“What Magic Has Been Wrought Here”

“What Magic Has Been Wrought Here”. A Self-Reliant People. , On, May 18,1966, crowds gathered here to witness Lady Bird Johnson (1912-2007) rededicate eight acres of Watts Branch Park. , “No one more than the residents of this area knows what magic has been wrought here at Watts Branch,” observed the First Lady. Hundreds of volunteers had cleared tons of garbage, replacing it with flower beds, trees, and well-manicured grass. But Lady Bird Johnson's Capital Beautification initiative didn't stop with surface beauty. She raised America's awareness of the threats from pollution, urban decay, and lack of recreational opportunities. , Despite the attention to Watts Branch, city officials ignored the blight of Kenilworth Dump, formerly located across the railroad tracks to your right. Back in 1942, when they selected the dump's location, officials simply saw it as remote from downtown. They ignored how close it was to River Terrace, Deanwood, and surrounding communities. For decades, smoke from burning garbage polluted the air and land, and toxic run-off contaminated the landscape, Watts Branch, and the Anacostia. , Still people found ways to benefit from the dump. Some adults tracked the arrival of department store trucks filled with useable goods and recycled them, often repairing them for their use or for sale. Longtime resident Thomas Childs recalled childhood adventures in the dump. “We would take our wagons and … go shopping” for parts to make go-carts. Despite continuous complaints, Kenilworth Dump was not closed until 1968, after seven-year-old Kelvin Mock died tragically in a pile of burning trash. Although illegal dumping continued into the 1990s, the reclaimed grounds now offer public recreation.