Alexander Robey Shepherd

Alexander Robey Shepherd (1835 – 1902), was one of the most controversial and influential civic leaders in the history of Washington, D.C.. He was head of the DC Board of Public Works from 1871 to 1873 and Governor of the District of Columbia from 1873 to 1874. He is known, particularly in Washington, as "The Father of Modern Washington." Image File history File linksMetadata No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File linksMetadata No higher resolution available. ... | Come and take it, slogan of the Texas Revolution 1835 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... 1902 (MCMII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Nickname: Motto: Justitia Omnibus (Justice for All) Location of Washington, D.C., in relation to the states Maryland and Virginia Coordinates: Country United States Federal District District of Columbia Government  - Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D)  - City Council Chairperson: Vincent C. Gray (D) Ward 1: Jim Graham (D) Ward 2: Jack... 1871 (MDCCCLXXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... 1873 (MDCCCLXXIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... List of mayors for Washington, D.C. The cities of Washington and Georgetown also had mayors from 1802-1871. ... Year 1874 (MDCCCLXXIV) was a common year starting on Thursday (link with display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Saturday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ...

Early life and career

Born in southwest Washington on January 30, 1835, Shepherd dropped out of school at 13 and took a job as a plumber's assistant. Eventually, he worked his way up to becoming the owner of the plumbing firm. He then invested the profits from that firm in real estate development, which made him a wealthy socialite and influential citizen of the city.^[1] (One of his luxurious properties was Shepherd's Row, a set of rowhouses on Connecticut Avenue designed by Adolf Cluss; Cluss would later be the star witness at Shepherd's congressional investigation hearings.)^[2] Color-enhanced USGS satellite image of Washington, DC, taken April 26, 2002. ... January 30 is the 30th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... A street of British terraced housing In architecture and city planning, a terrace, rowhouse, or townhouse (United States) is a style of housing since the late 18th century where identical individual houses are cojoined into rows. ... Connecticut Avenue is a major route in the Northwest quadrant of Washington, D.C., and suburban Montgomery County, Maryland. ... Adolf Cluss was an architect who designed a number of buildings in Washington, D.C. from the 1860s to the 1890s, These include the Arts and Industries Building, Eastern Market, and the Franklin school, and Sumner schools downtown. ...

Two days after the Battle of Fort Sumter that initiated the U.S. Civil War, Shepherd and his brother each enlisted in the 3rd Battalion of the District of Columbia volunteers. The term of enlistment at that time was only three months, after which Shepherd was honorably discharged. Approximately six months afterwards, he was married to Mary Grice Young, with whom he had seven surviving children.^[3] Combatants United States of America Confederate States of America Commanders Robert Anderson P.G.T. Beauregard Strength 85 soldiers 500 soldiers Casualties 1 dead 5 injured 4 injured The Battle of Fort Sumter (April 12 – April 13, 1861), was a relatively minor military engagement at Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor... The American Civil War was fought in the United States from 1861 until 1865 between the northern states, popularly referred to as the U.S., the Union, the North, or the Yankees; and the seceding southern states, commonly referred to as the Confederate States of America, the CSA, the Confederacy...

He was an early member of the Republican Party and a member of the Washington City Councils from 1861 to 1871, during which time he was an important voice for D.C. emancipation, then for suffrage for the freed slaves. Frederick Douglass would later say of him, "I want to thank Governor Shepherd for the fair way in which he treated the colored race when he was in a position to help them."^[4] The Republican Party, often called the GOP (for Grand Old Party, although one early citation described it as the Gallant Old Party) [1], is one of the two major political parties in the United States. ... 1861 (MDCCCLXI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link with display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar) // January 1 - Benito Juárez captures Mexico City January 2 - Friedrich Wilhelm IV of Prussia dies and is succeeded by... 1871 (MDCCCLXXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... Frederick Douglass, ca. ...

