagreeing commenters can talk about their feelings and opinions which are neither evidence nor proof. In the arguments about borders and such it seems no one bothers doing research. Claims with out anything to back it up is just bull.
Messy Footnotes-
1. Map of Washington City, District of Columbia, seat of the federal government : respectfully dedicated to the Senate and the House of Representatives of the United States of North America / surveyed and published by A. Boschke C.E. from the Library of Congress. Circa 1857.
2. SALE OF SIX HOMES SHOW PRICES HIGH The Washington Post (1877-1954). Washington, D.C.: Apr 27, 1919. p. R6 (1 page) and $110,500 IN SALES OF HOMES IN CITY; Houses Fetch $17,500 Disposed by Hartung & Gibbons. The Washington Post (1877-1954). Washington, D.C.: Nov 7, 1920. p. 34 (1 page).
3. “Corning Sets Integrated School Zone Boundaries,” by Marie Smith, Washington Post, July 2, 1954 p. 1, 25-26.
4. NCPC File No. UR-07 “Resolution Modifying the Boundaries and Urban Renewal Plan for the Shaw School Urban Renewal Area”; File UR 07 Modification #6 NDP 2; Records Relating to Urban Renewal; National Capital Planning Commission (1952-), Record Group 328; National Archives Building Washington, DC: and SHAW SCHOOL URBAN RENEWAL AREA District of Columbia. As adopted by the National Capitol Planning commission and approved by the District of Columbia Council through March 29, 1973. N.C.P.C Map File 31 20
5. “The influence of meaningful citizen participation on the urban renewal process and the renewal of the inner-city’s black community: a case study – Washington, D.C.’s Shaw School urban renewal area – MICCO, a unique experiment.” by Reginald Wilbert Griffith 1969. MIT, Cambridge, MA
6. “The Logan Circle Historic Preservation Area: Summary if a Report Submitted to the RLA” by Turner Associates, P.C. and Nicholas Satterlee & Associates. Summary prepared October 1973. (Possibly from the National Archives RG 328, National Capital Planning Commission, unknown series, box 92, no file.)
Crap Today Must Be Truxton Circle Day
Prince of Petworth has “Reader Finds Remnants of Truxton Circle.”
and though posted yesterday, but the comments are from today…
BACA Blog asks What’s in a Name? particularly the name Truxton Circle.
And during my lunch hour I created this bibliography thing about the TC and the WP. Click comment to see it all.
History of the term “Truxton Circle” in the Washington Post
[Method search “Truxton Circle” in ProQuest looking for articles only prior to 01/01/1940 in the Washington Post, which includes the Washington Star. Not all articles are cited.]
THE DISTRICT SURVEYOR.; Recommendations About the Preservation of Plats and Records. The Washington Post (1877-1954). Washington, D.C.: Aug 1, 1891. p. 5 (1 page)- regarding surveys for proposed circles. This is the earliest mention of the TC found.
ASKS DISTRICT TO PAY; Dog Catchers Caused Injury to a Bicycle. CHASED BULLDOG, BROKE A WHEEL Animal in Attempting to Escape the Net Ran Into the Bicycle of P.J. Nee, Who Claims Damages — District Auditor Approved Application and Recommends Payment — Plants from Mount Vernon Square to Decorate Other Reservations. The Washington Post. Mar 15, 1900. p. 12 (1 page) – Shrubbery for the circle. No mention of the Knights who say shrubbery.
AFFAIRS OF ECKINGTON.; Mr. Macfarland Opposed to Citizens’ Associations’ Candidate for School Board. The Washington Post (1877-1954). Washington, D.C.: Jun 26, 1900. p. 2 (1 page)- Mentions moving a fountain at Pennsylvania, M and 26th to “Truxton Circle in Eckington.” Citizens associations tended to be white, and the Eckington Citizen Association I’ve noticed stuck their noses in the affairs of things south of Florida Avenue to about New York Avenue. Prior to 1900 the TC wasn’t heavily populated, in 1880 there were less than 1,000 persons living in the area.
MR. MACFARLAND THEIR GUEST.; Commends Interest of Citizens’ Association in Public Affairs. The Washington Post (1877-1954). Washington, D.C.: May 28, 1901. p. 8 (1 page)- Mentions the Eckington and North Capitol Citizen Associations, and them thanking the city for the fountain at Truxton Circle.
SALE OF SIX HOMES SHOW PRICES HIGH The Washington Post (1877-1954). Washington, D.C.: Apr 27, 1919. p. R6 (1 page)- 51 Q Street NE (modern Eckington) being described as near Truxton Circle. In same article Dupont Circle is described as a neighborhood. TC not described as such.
$110,500 IN SALES OF HOMES IN CITY; Houses Fetch $17,500 Disposed by Hartung & Gibbons. The Washington Post (1877-1954). Washington, D.C.: Nov 7, 1920. p. 34 (1 page). 149 Bates Street sold and described as being near North Capitol and Truxton Circle. In same article, Bloomingdale described as ‘an attractive area’.
RYAN QUITS CENTRAL CITIZENS’ PRESIDENCY; Will Head Movement to Form Another Association in Same Territory. SECTION CALLED TOO BIG The Washington Post (1877-1954). Washington, D.C.: Apr 26, 1925. p. 2 (1 page)- Mr. Francis J. Ryan proposes a new citizens association that would have borders from NY Ave, Truxton Circle, and New Jersey Avenue……
AUTO SIGNAL LIGHTS TO BE READY DEC. 15; Sixteenth Street Crossings and Truxton Circle to Be Equipped. The Washington Post (1877-1954). Washington, D.C.: Nov 14, 1925. p. 20 (1 page)- Truxton Circle gets a traffic light.
