April 29, 1925. 
My dear Colonel Sherrill: 
A resident of Washington for more than 
half a century, I find it most gratifying to learn that 
at last we have assurance of a real awakening to the vital 
needs of our city as the capital of the nation. Coupled 
with this assurance of awakening are the two great essen¬ 
tials,—the requisite genius for the development of plans 
and the dynamic force that assures their realization. 
I have "been especially interested in the 
development of the northwestern suburbs of the city, and 
my recent visit with you to Piney Branch has aroused anew 
the hope that this secluded little valley may yet be 
rescued, at least in large part, from the ruthless invasion 
of suburban improvement. Phis valley, as you know, de¬ 
serves the city’s attention not only on account of its ro¬ 
mantic beauty and desirability as a park area, but especially 
for the reason that it bears on its forest covered slopes one 
of the most important historical sites east of the Allegheny 
Mountains,—the site on which for hundreds, possibly thousands 
of years the Indian tribes of the Potomac Valley quarried 
quartzite boulders from which they roughed out. by fracture 
their implements of war and the chase. 
The numerous tribal 
