alongstoriedpastdc

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Meditations on Fleeting Moments: The Deep and Layered History of the Cherry Trees

As the last vestiges of winter wane and time springs toward warmer days, the massive Cherry Blossom tree across my alley neighbor's yard bursts into a beautiful array of pink and cherry bright. It's that time again, as this past Thursday, the 20th, marks the official beginning of the National Cherry Blossom Festival in the District. Lasting from March 20 to April 12, the National Cherry Blossom Festival in the District is an annual event that "commemorates the 1912 gift of 3,000 cherry trees from Mayor Yukio Ozaki of Tokyo to the city of Washington, DC, and celebrates the enduring friendship between the people of the United States and Japan." The National Cherry Blossom Festival surmises these events to have started in 1912. While that is true, a sizeable number of individuals are responsible for forming what we celebrate annually on the Tidal Basin today. One of the best places to better understand the history of this relationship is through the National Park Service website, which highlights these events throughout the years- Starting in 1885 with one Eliza Ruhamah Scidmore—a travel writer and photographer whose articles appeared in numerous publications (magazines like Outlook, Century, Harper's Weekly, and World Today) throughout her journalistic career. One of her most prominent works was a series of articles on her expedition to Alaska, which were later collected into a novel called Alaska, Its Southern Coast and Stikan Archipelago. Her later trips to Asia, specifically Japan, greatly influenced her admiration of the country, its culture, and its Skaura trees. So much so that following her journey to the country, she petitioned the U.S. government- and "approached the U.S. Army Superintendent of the Office of Public Buildings and Grounds with a proposal that Japanese cherry trees be planted one day along the reclaimed Potomac waterfront. Her request fell on deaf ears." Scidmore repeated this with every preceding Superintendent until her suggestion reached First Lady Helen Taft. The First Lady was familiar with the beauty of the trees, as she had also spent time in Japan. 

The story continues in my next blog post, as I'm making this a multi-part series in light of the ongoing Cherry Blossoms Festivities dotted all around DC (and most abundantly) downtown. 

Sources:

National Park Service (n.d.). History of Cherry Trees. NPS.gov. Retrieved March 26, 2025, from https://www.nps.gov/subjects/cherryblossom/history-of-the-cherry-trees.htm

NCBF, Inc. (n.d.). About Us. National Cherry Blossom Festival. Retrieved March 26, 2025, from https://nationalcherryblossomfestival.org/about-us/

Pink Cherry Blossom Jefferson Memorial Watercolor Painting Poster Print. http://www.kblossoms.com/store/p332/Pink_Cherry_Blossom_Jefferson_Memorial_Watercolor_Painting_Poster_Print.html

Pocock , J. (n.d.). Beyond the Cherry Trees: The Life and Times of Eliza Scidmore. National Geographic. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/article/beyond-the-cherry-trees-the-life-and-times-of-eliza-scidmore

(2023, November 27). Eliza Scidmore's Lasting Legacy. National Park Service. https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/eliza-scidmore-in-glacier-bay.htm

[alongstoriedpastdc]

 Before Settlings: The Forgotten Indigenous People of the Potomac

Before its colonization and subsequent visitation by various European settlers in the years to come, the region that would later become the capital of the burgeoning United States was the original home of Indigenous peoples for thousands of years. Indigenous peoples settled on the shores of the Potomac and Anacostia rivers as early as 9,500 BCE—the geography of which a robust wilderness bolstered these areas. "Additionally, the surrounding wilderness provided plenty of forest produce and wild game such as turkey, quail, geese, ducks, deer, elk, bear, and bison. The native peoples also grew corn, squash, beans, and potatoes in small cleared areas on the fertile floodplains."

The groups that lined the coast of the Potomac, The Nacotcthank Indians (where Anacostia derives its name from), were a part of the Piscataway Chiefdom - A confederation of Indigenous tribes who primarily spoke Algonquian. They're said to have "lived along the southeast side of the Anacostia River between today's Air Force Base and Anacostia Park, in the floodplain below the eastern-most section of today Fort Circle Parks." These tribes throughout the Washington area also saw first contact with English settlers, as "Captain John Smith was the first European documented to have reached the navigable head of the Potomac River during his explorations in 1608." However, in a tale as old as time, the subsequent European explorations would result in the complete takeover of the area- And the eventual displacement and decimation of this once-vibrant indigenous community.

The Nacotcthank Village was also the largest of the tribal villages in the Washington area. It was purported to be a significant trading center, as various Indigenous artifacts were found throughout the years in the major waterways.

Today, while Washington, DC, has changed radically, I hope this post has shown DC in a new light.

Aerial View of Washington (DC) Looking South: Photo by Ron Cogswell

Sources:

Native Peoples of Washington, DC (U.S. National Park Service). https://www.nps.gov/articles/native-peoples-of-washington-dc.htm

LeeDecker, C. (n.d.). Uncovering the history of D.C.'s Landscape. https://www.nps.gov › articles › history-archeology-of-dc-intro.htm