An Old Friend From Palisades
The Palisades neighborhood of Washington, D.C. is located along the Potomac River in the most western part of the city. It has many historic features, including the C&O Canal and Fletcher's Boathouse resulting from its location on the river. A long-time Palisades resident, Alice Fales Stewart, wrote this book in the Images of America series of local photographic histories which describes the Palisades. from the earliest days along the Potomac River through colonial times, the Civil War, development in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the increased government presence in the area with the two World War, post-war development, and concluding through the early years of the 21st Century up to the publication of the book in 2005. The book displays a great deal of knowledge of the Palisades and its history and, more importantly, a strong sense of community spirit. The book shows a strong sense of community outreach as in recent years the Palisades Community Association has reached out to partner with other Washington, D.C. neighborhoods, including those in less economically advantaged parts of the city.
I have been familiar with some of the streets of the Palisades and of the local landmarks from my years of living in Washington, D.C. I always enjoy learning more about my adopted city. I learned about the community spirit that the neighborhood has developed over the years which is shown most dramatically in the annual Fourth of July parade and in the work of the active community association.
With all the photos and discussions of the community over time, one photo brought back special memories. For years, I had a colleague who lived in the Palisades and who walked about five miles to work, regardless of the weather, along the C&O canal reading a work of literature or philosophy along his way. He and I became friends, and we often discussed books we had read about matters far removed from the routine of the office. I was gratified to see a photo of my old friend doing his morning walk to work along the Canal, book in hand. I thought fondly of him and of our friendship. My friend died, age 98, on January 14,2023.
As do other books in the Images of America series, this book performs a service to residents and to other interested people in preserving local histories of American communities, each of which has its own story to tell. I enjoyed this history of the Palisades, just as I enjoyed other histories of communities in Washington D.C. and elsewhere. But the most important part of the book for me was the specific memories it brought back of a dear friend.
