Tonight’s East CAC meeting was an unforgettable one. Not only was I honored to be reelected as CAC Chair, but a group of about 15 Pakistanis were here to observe an American civic meeting. After that we had a number of members tell us about the history of our area, many of these folks having lived here for almost 40 years.
The real treat in my mind was to hear from a descendant of the original property owners who once owned the property surrounding Lions Park. The history of the land was traced back to 1851 when it was purchased from the Mordecais! Even venerable old Saint Augustine’s College wouldn’t come into existence for another 16 years.
It was fascinating! I never knew there used to be a pond right in the middle of our neighborhood, or that a stream existed at the bottom of Fenton Street, or that Pigeon House Branch creek was once clean enough to drink, or that many picnics were held at the bottom of Fenton, where a beautiful wooded ravine once stood.
The “history lesson” meeting was so much fun that we’ll have to do another one soon!