DEVELOPMENT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 171 



With these percentages of increase before us, that of the dec- 

 ade from 1880 to 1890 being 29-f percent, from 1870 to 1880 

 nearly 35 percent from i860 to 1870 over 75 percent, and 

 from 1850 to i860 more than 45.25 percent, it is reasonable 

 to put the percentage of increase during the decade from 1890 

 to 1900 at 22, as estimated by the District Commissioners. This 

 will give the District a population next year of about 280,000. 



While Alexandria was a part of the District, its population, 

 up to the time of its recession to Virginia July 9, 1846, increased 

 from 2748 to 8459. This recession, of course, caused some of 

 the reduction and a decrease in the percentage of increase be- 

 tween 1840 and 1850 th&t have been noted. Alexandria now 

 has a population of over 14,000, there having been a very steady 

 although slow growth during the whole century. Georgetown 

 has about the same population that Alexandria now has. Its 

 growth has been from 4948 in 1810 to 14,046. 



The growth of population in the District has been ample to 

 warrant commercial and industrial growth, but speaking of the 

 economic development of the District from a purely industrial 

 sense, it is safe to say that such development has not been com- 

 mensurate with the growth of population. The subject of 

 economic growth in this territory must be approached from two 

 lines — first, the conventional or industrial economic develop- 

 ment, and, second, the economic development from a sociolog- 

 ical view. In this latter sense the development of the District of 

 Columbia has been unique, presenting phases and elements not 

 to be found in any other city in the country and perhaps in the 

 world. A brief review of the economic development from the 

 industrial sense is interesting, however, and ought to precede 

 the consideration of any of the unique or sociological features. 



The territory on which the city of Washington proper now 

 stands was farming land. Georgetown had a considerable 

 trade. Alexandria was a port of some importance, but that city 

 need not be considered, as it now forms no part of the Dic;trict. 

 Unfortunately, official statistics of the agricultural and manu- 

 facturing interests of the District of Columbia cannot be given 

 with much accuracy for the first half century of its life. The 

 agricultural statistics begin with the year 1840, when the total 



