Page 125 - REALLY What A time Book IX

REALLY SO WHAT
What A Time

FAMILY OUTINGS

swamp. It was difficult to get from the White House to the
Capital without slogging through mud and soggy ground.

Every great storm would cause the Potomac to overflow and
flood making things even worst. But during the early part of
th
the 20 century there was a lot of building. The Potomac was
dredged and the East and West Potomac Park was created.

In 1891 the Corp of Engineers took it upon themselves to dig
a deep channel in the Potomac and dump most of the dirt into
this area. They created what’s mostly represented by our
National Mall and the land from Capital Hill to Memorial
Bridge. East Potomac Park, Haines Point was part of the
island creation.

I remember Haines Point because we would walk out to the
end of the point where the Potomac waters would lap the
sidewalk. It was designated as sea level. The Potomac has
tides beyond Haines Point and Georgetown all the way to the
first falls, Great Falls.
The Memorial Bridge was built, along with the Lincoln
Memorial and the Washington Moment. The Tidal Basin was
improved around 1948 but the Cherry Trees, a gift from Japan
in 1912, were already there.

What was so wonderful about Haines Point was the huge
swimming pool. Maybe, the only public place in Washington,
and all of Arlington where we could go swimming. Everyone
who could went there to swim. It was always filled with us

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