City Leader

Shepherd as a young man

By 1870, war and mismanagement had caused the finances and infrastructure of the city to deteriorate so badly that the Mayor of Washington, Sayles J. Bowen, had his furniture seized in an attempt to pay the city's debts; Democrats and Republicans were in a rare agreement that a drastic change was needed from Bowen's regime.^[5] As a solution, Shepherd and his allies began agitation for the abolition of the elected governments of Washington City and Georgetown, as well as the appointed justices of the peace for Washington County, to be replaced with a unified territorial government that would administer the entire District of Columbia. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... 1870 (MDCCCLXX) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... List of mayors for Washington, D.C. The cities of Washington and Georgetown also had mayors from 1802-1871. ... Sayles J. Bowen Sayles J. Bowen (1813-1896) was Mayor of Washington City, District of Columbia, from 1868 to 1870. ... This article does not adequately cite its references. ... The familiar golden dome of Washingtons once venerable Riggs Bank, now amalgamated into PNC Bank, at the northeast corner of Wisconsin Avenue and M Street NW. Georgetown in red Georgetown is a neighborhood located in the Northwest quadrant of Washington, D.C., along the Potomac River waterfront. ... The County of Washington is one of the five political entities contained within the geographic region comprising what was originally the 100-square-mile District of Columbia. ...

In the following year, 1871, Shepherd was able to convince Congress to pass a bill that established the territorial government he desired. The Territory Act of 1871 merged the various governments in the District of Columbia into a single eleven-member legislature, including two representatives for Georgetown and two for the County of Washington, to be presided over by a territorial governor; the legislature and governor would all be appointed by the President. The two front-runners for the governorship were initially Shepherd, from Washington, and Colonel Jason A. Magruder, from Georgetown; although popular support was behind Shepherd, President Grant feared that either appointment would cause a sectional divide that might make governorship of the full district impossible. Thus Grant's inaugural appointment to the governorship was his friend, the financier Henry D. Cooke, "a gentleman of unimpeachable integrity"^[6] — and, secretly, a close political ally of Shepherd's. The Congress of the United States is the legislative branch of the federal government of the United States of America. ... The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. ... Colonel (IPA: or ) is a military rank of a commissioned officer, with the corresponding ranks existing in nearly every country in the world. ... Ulysses S. Grant[2] (born Hiram Ulysses Grant, April 27, 1822 – July 23, 1885) was an American general and the 18th President of the United States (1869–1877). ... Henry David Cooke (1825 - 1881) was an American financier, journalist, railroad executive, and politician. ...

Shepherd was appointed vice-chair of the city's five-man Board of Public Works. The most powerful public entity in the District of Columbia, the Board of Public Works, was actually an independent entity from the territorial government, reporting directly to Congress, but kept within the territory's sphere of influence by making the governor its chairman. Cooke, however, rarely attended the Board's meetings (probably at Shepherd's urging), allowing Vice-Chair Shepherd to preside.^[7] He asserted himself as a leader to such an extent that he often did not bother to consult the other members of the Board before making decisions and taking sweeping action. His abilities as a political operator, according to D.C. journalist Sam Smith, were formidable:

Facing east across the Mall with ones back towards the Lincoln Memorial. ... Carnegie Library building, located at Mount Vernon Square, houses the City Museum of Washington, D.C., and the Historical Society of Washington, D.C. Mount Vernon Square is a city square in the Northwest quadrant of Washington, D.C.. It is located where the following streets would otherwise intersect: Massachusetts... The Cincinnati Enquirer is a daily morning newspaper published at Cincinnati, Ohio. ... 1869 Tobacco label featuring Boss Tweed. ...

