Editing Takoma Park, Maryland (section)

===19th century===
Takoma Park was founded by [[Benjamin Franklin Gilbert]] in 1883.<ref name="proctor-1949">{{Cite book |last=Proctor |first=John Clagett |title=Proctor's Washington and Environs |publisher=John Clagett Proctor, LL.D. |year=1949 |author-link=John Clagett Proctor}}</ref>{{rp|331}} It was one of the first planned [[Victorian architecture|Victorian]] [[commuter]] [[suburb]]s,<ref>{{Cite book |last=Anne. |first=O'Boyle, Mary |title=Takoma Park : portrait of a Victorian suburb, 1883-1983 |date=1984-01-01 |publisher=Historic Takoma |isbn=978-0961352707 |oclc=11274182}}</ref> centered on the [[Baltimore and Ohio Railroad|B&O]] railroad station in [[Takoma, Washington, D.C.|Takoma, D.C.]], and bore aspects of a [[thermal bath|spa]] and [[trolley park]].

''Takoma'' was originally the name of [[Mount Rainier]], from [[Lushootseed language|Lushootseed]] {{IPA|sal|təqʷúbəʔ|}} (earlier {{IPA|*təqʷúməʔ}}), 'snow-covered mountain'.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Bright |first=William |title=Native American Placenames of the United States |date=2004 |publisher=University of Oklahoma Press |isbn=978-0806135762 |location=Norman |page=469 |author-link=William Bright}}</ref> In response to a wish of Gilbert, the name ''Takoma'' was chosen in 1883 by DC resident Ida Summy, who believed it to mean 'high up' or 'near heaven'.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Kohn |first=Diana |date=November 2008 |title=Takoma Park at 125 |pages=14–15 |work=Takoma Voice |url=http://www.historictakoma.org/voice/TakomaParkAt1251108.pdf |url-status=live |access-date=May 8, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140802143743/http://www.historictakoma.org/voice/TakomaParkAt1251108.pdf |archive-date=August 2, 2014 |df=mdy-all}}</ref> The city of [[Tacoma, Washington|Tacoma]] in [[Washington (state)|Washington state]] is also named after Mount Takhoma ([[Mount Rainier]]).

Gilbert's first purchase of land was in spring 1884 when he bought {{convert|100|acre|km2}} of land from G.C. Grammar, which was known as Robert's Choice.<ref name="proctor-1949" />{{rp|331}}<ref name="history1889">{{Cite news |date=June 15, 1889 |title=The History of Takoma Park |page=11 |work=Washington Evening Star |url=http://infoweb.newsbank.com/iw-search/we/HistArchive/?p_product=EANX-NB&p_theme=ahnp&p_nbid=M69F61LUMTQxOTA5Njg2MC4yODM0NzoxOjE1OjEzMi4xNzQuMjU0LjE0NQ&p_action=doc&s_lastnonissuequeryname=3&d_viewref=search&p_queryname=3&p_docnum=31&p_docref=v2:13D5DA85AE05A305@EANX-NB-13EA564E0E14E390@2411169-13E9066A29875CE8@10-13EDE6AFCA4E2348@}}</ref> This plot of land was located on both sides of the railroad station, roughly bounded by today's Sixth Street on the west, Aspen Street on the south, Willow Avenue on the east, and Takoma Avenue on the north.<ref name="proctor-1949" />{{rp|331}} At the time, much of the land was covered by thick forest, some of which was cleared away in order to lay out and grade streets and housing lots.<ref name="along">{{Cite news |date=August 22, 1885 |title=Along the Railroads |page=2 |work=Washington Evening Star |url=http://infoweb.newsbank.com/iw-search/we/HistArchive/?p_product=EANX-NB&p_theme=ahnp&p_nbid=M69F61LUMTQxOTA5Njg2MC4yODM0NzoxOjE1OjEzMi4xNzQuMjU0LjE0NQ&p_action=doc&s_lastnonissuequeryname=3&d_viewref=search&p_queryname=3&p_docnum=5&p_docref=v2:13D5DA85AE05A305@EANX-NB-13E84DF2F0E132E8@2409776-13E84314D5ABAF08@1-13EAB4CF178A7D40@}}</ref> At its founding, most lots measured {{convert|50|by|200|ft|m|round=5}}<ref name= along/> and were sold for $327 to $653 per acre.<ref name="newtowns">{{Cite news |date=August 23, 1888 |title=New Towns in Montgomery |work=The Baltimore Sun |id={{ProQuest|535089946}}}}</ref> By August 1885, there were about 100 people living in Takoma Park, including temporary summer residents and year-round permanent residents.<ref name= along/> Gilbert himself lived in a wooden house on a stone foundation, with 20 rooms and a {{convert|65|ft|m|adj=on}} tower.<ref name= along/>