Girl Drives with Arm Around Poodle; Fined. The Washington Post (1877-1954). Washington, D.C.: Jul 9, 1926. p. 22 (1 page)- In sub article, people are skinny-dipping in the Truxton Circle fountain.
$15,000 Asked in Suit For Alleged Injury. The Washington Post (1877-1954). Washington, D.C.: Aug 13, 1926. p. 20 (1 page)- Woman Sues streetcar company because of injury in a car at the TC.
NOTES OF DEPARTMENTAL PERSONNEL; News of Departments
The Washington Post (1877-1954). Washington, D.C.: Jun 19, 1927. p. S10 (2 pages)- Mention of Truxton Circle Station Post Office. The post office will out live the circle.
400 CARRIERS NAMED FOR CHRISTMAS MAIL; Postmaster to Appoint Equal Number of Clerks for the Holiday Rush. BARGAIN DAYS ANNOUNCED
The Washington Post (1877-1954). Washington, D.C.: Dec 11, 1927. p. 2 (1 page)- Post office. Other post offices mentioned are U Street and Petworth.
$25,000 Asked for Injuries. The Washington Post (1877-1954). Washington, D.C.: Jul 11, 1928. p. 8 (1 page)- Did they have a phone and if so, did they have a lawyer? Lawsuit regarding traffic accident at Truxton Circle.
Washington’s Fountains Temper Summer’s Heat; Increased Supply of Water Due to the New Filtration Plant on Conduit Road Enables the City to Keep Fountains Going More Regularly Than in the Past — Boon to Children and Other Stay-at-Homes. Washington’s Fountains Temper Summer Heat, by Victoria Faber Stevenson.. The Washington Post (1877. Jul 29, 1928. p. SM3 (2 pages)- Mentions how the Truxton fountain in Truxton Circle was becoming a landmark.
MAN DIES TWO HURT IN MOTOR MISHAPS; Driver of Truck Is Instantly Killed When Crushed Against Radiator. LAD PAINFULLY INJURED. The Washington Post (1877-1954). Washington, D.C.: Dec 17, 1929. p. 5 (1 page)- First noted traffic death at the circle. The problem was truck was overloaded with granite and crushed driver.
Bandit Pair Robs 2 Filling Stations; First and H and Wisconsin and Q Gasoline Depots Are Victimized. The Washington Post (1877-1954). Washington, D.C.: Dec 27, 1932. p. 14 (1 page)- First noted robbery of Truxton Circle post office at 17 Florida Ave NE.
[article search 1940-1999]
Post Office Bandits Get $500 Here, The Washington Post, Times Herald (1959-1973). Washington, D.C.: Jul 24, 1965. p. A3 (1 page)- Last mention of Truxton Circle post office getting robbed.
Subsidy Program’s Nuts and Bolts, The Washington Post (1974-Current file). Washington, D.C.: Aug 2, 1984. p. A15 (1 page)- Truxton Circle first mentioned as a neighborhood as a target area for mortgage subsidies.
D.C. Cable Firm Unveils Wiring Schedule, Seeks More Concessions; D.C. Cable Firm Tells 5-Year Plan, Seeks Concessions , by Marcia Slacum Greene Washington Post Staff Writer. The Washington Post (1974-Current file). Washington, D.C.: Sep 4, 1985. p. C1 (2 pages)- Another article mention of Truxton Circle in listing of neighborhoods to get cable.
Community Outcry Wins Reprieve for Lenny’s; Bank Delays Evicting Popular Neighborhood Store Until Buyer for Building Is Found by Elizabeth Wiener Special to The Washington Post. The Washington Post (1974-Current file). Oct 31, 1991. p. DC2 (1 page)- Quote” I understand the position Riggs [National Bank] is in – they just want to download the property, and they’re within their rights, “ said Kathy Glynn, chairman of the Truxton Circle Coalition, an umbrella group for civic associations in the area. “But we’re really getting tired of the constant destabilization of businesses moving out because of crime and real estate turnovers. This is a store people rely on.”
Random Alley History Notes
Last week I wandered over to College Park, to visit the National Archives’s Still Picture Records Section. They have a series 302-DC called “Photographs of Low Rent Housing and Housing in Inhabited Alleys in the District of Columbia, complied 1934-1941, documenting the period 1916-1941.” No. I have no examples of the pictures because I do not have a copy card for that location and I didn’t want to go down and spend the money to get a copy card I’d never use again and wind up losing.
But I took notes. There apparently was another Naylor that wasn’t the Naylor Court we know. It was Naylor’s Alley on Sq. 515, which is over in Mt. Vernon Triangle as far as I can tell. There are some great pictures there, including a few snaps of a “Woman Evangelist,” a black woman in the middle of the alley wearing a coat.
Over on Sq. 512 which is between N, O, 5, 4, and NJ, was Kings Court where there are several pages of photographs.
For some odd reason I have a note about a picture of a toilet on Langston Terrace, which I think is somewhere in SW or SE.
Something I really should have gotten a copy of is a photograph from 1916 of the Mulumba House at 621 Rhode Island Avenue NW.