Shepherd's city improvements

The war-worn condition of Washington City in the late 1860s and early 1870s — when it was little more than a hamlet of dirt roads, wooden sidewalks and open sewers, surrounded by farmland and large country estates — was such that Congress had for several years discussed relocating the seat of the Federal government westward to St. Louis — which would have led to ruin for the District of Columbia. Shepherd believed that if the government was to remain in Washington, the city's infrastructure and facilities must be modernized and revitalized. He filled in the long-dormant Washington Canal and placed 157 miles of paved roads and sidewalks, 123 miles of sewers, 39 miles of gas mains, and 30 miles of water mains. Under his direction the city also planted 60,000 trees, built the city's first public transportation system in the form of horse-drawn streetcars, installed street lights, and had the railroad companies refit their tracks to fit new citywide grading standards for the District. // The First Transcontinental Railroad in the USA is built in the six year period between 1863 and 1869. ... // The invention of the telephone (1876) by Alexander Graham Bell. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... In Washington, D.C., Constitution Avenue is a major east-west street running just north of the United States Capitol in the citys Northwest and Northeast quadrants. ... 15th Street NW in the early 20th century For just under 100 years, between 1862 and 1962, Washington, D.C. streetcars transported people across the city and region. ...

Governorship and fall from power

In 1873, Washington writer Mary Clemmer Ames wrote that "the majority of people believe that Governor Cooke would retain his position only until the fusion of irritated factions [i.e., whites and blacks; Washington, Georgetown, and Washington County] was effected, and that in the event of his resignation, Mr. Shepherd would be appointed his successor. Whether Governor Cooke retires before the end of his term or not, it is the universal belief that Mr. Shepherd will be the second governor of the District of Columbia."^[9] Sure enough, that September, Cooke resigned as Governor of the District and Shepherd, having befriended Grant, was promoted by the President to the governorship. 1873 (MDCCCLXXIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Mary Clemmer Ames (aka Mrs. ...

Once in office, Governor Shepherd engaged in a series of social reforms and campaigns that were progressive even by Radical Republican standards: he "integrated public schools, supported the vote for women, sought representation for D.C. in Congress and a Federal payment to the city."^[10] His gubernatorial term was "principally occupied in avoiding embarrassments in the conduct of the District's official business due to the inadequacy of the revenue which had been entailed by the demands for funds to meet the cost of executing street improvements."^[11]

But despite the lack of finances, the massive public works project continued (and intensified) during Shepherd's term as governor of the District of Columbia. Although the Territorial Act of 1871 had given the governor power to issue construction bonds in the city, to the consternation of white landowners, Shepherd nonetheless put it to a referendum to demonstrate his widespread popular support in the city thanks to the black voters who backed him. (The referendum passed overwhelmingly — partly because Shepherd brought in blacks from Prince George's County to vote.)^[12] Prince Georges County is a suburban county located in the state of Maryland immediately east of Washington, D.C.. It is notable as the wealthiest majority-African-American county in the country. ...

However, the cost of the modifications was excessive. Initially, Shepherd had estimated them at a $6.25 million budget, but by 1874, costs had ballooned to $9 million, despite a national panic that had befallen the nation the year before. District residents gathered 1,200 signatures to petition an audit from Congress; when the audit was conducted, the legislature discovered that the city was in arrears by $13 million and declared bankruptcy^[13] on its behalf. Shepherd was investigated for financial misappropriation and mishandling, during which time it was discovered that the project and its funding had been carried to absurd extremes. Shepherd had raised taxes to such a degree that citizens had to sell their own property to pay them. Street grading, too, had been executed such that some homes' front yards were as much as 15 feet lower than the front door, while others found their homes standing in trenches with the street at second floor level. In addition, Congress discovered that Shepherd had given preference to neighborhoods and areas of the District in which he or his political cronies held financial interests. Year 1874 (MDCCCLXXIV) was a common year starting on Thursday (link with display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Saturday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... Run on the Fourth National Bank, No. ...

Although none of his actions were found to have violated any laws, Shepherd was summarily fired and the territorial government was abolished in favor of a three-member Board of Commissioners, which remained in charge of the District for over a century. Although President Grant nominated Shepherd to the first Board of Commissioners, the appointment was rejected by the Senate. The United States Senate is the upper house of the U.S. Congress, smaller than the United States House of Representatives. ...

