By the act of January 26, 1897, and the amendment of March 4, 1909, Congress directed the payment by the District of Columbia of the claims of property owners in the Northern Liberty Market for damages on account of the destruction of their property, and claims arising from the purchase, rent or use of stalls, etc., to the extent of $130,766.08.

It was said that before the Northern Liberty Market was demolished, the stall holders valued their holdings at $1,000 and upward.

Some of the things we used to see in the markets during and after the civil war, we do not get now, and are almost forgotten:

Who remembers—

William Oliver Shreeve, the berry man, selling the finest strawberries to be had in old Northern Liberty?

James Lavender & Sons' dried fruits and vegetables beautifully displayed right on the southeast corner of old Northern Liberty Market, where the brass cannon had been placed in the riot of 1857 ?

The Fish Stands, where "purty fish-live fish" were sold at five pounds for a quarter?

Large sturgeon, sometimes weighing from 100 to 200 pounds, making delicious steaks and stews?

The celebrated Washington Pie, made of stale bread, gingerbread and cakes, 11⁄2 inches thick, large, generous slices only 5c and 10c per slice?

Dr. Bates' Celebrated Tonic Beer?

Jester's Celebrated Pawnee Medicine Root?

Unsworth's perambulating soda fountain, lemon, strawberry and sarsaparilla flavors at 5c per glass?

Several weeks before the destruction of the market, the authorities had given the marketmen notice to move, as the market buildings were in the way of proposed improve

ments. They refused to leave although temporary structures had been provided for them on the lot on the east side of Seventh Street, between O and P Streets, northwest, which site the government had recently acquired. During the sixties it had been covered with government barracks and now to accommodate the market dealers suddenly forced out of their old market, stalls and sheds were hastily constructed here for their use by the authorities.

Although some distance to the north of their former places of business, and farther from the center of population and business traffic, many of the market men took advantage of this opportunity and rented stalls in what was then supposed to be temporary sheds.

Other dealers from the Northern Liberty Market went to Center Market.

The unexpected often happens and it was true in this move, for what was intended to be a temporary market at Seventh and O Streets became a permanent and paying one, and in a few years these dealers formed an association known as the Northern Market Co., and purchased the ground immediately opposite on Seventh Street, from Michael Hoover, then known as Rathwell's Garden, and built a brick market house thereon, which has proved a financial success ever since.

Sometime previous to the destruction of the Northern Liberty Market, indeed before the burning of the Center Market, the city authorities realizing the unsightly, unstable and unsanitary condition of our city markets, which had provoked so much unfavorable comment and criticism, had been planning elaborately to provide adequate and satisfactory market houses in various parts of the city, and to carry out which the legislature had authorized a bond issue of $300,000.00, of which however, but $152,000.00 was issued. Land was bought at Twenty-first and K Streets,

where a market house was begun in 1872, and ground leased on H between Second and Third Streets northeast, where the old K Street building was removed and erected.

The legislature had endeavored to select a site for a market in North Washington and appointed a Joint Committee on Markets, a sub-committee of which, composed of Messrs. Geo. F. Gulick, J. G. Carroll and Wm. Dickson, constituted for the purpose of selecting a site for a northern market, reported on Dec. 1, 1871, favoring the purchase of Square No. 515, located between K and L and Fourth and Fifth Streets northwest, as the most central and convenient locality for a market in the northern section of the city.

As a result of the dissatisfaction over the loss of their business at the Northern Liberty Market, and the hasty manner of their ejectment therefrom, some of the dealers formed an association, known as the Northern Liberty Market Company, to erect a new market house in north Washington. As there had been a difference of opinion among the legislators as to the most appropriate site, so there had been among the dealers themselves. Some wanted to purchase the flat-iron shaped block just across Seventh Street, to the east, bounded by Sixth and Seventh and Massachusetts Avenue and K Street. Others wanted the site favored by the legislative committee previously referred to, at Fifth and K Streets.

The newly formed Association of dealers decided in favor of the latter site as the most available.

This was known as the "Savage Square" site, or square No. 515, bounded by Fourth and Fifth and K and L Streets northwest.

It had been the residence of George Savage, who purchased the same July 1, 1859. Going back to the beginnings of property in the District, like Mt. Vernon Square,.

it was also a part of the parcel known as Port Royal, owned by Lynch and Sands. Mr. Savage retained this property about twelve years, and on July 8, 1871, conveyed to his two daughters, Mrs. Mary E. Woodward and Ada A. Savage, the west half of square No. 515, "for natural love and affection and $10.00."

I well remember "Savage Square" as it was in the sixties, a large, attractive place, well fenced around with the large house near the south center of the lot facing K Street. In these days Mr. Savage was an ardent temperance advocate, and before Gov. Shepherd lowered the grade of Seventh Street four or five feet, necessitating the addition of a half dozen new granite steps to the already extensive Patent Office approach, Mr. Savage gave temperance lectures every Sunday afternoon to large audiences from these steps. Mr. Savage kept a hardware store with two good show windows, and on one occasion, was interrupted by one of his hearers, asking "what he was going to do with all those corkscrews in his window."

On January 27, 1874, The Northern Liberty Market Company consumated the purchase of the west half of square No. 515, from the Savage heirs, heretofore mentioned, for $110,000.00.

In 1871 it had developed upon Wm. A. Cook, then corporation attorney, one of the most astute lawyers in the District, to examine the title of this property for the government, then planning for new market sites; he did not consider the title then vested in the two daughters as altogether satisfactory, in fact not what might be called a good title. I recently had in my hand the record of the transfer of this property from Lynch and Sands, when it was a part of Port Royal in 1793, down to the sale to the market company, and I observed that the names appearing in the transfer of the property to the market company, in

cluded Geo. Savage, Susannah Savage, his wife, Mrs. Mary E. Woodward and Ada A. Savage, his daughters.

Mr. James H. McGill, a Washington architect and builder, was employed as architect and superintendent of construction, and plans commenced for the building of a new market, the company incorporating Feb. 23, 1874, under the name of the Northern Liberty Market Company.

A temporary market was erected on the east side of the lot to accommodate the dealers until the permanent structure was available. This was a well built and extensive affair, and was ready for occupancy on Saturday, June 27, 1874, and the opening is thus described in the Evening Star of June 29, 1874.

"The neighborhood between Fourth and Fifth and K and L Streets northwest presented quite an animated appearance on Saturday afternoon and night, June 27, 1874, occasioned by the opening of the Northern Liberty Market on Savage Square.

"The rapidity with which this market house has been constructed, with all the necessary fixtures appended, has attracted considerable attention and astonished the natives thereabouts, and goes to show the vim of the dealers, and that they mean business. The opening event had been heralded to the public on Saturday morning by means of a band of music, drawn by a four horse team, in an open wagon, on the sides of which was displayed the following inscription, in large letters: "Northern Liberty Market open tonight-Savage Square."

“After making the circuit of the city, the team drove to the market house at three o'clock, when the doors were thrown open, and a large American banner flung to the breeze from the flagstaff on the south end, amid cheering and music. The visitors and customers soon began to flock there to inspect the interior, all nicely fitted up with 304