Gilbert purchased another plot of land in 1886. The land was roughly bounded by Carroll Avenue to the Big Spring (now Takoma Junction) and what is now Woodland Avenue. Gilbert named this land New Takoma. Gilbert later purchased the Jones farm and the Naughton farm, which together he named North Takoma.<ref name="proctor-1949" />{{rp|335}} He also purchased land from [[Francis P. Blair]], [[Richard L. T. Beale]], and the Riggs family.<ref name= history1889/>

Gilbert hired contractor Fred E. Dudley to build many of the homes in Takoma Park. One of the homes built by Dudley was the [[Cady-Lee|home of Cady Lee]]{{clarify|date=December 2021|reason=this home is not in TP, it is just across the border in DC}}, which was designed by [[Leon E. Dessez]] and still stands today at Piney Branch Road and Eastern Avenue. Dudley's son Wentworth was the first child born in Takoma Park.<ref name="proctor-1949" />{{rp|331}}
 
By 1888, there were 75 houses built in the community,<ref name=newtowns/> and the number increased to 235 homes by 1889.<ref name="proctor-1949" />{{rp|335}} In 1889, Gilbert purchased several acres of land along [[Sligo Creek]] from a physician in Boston named Dr. R.C. Flower, in order to build a sanitarium on the land.<ref>{{Cite news |date=February 9, 1889 |title=Improvements along the Metropolitan Branch |page=6 |work=Washington Evening Star |url=http://infoweb.newsbank.com/iw-search/we/HistArchive/?p_product=EANX-NB&p_theme=ahnp&p_nbid=M69F61LUMTQxOTA5Njg2MC4yODM0NzoxOjE1OjEzMi4xNzQuMjU0LjE0NQ&p_action=doc&s_lastnonissuequeryname=3&d_viewref=search&p_queryname=3&p_docnum=22&p_docref=v2:13D5DA85AE05A305@EANX-NB-13E8A30F62F3F7B0@2411043-13E842F60164AC98@5-13EDA11E56DB7C78@}}</ref> By this point, Takoma Park stretched {{convert|1,500|acres|km2|round=5}}.<ref name= history1889/>

The deed of each of the original houses prohibited alcohol from being made or sold on the property,<ref name= history1889/><ref name=newtowns/><ref name="proctor-1949" />{{rp|335}} a prohibition that continued in the city until 1983.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Horwitz |first=Sari |date=November 22, 1986 |title=Takoma Park Boasts Fast-Growing Values: From 'Tacky Park' to 'Chevy Chase East' |newspaper=The Washington Post |id={{ProQuest|138891796}}}}</ref> Takoma Park incorporated as a town on April 3, 1890.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Kaiman |first=Beth |date=June 29, 1989 |title=Takoma Park to Rally Round the Oak Leaf |newspaper=The Washington Post |id={{ProQuest|139976356}}}}</ref> The first town election was held on May 5, 1890, and Gilbert was elected mayor and J. Vance Lewis, George H. Bailey, Daniel Smith, and Frederick J. Lung were elected to the town council.<ref>{{Cite news |date=May 6, 1890 |title=The Takoma Park Election |page=8 |work=Washington Evening Star |url=http://infoweb.newsbank.com/iw-search/we/HistArchive/?p_product=EANX-NB&p_theme=ahnp&p_nbid=M69F61LUMTQxOTA5Njg2MC4yODM0NzoxOjE1OjEzMi4xNzQuMjU0LjE0NQ&p_action=doc&s_lastnonissuequeryname=3&d_viewref=search&p_queryname=3&p_docnum=41&p_docref=v2:13D5DA85AE05A305@EANX-NB-13EAA4FA8F00DDB8@2411494-13EA407731749560@7-13F1520083F81148@}}</ref>

The Watkins Hotel was built in 1892.<ref name="centuries">Sween, Jane C.; Offutt, William. ''Montgomery County: Centuries of Change''.  American Historical Press, 1999.  {{ISBN|1-892724-05-7}}.</ref> A fire destroyed the town's recently built commercial district and the Watkins Hotel in 1893.<ref name= centuries/> Gilbert's North Takoma Hotel was built later that year, advertising the pure spring water nearby its 160 rooms.<ref name= centuries/>

Many of the streets were originally known as avenues. When the Commissioners of the District of Columbia mandated a District-wide street-naming system, those on the District side were renamed streets but retained their names otherwise.<ref name="proctor-1949" />{{rp|335}} Other streets in [[Takoma, Washington, D.C.|Takoma, D.C.]], were renamed entirely. Susquehanna Avenue became Whittier Street. Tahoe Street was renamed Aspen Street. Umatilla Street became Aspen Street. Vermilion Street became Cedar Street. Wabash Street was renamed Dahlia Street. Aspin became Elder Street. Magnolia Street became Eastern Avenue.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Baist |first=G. William |title=Baist's Real Estate Atlas Surveys of Washington, D.C., Volume 3, Plate 24 |year=1903}}</ref>
[[File:Takoma Park Seventh-day Adventist Church.JPG|thumb|right|Takoma Park Seventh-day Adventist Church]]