THE LEAFLET

November 18, 2019 /
Jona Elwell

D.C.’s Parks through the Ages: Logan Circle Storymap

It is a massive understatement to say that D.C. and its parks are full of history. While the National Mall is often the site of some of the largest and most memorable historical events, D.C.’s lesser-known but equally well-loved parks are also chocked full of history. 

While inventorying trees with the Urban Forestry Division and updating our Tree Inventory Map we realized that as we discovered, identified, and measured the history of a particular park’s trees, we could also learn about the dynamic history of D.C.’s parks. Couple that with our love of maps and data and voila – introducing our Park Storymaps. In the past, we looked at Lincoln Park, and Fort Reno, and we’re excited to show you Logan Circle!

Logan Circle has been a landmark of the District’s culture since the city’s inception. Starting as a wild swath of land, the area was named Iowa Circle until 1891, when the location was selected for a memorial to General and Civil War hero John Logan. Logan was an Illinois senator-turned Union Army general who is credited with the founding of Memorial Day. An act of Congress in 1930 resulted in the official name change.

Check out the Logan Circle Storymap below!