The civic improvements, however, had sufficiently modernized the city that relocation of the capital was never again discussed as a serious option. It also created a decades-long real estate boom in Washington (until about the turn of the 20th Century), with wealthy Americans coming from all over the United States to build large and expensive mansions, some for year-round residency and some for winter vacation only (leading Washington to be called "the winter Newport").^[14] (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901–2000 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar (1900–1999... Newport is a city in Newport County, Rhode Island, about 30 miles (48 km) south of Providence. ...

Last years

Shepherd during his years in Batopilas, Mexico

Shepherd remained in Washington for a further two years, still a real-estate magnate and a celebrated and influential member of Washington society In 1876, however, he declared personal bankruptcy and, once his accounts were settled, moved with his family to Batopilas, Mexico, where he made a fortune in silver mining and instituted many of the same reforms he had championed in the District of Columbia. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... 1876 (MDCCCLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... Batopilas is a small town in the Mexican state of Chihuahua, located along the Batopilas River at the bottom of one of the canyons that make up the Copper Canyon. ... A nugget of silver Silver mining refers to the resource extraction of the precious metal element silver, mostly through mines. ...

He died in Batopilas on September 12, 1902, from complications of a surgery to remove his appendix. His body was returned to Washington and buried in a large personal (not family) vault in Rock Creek Cemetery. September 12 is the 255th day of the year (256th in leap years). ... 1902 (MCMII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Look up appendix in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Adams Memorial Rock Creek Cemetery (also Rock Creek Church Cemetery) is located at Webster Street and Rock Creek Church Road, NW, Washington, D.C. The Cemetery falls under the governance of the St. ...

Legacy - The Rehabilitation of Shepherd's Reputation

Shepherd's legacy has been a matter of some debate since his death more than one hundred years ago. He has long been maligned as a corrupt, cronyist political boss, compared often to the Tammany Hall political machine of the same time period. The statue of Shepherd that had long stood on Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, in front of the John A. Wilson Building (which serves as Washington, D.C.'s City Hall) has served as a symbol of his fluctuating reputation. This article or section cites very few or no references or sources. ... Tammany Hall was the Democratic Party political machine that played a major role in controlling New York City politics from the 1790s to the 1960s. ... Pennsylvania Avenue street sign, 2004. ... Color-enhanced USGS satellite image of Washington, DC, taken April 26, 2002. ... The John A. Wilson Building, home of the city government of Washington, D.C. The John A. Wilson Building, popularly known simply as the Wilson Building, is the building in downtown Washington, D.C. that houses the offices and chambers of the Council and the Mayor of the District of...

In 1979, the statue was removed from its perch on D.C.'s primary thoroughfare and banished into city storage. It reappeared in the mid-1980s near the obscure D.C. Public Works building in the blighted Anacostia section.^[15] For the song by the Smashing Pumpkins, see 1979 (song). ... The 1980s refers to the years from 1980 to 1989. ... Map of Washington, D.C., with Anacostia highlighted in red Rowhouses in Anacostia. ...

However, in the 21st century, Washington historian Nelson Rimensnyder began strenuously arguing for the restoration of Shepherd's reputation, calling him an "urban visionary" who singlehandedly transformed Washington into a major American city and championed aggressive social reform. Largely as a result of Rimensnyder's (and others') efforts, the Shepherd statue was returned to its place in front of the Wilson Building in January 2005.^[16] The 21st century is the present century of the Anno Domini (common) era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The D.C. neighborhood of Shepherd Park, where Shepherd once lived, is named for him, as is Alexander Shepherd Elementary School in that neighborhood. Map of Washington, D.C., with Shepherd Park highlighted in red Shepherd Park is a neighorhood in the northwest quadrant of Washington, D.C. in the United States. ...

References

External links

• "Boss" Shepherd Remakes the City
• Shepherd Memorial in Washington, D.C.
• The Silver King of Batopilas - Shepherd's life in Mexico